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Item Open Access Record of the Behaviour Change Workshop in Ōtautahi to protect and restore freshwater biodiversity across urban areas in Aotearoa(Lincoln University | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki. LEaP, 2024-06) Bond, Jenny; Dorner, Zachary; McLeod, Lynette; St John-Ives, GeorginaThis workshop was part of disseminating the research and capabilities from the National Science Challenge (NSC) - New Zealand’s Biological Heritage | Ngā Koiora Tuku Iho, Strategic Outcome 2 – We empower New Zealanders to demand and enact environmental stewardship and kaitiakitanga. This research utilised behaviour change frameworks to understand and influence human behaviour to protect and restore freshwater biodiversity across urban areas in Aotearoa. We identified 29 key behaviours important to urban freshwater health, and investigated three key behaviours in more detail: volunteering as part of a group (Maris et al., 2024; Dorner et al., 2024), reporting stormwater pollution (McLeod et al., 2024b; McLeod et al., 2024c), and installing a rainwater tank (McLeod et al., 2024a). As part of the project it was decided that there is a critical need to share the learnings from this research with volunteer groups and decision makers in local government and to equip them with the knowledge of the behaviour change tools available. The workshop in Ōtautahi | Christchurch was a result of a discussion and collaboration between the authors on this report, as well as staff at Environment Canterbury, after initial meetings in 2023 to discuss past and future work as part of the Biological Heritage NSC. The purpose of this report is to provide a record of the workshop; the outcomes, process and how effective it was.Publication Open Access Exploring the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic-induced border closure on domestic visitors’ experience of New Zealand’s Great Walks(Lincoln University | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki. LEaP, 2022-12) Hamlin, A; Espiner, Stephen; Degarege, Gebeyaw; Fountain, JoannaThis report outlines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns and restrictions on visitor experience, using the specific context of the Department of Conservation Great Walks as a key icon of Aotearoa New Zealand's outdoor recreation and tourism products. This report relies on secondary data analysis of pre-walk and post-walk survey data from 2018/19 and 2019/20 collected by the Department of Conservation. The findings show that several attributes and factors characterise domestic visitors' experiences of Great Walks. The reasons respondents rated as most important for undertaking a Great Walk were related to nature, exploration, and taking a break from everyday life, features largely reflected by their most highly rated experience attributes which included the presence of wildlife and nature, and sharing the walk with friends or family. The research also reveals some evidence that the absence of international tourists in 2020/21 was a factor in domestic respondents' decisions to undertake a Great Walk and gave them a different experience due, in part, to the reduction in perceived crowding. Importance-performance analysis indicates that the Department of Conservation is currently meeting (or exceeding) expectations for most factors that visitors rate as important, although the report identifies information about Māori culture as an area of future focus for managers of the Great Walks.Publication Open Access Canterbury coastal beach user survey – 2020-2021 summer(Lincoln University | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki. LEaP, 2023-07) Savage, O; Rennie, HamishThe 800km of coastline in the Canterbury region provides multiple locations for coastal recreation for both land- and water-based activities, as well as different types of coastal environments which differ greatly in characteristics (Environment Canterbury, n.d). The coastline varies from sandy urban beaches close to main centres to more remote, stony and undeveloped beaches that attract different recreational users, ranging from occasional tourist visitors to local daily users. The different values held by recreational users are important for coastal planners and managers. Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury (ECan)) is reviewing its regional coastal planning frameworks, including its Regional Policy Statement and Regional Coastal Environment Plan. To better inform this process the Council supported the research reported here through a student scholarship at Lincoln University to survey beach user values and issues over the summer of 2020/2021.Publication Open Access Food security in a COVID-impacted tourism destination: A case study of Queenstown, New Zealand(Lincoln University | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki. LEaP, 2022-05) Apse, M; Degarege, Gebeyaw; Fountain, Joanna; Espiner, Stephen; Stewart, EmmaThis report outlines the food (in)security situation in Queenstown, New Zealand in the context of its COVID-affected tourism downturn. It is illustrative of the global pandemic’s disruption to the tourism-dependent town and the ways in which this impacted food security within the community. The project used interview data from 13 interviewees each active in the Queenstown community in food welfare, social support, or local government. Supplementary data was gathered via a desk-based document and media search. Community-based food welfare providers reported high demand for food parcels largely due to COVID-19-related income reductions and job losses. Food welfare demand was strong from the commencement of the nationwide lockdown in March 2020, and remained relatively consistent in