Canterbury has some of the cleanest water in the world, which is drawn from underground aquifers and which we can drink untreated. Although a floodplain, the Canterbury plains have a dry climate, and the thirsty land requires a lot of water to grow good grass and crops. Irrigation for agriculture, particularly for dairy farming, uses the most water in the region. Human activities like agriculture, recreation, industry and power generation can affect water quality and quantity.

What we offer

Waitaha Wai

Is a comprehensive water education resource written for Level 3-5 of the NZ Curriculum. The booklets that are available within this theme are all FREE to teachers and, depending on bookings, some facilitation support is available.

Wai/Water - an accessible, informative read about all the issues being dealt with under the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. It is intended for use by communities, schools - anyone interested in water in Canterbury. It uses case studies based on real people and includes voices and views from across the region – from rūnanga, from farmers, from industry, from environmental organisations, and from ordinary Cantabrians.

Wai/Water 2011/12 (pdf 13.39 MB)

or you can read Wai/Water on Issuu

Download the Chatty Community Members extract (pdf 602 kB) 

Due to file size, Wai/Water can also be downloaded in separate sections from the Canterbury Water - Get Involved page.

Water of Canterbury - an education programme for Canterbury teachers. From knowledge and understanding comes action to improve and protect our water.

Waterways of Christchurch - a resource book for teachers of primary and secondary students in Christchurch. This programme is offered in partnership with the City Council and can be approached in at least three different ways. The overall goal is to engage young people with improving the health of our urban waterways.

Waitaha Wai: Waterways of Christchurch (pdf 5.88 MB)

Waitaha Wai Supplements:

• Canterbury Mudfish/Kowaro
• Kaiapoi Catchment
• Waihi, Opihi, Orari Rivers and their tributaries
• Te Waihora - Lake Ellesmere.

Living Streams

Is a programme aimed to help improve water quality in lowland rural streams. For schools within Living Streams catchments, there is a 2-year facilitated environmental education programme available and additional resource material.

Your Environment, Canterbury (E-box): Water - the lifeblood of Canterbury

In this issue, we dive into water, a natural resource that can be taken for granted – but shouldn't be.

Water - the lifeblood of Canterbury (pdf 1.31 MB)

Timaru Enviroschool Grantlea Downs’ Clean Stream Team

Timaru Enviroschool Grantlea Downs’ ‘Clean Stream Team’ (pictured below) has been involved in Environment Canterbury’s Waitaha Wai facilitated water programme in 2010.

The Clean Stream Team is a group of students passionate about improving the health and opportunities on the Taitarakihi Creek, a degraded waterway that runs behind their school.

The students visited sites on the Taumatakahu (Temuka, South Canterbury) as examples of what could be possible for their waterway in terms of plantings and walkways for the benefit of the waterway and the wider Grantlea community.

They learnt about indicators of healthy waterways, the development of riparian plantings and establishment of walking tracks. The students were treated to an electric fishing demonstration by Hamish Stevens from Fish and Game which yielded this 584 mm trout, now tagged as #2450. This trout is much larger than those normally residing in the Taumatakahu and may have come into the catchment from the Opihi or Temuka rivers to spawn.

The field trip was organised by Timaru’s Environment Canterbury educator, Debbie Eddington, in partnership with Central South Island Fish and Game and the Timaru District Council.

Back Row – left to right: Tim and Laura
Front Row – left to right: Katrina, Chelsea, Zoe, Hamish Stevens (Fish & Game), Susanna and Julia.