Backed by the Ministry for the Environment, and working alongside Department of Conservation and Statistics New Zealand, our multi-award winning charity Sustainable Coastlines is delivering a project to create grassroots solutions to litter in Aotearoa.

As part of this project, we are offering training workshops for groups who would like to take part in ongoing litter data collection on their local coastline. Workshops are free for community groups, schools and iwi/hāpu groups, and we have a sponsorship package available for corporates who would like to get involved (please email [email protected]). The workshop will pass on the skills in surveying, data collection, and Health & Safety that will allow you to play an important part in this long-term effort.

This “Citizen Science” project will allow you to contribute data to New Zealand’s first national beach litter database, meaning that the information collected reaches those that need it for decision-making.

In terms of the level of commitment required from your group, the project is ongoing and ideally each of the monitoring sites will be surveyed a minimum of 4 times per year, for at least the next 3 years. We are setting up 108 sites like these around Aotearoa and this long-term data will play a critical role in proving the litter problem and helping to prioritise solutions.

Check out our dates and locations below. We’d love to organise a Citizen Science workshop specifically for your group during these dates. Simply contact our friendly team to start sorting your workshop today.

Book your Citizen Science workshop

• Wairarapa: Mon 29 Apr to Fri 10 May. Contact [email protected]
• Auckland West Coast: Mon 13 May to Fri 24 May. Contact [email protected]
• Hawkes Bay: Mon 27 May to Fri 7 Jun. Contact [email protected]
• Bay of Plenty: Mon 10 Jun to Fri 21 Jun. Contact [email protected]
• Gisborne: Mon 24 Jun to Fri 5 Jul. Contact [email protected]
• Northland: Mon 8 Jul to Fri 19 Jul. Contact [email protected]
• Manawatu/Wanganui: Mon 19 Aug to Fri 30 Aug. Contact [email protected]
• Waikato West Coast: Mon 2 Sep to Fri 13 Sep. Contact [email protected]
• Taranaki South: Mon 16 Sep to Fri 27 Sep. Contact [email protected]
• Taranaki North: Mon 30 Sep to Fri 11 Oct. Contact [email protected]

Please include the following in your email:

1. Name of your group.
2. Preferred date (within the range above).
3. Beach/coast you would like to monitor.
4. Commitment for a minimum of 3 people from your group to attend the workshop.

Can’t see your town or region above?!

Never fear. In the next few months we will confirm the dates for our next roadshow from October 2019. Eventually we will set-up at least 108 long-term Monitoring Sites all around Aotearoa, so there will be plenty of opportunities to get involved.

If you know of groups that may be interested in getting involved in this project, then please do pass on this web page to them, or send contacts to [email protected] so that we can be in touch.