subsequent months as national borders remained closed to international visitors. Interviewees reported high numbers of migrants accessing food welfare as the result of tourism job losses, reduced shifts, and loss of access to meals they had received in hospitality roles previously. Many of these migrants were ineligible for government support. COVID-19 food security issues have been exacerbated by high demand for housing and high density living, which has reduced the amount of land available for home vegetable planting. This is limiting own food production and access to affordable high-nutrition foods. Reliance on the food welfare sector as a long term strategy is not sustainable if food security is the goal, however the array of community groups that offer food welfare may be able to proactively bolster food security, concurrent with their food welfare operations, and so enable food welfare recipients to transition to less vulnerability and greater food security in the future. Our findings caution against sectoral ‘self-sufficiency’ because high degrees of independence within sectors can translate to vulnerability in the face of disruption. Inter-sectoral integration – particularly within the agriculture, food and tourism sectors – is one avenue by which each sector could become more resilient. Further research in this area could identify pathways for building resilience.Publication Open Access Jetties and small settlement regeneration in Te Pataka o Rakaihautū/Banks Peninsula(Lincoln University | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki. LEaP, 2022-02) Oranje, K; Farrar, J; Nissen, Sylvia; Rennie, HamishThis report contains a summary of the key findings from a research project exploring the community-led restoration initiatives of jetties in small settlements around Te Pataka o Rakaihautū/Banks Peninsula. This project is based on a Lincoln University Summer research scholarship project titled Jetties and small settlement regeneration in Banks Peninsula.Publication Open Access Looking beyond limitations: Electric vehicle use in New Zealand holidays(Lincoln University | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki. LEaP, 2021-12) Fitt, Helen M.; Espiner, Niamh T.EVs are often described as inadequate for long distance holiday trips, and yet increasing numbers of drivers are travelling on holiday in EVs. We talked to 34 New Zealand EV drivers about their experiences of taking an EV on holiday. Although participants did talk about some of the widely reported difficulties or limitations of EV travel (including range, charging, towing, and access to the backcountry), we focus here on less widely reported experiences of actual (and usually successful) holiday trips. A feeling of being adventurous or pioneering, the freedoms associated with driving an EV, and the different sensations, feelings, and driving styles involved in EV travel all feature in this engaging summary of what we found.Publication Open Access The COVID-19 pandemic and outdoor recreation: Exploring COVID-19 induced changes in outdoor recreation engagement and behaviour in New Zealand(Lincoln University | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki. LEaP, 2021-03) Degarege, Gebeyaw; Espiner, Stephen R.; Stewart, Emma; Espiner, Niamh T.The first cluster of COVID-19 cases was recorded in Wuhan, China, on December 21 2019. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has become a significant challenge in almost every aspect of life around the globe. In an attempt to contain the spread of the pandemic, several countries, including New Zealand, have taken consequent measures such as quarantines, social distancing, travel bans, and border closures, all of which have created a de facto restriction for extended outdoor activities. The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in New Zealand was reported on February 28 2020, and was closely followed by government travel restrictions. On March 21, the Government of New Zealand announced a four-level alert system¹ and moved to Alert Level 3 on March 23 followed by a shift to Alert Level 4 at 11:59pm on March 25, a status that was maintained for a period of five weeks. For the majority of the New Zealand public, Alert Level 4 was experienced as a ‘lockdown’ during which typical work, travel and leisure activities were severely constrained. During the March-April Level 4 lockdown period, social and economic life was limited to what was possible from domestic residences, and New Zealanders were required to remain within strict household ‘bubbles’ in terms of their in-person social connections. These events have had a profound effect on individuals, families, communities, the environment and the economy, and many of these effects are still unfolding. The study reported here aimed to document how the March-April Level 4 lockdown² and COVID-19 affected New Zealanders' outdoor recreation participation and experience. The study explored the effects of COVID-19 on outdoor recreation participation in three main time-periods: (1) a 12 month period prior to the pandemic; (2) the five week period of Level 4 lockdown; and (3) after the Level 4 lockdown ended.Publication Open Access Waitaki/Mackenzie Visitor Survey 2020(Lincoln University | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki. LEaP, 2021-05) Mkwara, Lena; Simmons, David G.; Kerr, Geoffrey N.This report presents the findings from a 2020 survey of visitors to tourist attractions in Waitaki and Mackenzie districts. COVID-19 cancelled fieldwork before data collection was complete. The limited data indicate that most visitors tend to visit a number of tourist attractions in the Waitaki/Mackenzie area and make substantial expenditures associated with these attractions. No single tourist attraction