In this second episode of RaboTalk Growing our Future’s new Catchment Catch-Ups series, host Blake Holgate speaks with Alexis Wadworth a central Southland farmer and director for both Thriving Southland and Catchment Communities Aotearoa.
Their conversation focuses on how the Makarewa Headwaters Catchment Group shifted from a baseline study of water quality to tackling a massive wild pest problem. Alexis shares the economic and environmental realities of managing over 7,500 wild deer and pigs across their 42,000 hectare catchment, demonstrating how robust, farmer-led data can open doors to funding, attracting expert advice and engaging government agencies.
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Show notes:
The Makarewa Headwaters Origin
Formed in 2019 during a period of intense regulatory pressure around winter grazing and water quality, the group began as a way for local farmers to band together and clear the muddy waters of compliance. Supported by Thriving Southland, their core objective has always been to leave a swimmable, drinkable waterway that future generations can be proud of.
Overcoming the Administrative Burden
Alexis highlights that asking busy, volunteer farmers to run community organisations is a major hurdle. Accessing dedicated support, like a catchment coordinator from Thriving Southland, is fundamental. It removes the administrative weight, allowing farmers to focus on strategic direction rather than getting bogged down in the day-to-day paperwork.
The Shift to Pest Management
While the group started with water quality science through their LUCI-Ag project, testing quickly revealed a surprising risk: the degradation of the native bush at the headwaters. In 2023, they launched a revival project to understand, control, and monitor the severe pressure caused by wild deer and pigs.
The 2 Million Dollar Annual Cost
A comprehensive survey combining farmer feedback, ecological assessments, and aerial thermal imaging revealed over 7,500 wild animals living in the surveyed area. Alexis notes the economic impact was calculated at over 2 million dollars annually due to destroyed winter crops, pasture rooting, weed tracking, and the fact that the pest population consumed enough feed to carry an additional 5,000 ewes.
Exclusion Plots and Regina Generation
To combat the snowballing pest numbers, landowners are working with commercial venison harvesters and opening gates to recreational hunters. To measure the exact impact of these efforts, the group is establishing 10 exclusion plots across varying forest canopies to see how quickly the forest floor can regenerate when all browsing pests are removed.
The Power of Ground-Up Data
Alexis admits that taking time to study and package a formal report went against the farming instinct to just get out and do the doing. However, having a polished, fact-based document has been an absolute game changer for unlocking funding, attracting expert advice, and engaging government agencies.
Final Advice: Voice Your Hesitations
Alexis encourages anyone sitting on the fence to get involved. If you have reservations about time or direction, those exact hesitations are what the group needs to hear to shape its focus. Progress is rarely linear when driven from the ground up, but the shared knowledge gained along the way is just as valuable as the end goal.
