Ecotago Trust scientist Andrew Innes said the organisation had focused on water quality testing at Tomahawk Lagoon since 2016, gathering data at various sites around the lagoon and catchment.
An Otago Regional Council (ORC) report two years ago had concluded that the water quality in the lagoon remained poor, so now the focus had moved to finding solutions, he said.
"So, that is where we are now, still working with schools on developing catchment enhancement programmes."
That included planting trees and building fences, so with funding and guidance from the ORC, Ecotago and school groups were working alongside local landowners to enable that.
The Tomahawk Smaills Beachcare Trust was providing plants, management and expertise, and landowner Warren Matheson had made a major contribution by offering to build the fences if the ORC provided the materials, Mr Innes said.
"So this month, we have school groups getting out into the lagoon and catchment areas, tidying up around the planting we did last year and looking at more planting."
The other aspect of the project was education, and Ecotago was continuing to work with local schools, including Queen’s and King’s High Schools, Otago Girls’ High School and others.
"The students have worked during term one to develop their project ideas and investigations and now it is time to get to work on them," he said.
Among the projects were an investigation of stormwater quality in the lower lagoon, a study on the effects of riparian planting, stewardship of the catchment and sampling of fish species in the lagoon.
Pupils of Tahuna Intermediate were working on collecting information about the animals and plants of the Tomahawk Lagoon, with a view to possibly preparing information panels on the lagoon’s various residents.
"The results of these various projects and investigations will be presented to the community in due course.
"This hands-on learning is productive for both the children and for the lagoon, so we are very much looking forward to seeing where it takes us," Mr Innes said.