was a strong attractant to visitors, the large majority of whom would have visited the districts in the absence of the attractions at which they were invited to complete the survey.Publication Open Access Degrowth, green growth, a-growth and post-growth: The debate on ways forward from our growth addiction(Lincoln University | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki. LEaP, 2020) Roberts, Lillian; Henderson, J.It is widely recognised that averting catastrophic climate change and ecological disaster requires society to relinquish the current growth-focused economic system. However, what this change might include and how it can be implemented is less clear. Different solutions have been envisioned, with advocates for variants of “green growth,” “post-growth” or “de-growth” all presenting possible options for a new economic and social system that can exist within planetary boundaries. This annotated bibliography includes a range of articles which engage with and critique these concepts, consider how they might work in practice and propose strategies for overcoming the obstacles to implementation. The papers were selected by Lincoln University postgraduate students taking the course ERST636: Aspects of Sustainability: an international perspective, in preparation for a class debate of the moot “Green growth is simply designed to perpetuate current unsustainable practices and divert attention away from the need for more fundamental change”. For each paper, the author’s abstract is presented, followed by a discussion of key points. In cases where the paper lacked an abstract, a brief summary has been included instead. Key points and summaries are based on the students work, where necessary edited for clarity.Publication Open Access Exploring the impacts of the Covid-19 national lockdown on outdoor recreationists' activity and perceptions of tourism(Lincoln University | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki. LEaP, 2021-03) Espiner, Niamh T.; Stewart, Emma; Espiner, Stephen R.; Degarege, GebeyawThe Covid-19 pandemic had an unprecedented effect on tourism and outdoor recreation across the world in the year 2020. In New Zealand, a national lockdown for a period of 5 weeks confined New Zealanders to their local neighbourhoods and severely limited their freedoms to participate in tourism and outdoor recreation. This project aimed to investigate the impacts of the national lockdown period on outdoor recreationists’ activity and perceptions of tourism. Through 20 qualitative interviews with outdoor recreationists, it became apparent that the lockdown period had a number of impacts. These included substantial increases in walking, the emergence of adapted forms of outdoor recreation, and an overall sense of renewed appreciation for tourism and recreation in New Zealand’s great outdoors. This report discusses these findings along with some implications and directions for future research.Publication Open Access A synthesis of historical environmental changes to Brooklands Lagoon/Te Riu o Te Aika Kawa, Canterbury(Lincoln University | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki. LEaP, 2021-02) Hodder-Swain, J. L.; Urlich, StephenBrooklands Lagoon / Te Riu o Te Aika Kawa (‘Brooklands’) is an important wetland and estuarine ecosystem in Canterbury. It is a site of cultural significance to Ngāi Tūāhuriri, and is also valued by the wider community. Home to an array of life, it is connected to the Pūharakekenui/Styx and Waimakariri rivers, and is part of a wetland landscape complex that includes the Avon-Heathcote / Ihutai estuary to the south and the Ashley / Rakahuri estuary to the north. Notionally situated within the territorial boundary of Christchurch City Council and jurisdictionally encompassed by the regional council Environment Canterbury, it has been legally determined to be part of the coastal marine area. The complicated administrative arrangements for the lagoon mirror the biophysical and human challenges to this surprisingly young ecosystem since its formation in 1940. Here we present a synthesis of the historical events and environmental influences that have shaped Brooklands Lagoon. Before existing as an intertidal ecosystem, the Waimakariri river mouth was situated in what is now the southern end of the lagoon. A summary timeline of key events is set out in the table below. These included the diversion of the Waimakariri River mouth via the construction of Wrights Cut in the 1930s, which influenced the way that the lower reaches of the river interacted with the land and sea. A large flood in 1940 shifted the river mouth ~2 to 3 kilometres north, that created the landscape that we see today. However, this has not remained stable, as the earthquake sequence in 2010 and 2011 subsided the bed of the estuary. The changes are ongoing, as sea level rise and coastal inundation will place ongoing pressure on the aquatic ecosystem and surrounding land. How to provide accommodation space for Brooklands as an estuary will be a key planning and community challenge, as Environment Canterbury begins the engagement for the review of its Regional Coastal Plan. There is also a requirement to safeguard its ecological health under the 2020 National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management. This will necessitate an integrated mountains to sea (ki uta ki tai) management approach as the lagoon is affected by wider catchment activities. We hope that this report will contribute to, and inform these processes by providing a comprehensive historical synthesis, and by identifying considerations for the future collaborative management of Brooklands Lagoon, and protection of its values. In essence, we suggest that Te Riu o Te Aika Kawa deserves some sustained