Surrounded by still snow capped mountains, the glistening water of lake Wanaka and uninterrupted sunshine, Glendu Bay was the ideal setting for this year’s POW Summer Camp. A weekend for outdoor lovers to come together over adventure, discussion, and education – we kicked off the activities with a workshop by Professor David Norton on Nature-Based Solutions.
With over 40 years’ experience in New Zealand ecology and conservation across public and private land, Prof. David Norton has no shortage of knowledge in the critical role healthy ecosystems and biodiversity play in addressing climate change and fostering resilience in affected communities. For those who were not able to enjoy this thought provoking presentation in person, we’ve put together a summary of the key takeaways alongside some additional resources for those you’d like to learn more below.
The Challenges We Face
By now most of us know climate change isn’t just a rise in temperatures, it also means an increase in extreme weather events and environmental degradation (more rain, wind, drought, heatwaves – less snow). These are obviously conditions that affect the health of our ecosystems and biodiversity, so how can nature help us? Well as Prof. Norton states:
“I see the climate and biodiversity as being explicitly linked. The climate emergency and biodiversity crisis are the same… I really feel if we can enhance native forests in New Zealand then we can address a whole raft of social and climate issues at the same time.” [1]
Why Biodiversity Matters
Article 33 from the Climate Change Convention [2] explicitly links the climate emergency to the biodiversity crisis and makes it clear we can’t meet temperature goals without halting and reversing the loss of nature. So not only is it a pleasure to spend time outdoors in diverse ecosystems with thriving plant and animals species, protecting and restoring nature is crucial for:
- Carbon Storage: Intact ecosystems, like forests and mangroves, act as natural carbon sinks, reducing atmospheric CO₂.
- Disaster Mitigation: Biodiversity-rich habitats are more resilient and help protect communities from floods, storm surges, and other climate impacts.
- Sustaining Life: Biodiversity underpins ecosystems that provide food, clean water, and medicines.
So how can we support these actions here in Aotearoa?
Recloaking Papatūānuku
‘When the water and land are well, the people are well’. [3]
One of the organisations working on nature based solutions to the biodiversity & climate crises in NZ is Pure Advantage with the Recloaking Papatūānuku initiative.
The initiative aims to restore over two million hectares of indigenous forest in Aotearoa, protect our old growth forests and blend traditional Māori knowledge with modern science to:
- Mitigate climate change by enhancing carbon sinks.
- Build resilience against climate impacts like erosion and flooding.
- Boost biodiversity, improve water quality, and support sustainable livelihoods
How You Can Help
In a world of big issues, it’s easy to feel like small changes don’t make a difference. But if the power of collective action shows anything, it’s that individual actions make a difference. So here are some of the actions you can take personally to help :
- Support local sustainability and biodiversity projects (like POW, Recloaking Papatūānuku, or Te Kākano & WAI for Wanaka locals).
- Advocate for emissions reductions and responsible policies (subscribe to our newsletter to see our submission guides for help, and support our initiatives like a bus for WAN-QT).
- Spend time and reconnect with nature (this is always a great reminder and boost for why we need to work to protect it).
- Think local (keeping it close with things like food, renewable energy and travel lowers our personal impacts).
Extra Resources
Prof. David Norton is a wealth of knowledge – follow him on social media and have a listen to this podcast to learn more about the biodiversity work he’s doing in the local Central Otago region.
Another great recourse is the United Nations blog on how biodiversity is our strongest natural defence against climate change – which also gives plenty of other helpful links.
[2] COP28 UAE 2023 https://www.cop28.com/en/
[3] https://pureadvantage.org/recloaking-papatuanuku/
