Get Involved

There are loads of things you can do to help make the Ōpāwaho-Heathcote River an ecologically healthy river that people take pride in, enjoy, and care for. We've compiled a list of things you can do to help below - click on the links for more information - or email us with another idea. It's very likely that we can help you to make it happen!

1. Like the Opawaho Heathcote River Facebook page
2. Join one of the Network groups undertaking restoration and maintenance in reserves along the river.
3. Tell us about any ideas you might have about making a difference to the river, and how you can help to make that happen.
4. Assist with the annual Mother of All Clean Ups (usually the same weekend as Mother’s Day, which is usually the second sunday in May)
5. Tell people that street gutters and drains are connected to Christchurch rivers, and is not treated by the local sewerage plant. Look into installing a LittaTrap™ in your stormwater drain.
6. Take your friends for walks along the river, especially through reserves that are maintained by the river network groups
7. Pick up any litter you see. (It helps if you take a rubbish bag with you on your walks)
8. Wash your car on the grass so the water doesn’t flow onto the street and eventually into the river, don't use soap.
9. If you have a dog, pick up its poo, especially on river banks and in parks.
10. Wash any DIY paint brushes in the laundry sink, or at a garden tap - avoid any water with paint in it flowing into storm water drains by tipping dirty water in an out of the way spot in the garden.
11. Ask your mechanic if they can supply copper-free brake pads for your car.
12. Get your sewerage pipes checked for any cracks, and fix them
13. Watch the ducks instead of feeding them. Bread is not good for them and causes excessive poo.
14. Don’t apply garden fertilisers, or sprays (especially moss killers) just before a heavy rain event - otherwise the nutrients might run straight off the garden into storm water.
15. Minimise the hard surfaces on your property - use permeable pavers instead of ashpalt for paths, create a garden, lawn -  and help to soak up rainwater or slow down run off into stormwater drains. Rain barrels and tanks help too!