aroha.Publication Open Access A snapshot of water quality from sampling freshwater invertebrates in Purau stream, Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō(Lincoln University | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki. LEaP, 2021-02) Marshall, KatherineWhaka-Ora Healthy Harbour is a partnership between Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the Lyttelton Port Company, Environment Canterbury and Christchurch City Council. The partnership is working to restore the ecological and cultural health of Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō in conjunction with resident groups. The restorative focus includes: increasing indigenous biodiversity; protecting and restoring mahinga kai values; providing a safe place for recreation; and protecting the harbour for future generations. Currently, issues relating to the health of the harbour have been identified, such as sedimentation, erosion, high nutrient levels, and bacterial contaminants, which cumulatively impact on indigenous biodiversity and coastal water quality. Purau Bay is one of the large bays located on the southern side of Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō, located also within the wider Banks Peninsula/Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū area. Purau Bay has a permanently flowing stream that winds its way through a variety of land uses, including indigenous vegetation, pastoral farmland, and residential properties before discharging into the harbour. This study takes a snapshot of the environmental quality of Purau Stream by examining the diversity of aquatic invertebrates as an indicator of the stream health at two sites along the stream. The results from the macroinvertebrate community index (MCI) were compared to Te Wharau catchment in nearby Orton Bradley Park, where contemporaneous data were also collected from two locations within the stream. The condition of both streams was assessed as being in overall good health, although the MCI was lower at the Purau bridge site compared to the upstream site and the Te Wharau stream sites. Previous water quality sampling by Environment Canterbury at the bridge indicates that although the current condition is classified as good, the long-term trend is may be declining water quality. These results contribute to informing progress towards the partnership's long-term plan for these streams, which is “to enhance the riparian margins and water quality to a state where sensitive species are present”: The current condition of both streams is contextualised within past changes to the catchment, through the presentation of a brief overview of historical events.Publication Open Access Stakeholder perspectives on the implications of increases in tourism on local users of nature-based recreation settings in the Selwyn District, New Zealand(Lincoln University. LEaP, 2020-12) Apse, Megan; Stewart, Emma; Espiner, Stephen R.The pre-COVID-19 growth in international tourism to New Zealand and the dispersal of visitors into the regions resulted in pressure at nature-based settings where both recreation and tourism occur. This research used data from interviews with fourteen outdoor recreationists to examine how they were responding to increasing visitor numbers at their favoured nature-based recreation settings. Findings suggested that recreationists have noticed increased tourism in areas used for outdoor recreation, and, although tourism to New Zealand was broadly supported, there were concerns about the negative impacts of tourism. Participants in this study reported displacing from their usual nature-based recreation settings due to tourism, and there was also evidence of the use of cognitive coping strategies. Analysis suggested that stakeholder perspectives align with tourism literature suggesting that tolerance for tourism decreases over time, typically as visitor numbers increase, and in the absence of direct benefits from tourism. This paper reports on phase two of a three-phase research project examining the implications of increases in tourism at nature-based recreation settings in the Selwyn District. Phases one and three (also published in the LEaP series) report on the literature on regional tourism and outdoor recreation, and on the perspectives of nature-based recreationists active in the study area.Publication Open Access Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail visitor survey 2020(Lincoln University. LEaP, 2020-11) Mkwara, Lena; Simmons, David G.; Kerr, Geoffrey N.This report presents the findings from a 2020 survey of Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail (A2O) cyclists. COVID-19 cancelled fieldwork before data collection was complete. The limited data indicate that cyclists are extremely satisfied with the A2O and associated services, and make substantial expenditures associated with their ride. The A2O was a strong attractant to cyclists, the large majority of whom would not have visited the districts in the absence of the trail.Publication Open Access The implications of increases in tourism on local users of nature-based recreation settings in the Selwyn District, New Zealand: A review of the literature and selected research methods(Lincoln University. LEaP, 2020-04) Apse, Megan; Espiner, Stephen R.; Stewart, EmmaTourism growth is placing pressure on New Zealand’s natural resources as increasing numbers of international visitors seek out scenic attractions often located in areas managed for conservation and public access. Many of these sites are nature-based and have been valued by generations of New Zealanders as places to visit and recreate. This study examined the literature on regional tourism and outdoor recreation to establish what is known about current patterns of