Professor Jayne White and Dr Ngaroma Williams from the University of Canterbury’s Faculty of Education will be giving a free public talk on Monday, April 15 on the background to this project, based on their discoveries in a pilot study as part of an international investigation of children and water across Norway, Tanzania and New Zealand.
They discovered that children are deeply invested in the preservation of the waterscapes that surround them.
The evening will be hosted by the Canterbury Branch Royal Society of New Zealand, and president Roger Fagg said the branch was pleased to be associated with this research because the future of our local waterways is of vital interest to all, yet children were seldom given a voice in this regard.
"Their thoughts, concerns, opinions, aspirations or potential responses are hardly pursued and sometimes completely ignored, as it considered that children have no meaningful contributions to make on major issues.
"And yet, continuing research in this area, proves this thinking is deeply flawed."
Mr Fagg said the talk and its research should be of interest to people in central, regional and local governance, parents and those working with young children.
All were welcome to come along and hear about how they could contribute to the project.
The talk will be held at Ara Institute of Canterbury’s Timaru campus (room TG105/106 beside the gym) at 6.30pm.
