Plastic free waterways: a citizen's science workshop with Dr Amanda Valois

When rain falls onto our streets and driveways, stormwater drains and pipes direct the rainwater away from roads and back into rivers and streams. This water carries plastics and other rubbish into the river and out to the ocean. All this plastic pollution harms our wildlife. Animals accidently eat the plastic or get tangled up or cut by it.

In this workshop we will share with you a project involving members of the public – you, that investigates the amount of plastic that is entering Wellington harbour via the Kaiwharawhara stream. We will then look at different ways we can reduce the amount of plastic entering our waterways or capture it before it enters the stream.

We will get hands-on as we look through these “plastic capturing devices” and identify and count the different types of litter. Together we will make a map and use our detective skills to figure out where the different types of plastics are coming from. We will then brainstorm ways we can reduce the amount of plastic entering and polluting our rivers and oceans.

This workshop is suitable for all ages.

Refreshments and snacks will be provided.