recreation and tourism in the Selwyn District of New Zealand, and the ways in which tourism and nature-based recreation have been examined in both national and international contexts. This paper represents phase one of a three-phase research project examining the implications of increases in tourism at nature-based recreation settings in the Selwyn District. Phases two and three report on stakeholder perspectives gathered via interviews and an online survey with nature-based recreationists active in the study area (also published in the LEaP series).Publication Open Access Himalayan tahr on game estates outside the tahr feral range(Lincoln University. LEaP, 2020-11) Kerr, Geoffrey N.; Ottmann, G.; Cunningham, F.Two farm-bred, mature male Himalayan tahr were monitored for one year in a fenced enclosure outside the tahr feral range. GIS tracks and heat maps from GPS records showed how the tahr used the space inside the enclosure. The tahr spent very little time in proximity to the boundary fence, but visited the fence more often during the May-June breeding season. Most of the time spent at the fence was during the day, with few visits at night. The trial showed that it is possible to contain male tahr in captivity outside the feral range.Publication Open Access Recreational game hunting: Motivations, satisfactions and participation(Lincoln University | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki. LEaP, 2010) Woods, A.; Kerr, Geoffrey N.The objectives of this report are to review New Zealand and international literature to identify the main motivations for participating in hunting, to identify the factors that influence hunter satisfaction, and to make an initial assessment of New Zealand participation levels. Section 2 briefly reports the methods employed to analyse the literature. Results are reported in Sections 3‐5 and conclusions are drawn in Section 6.Publication Open Access New Zealand marine recreational fishing values: Report prepared for the New Zealand Marine Research Foundation(Lincoln University. LEaP, 2011-09) Kerr, Geoffrey; Latham, NThe purpose of this research is to 1. Undertake a scoping analysis of the potential for value transfer to provide useful estimates of the nonmarket value of New Zealand marine recreational fishing. 2. Evaluate existing studies of the mean non-market value of recreational fishing. The purpose is to produce an estimate of the likely order of magnitude of the mean value of marine recreational fishing to allow evaluation of the merits of undertaking a robust value transfer study.Publication Open Access A local oral history of environmental change in Pelorus / Te Hoiere, Marlborough(Lincoln University. LEaP, 2020-07) Coutts, G. L.; Urlich, StephenThe Pelorus/Te Hoiere was announced as an ‘Exemplar catchment’ for the purposes of restoration, by the Minister of Conservation in late 2019. The catchment restoration project is to be managed by the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance (the ‘Kotahitanga Alliance’) as a partnership with the local community. The Kotahitanga Alliance was formed to collaboratively address issues of environmental concern across the top of the South Island/Te Tau Ihu. Ngāti Kuia, Marlborough District Council (MDC), and the Department of Conservation (DoC), have come together to achieve environmental, social, cultural and economic improvements for Pelorus/Te Hoiere, by involving communities and building partnerships across the catchment. As part of the overarching project, the Kotahitanga Alliance wants to start to understand people’s memories of environmental change – acknowledging and recording these stories will aid the Kotahitanga Alliance in developing a collaborative landscape catchment program. Biophysical science along with local histories have identified significant changes to terrestrial and estuarine ecosystems since European settlement. However, it is not known whether those changes, particularly in more recent years, are evident in lived experiences. The socio-ecological ‘shifting baselines’ phenomenon occurs where gradual environmental degradation gets progressively accepted as each generation experiences their place. This is important to understand, so as to help inform community discussions about the need for restoration goals This research is a pilot study of 10 interviewees from the wider Pelorus/Te Hoiere catchment conducted in January 2020, to get insights into the nature of shifting baselines. The purpose of this preliminary report is to describe the catchment setting, outline the methodology and provide some initial insights from the interviews, which suggest that there are contrasting beliefs about the health of the river and estuary. A detailed analysis of the interviews is planned as part of a Master of Applied Science thesis at Lincoln University in 2021, and additional interviews may be undertaken over the next 12 months to achieve that goal.Publication Open Access Visitor survey report Akaroa French Fest 2019(Lincoln University. LEaP, 2020-06) Range, I.; Fountain, Joanna M.This report presents the findings from a 2019 survey of 183 attendees at Akaroa’s FrenchFest 2019. The research reveals that a large majority of attendees enjoyed the festival, in particular its overall atmosphere, the parade and the performance of the beach landing. This level of enjoyment saw the majority of survey participants indicating that they would like to return in years and recommend the festival to friends and family. Based on these key measures, the festival was successful, however areas with some room for improvement have also been identified, including more variety of market stalls, more emphasis on ‘Frenchness’ in food, stalls and activities, and an extension of activities to the Friday and Sunday.