Chief Operating Officer

Auckland • Full time

 

About us:

Sustainable Coastlines is a New Zealand charity that exists to bring people together to reduce plastic pollution and other litter to protect the moana we all love.

Our goal is to see 60% less litter on the coastlines of Aotearoa by 2030. We intend to achieve it through empowering communities to take action for their local beach through coastal clean-up events, educational programmes, public awareness campaigns, and litter data collection.

We make this litter data available for anyone to use, and work with businesses, councils, and government to inspire change in behaviour, policy, and practices.

 

About the role:

We have a new and exciting opportunity for a Chief Operating Officer to lead our team of motivated support specialists. You’ll play an essential and critical part by providing robust systems, tracking and measurement for the health of our charity and supporting critical delivery functions across the team.

Reporting to the CEO, you’ll be responsible for:

• Financial management and reporting
• Technical development and maintenance
• Health & Safety policy development and support
• People development tools and training
• Diversity and inclusion processes, tools and support
• Learning and development tools, resources and support
• Organisational project and strategic priorities management

In return work for an organisation that engages meaningfully and authentically with everyone in the team while motivating their people with passion, fun, positivity and a sense of achievement.

 

Who are we looking for?

We’re looking for someone who demonstrates great commitment, initiative, and entrepreneurial spirit. It’s important that you’re super organised, operate with honesty and integrity and can challenge the status quo.

 

Specifically, you’ll have:

• Strong financial literacy
• Relevant experience in an operational discipline
• Relevant people management and recruitment experience
• Project management experience in a software or field-based organisation an advantage

Apply here through SEEK with your cover letter and CV. Applications close 23 March 2023.

Programme Coordinator

Job Description

Love our coastlines? Want to play a key role in restoring and protecting them? Are you community focused with an epic ability to bring people together towards a shared kaupapa? If you’ve had experience working with community groups and mana whenua and ideally in the environmental space and you are based in Christchurch – you could be just the people we’re looking for.

About Us

Established in April 2009, the Sustainable Coastlines Charitable Trust is a multi award-winning New Zealand charity that exists to connect people to nature and inspire change. Our long-term, shared vision is to restore the mauri for our moana and our mission is to support communities around Aotearoa to prevent litter and restore waterways. We want to see beautiful beaches / oneone kōrekoreko, healthy waters / waiora and inspired people / tāngata whakaohooho. We believe we can be part of a solution, working with local communities,  government and business across Aotearoa and the world.

We deliver and support large-scale coastal clean-up events, educational programmes, public awareness campaigns, catchment-based freshwater restoration and citizen science activities to collect environmental data. We also enable others by supporting ‘Do It Yourself’ efforts and training groups to run their own events.

The Role

We’re looking for a new member of our programmes delivery team to facilitate the rollout of the “on-the-ground” components of the Love Your Water and Love Your Coast programmes, in conjunction with colleagues, to deliver the world-class mahi Sustainable Coastlines is known for.

This position will require specialisation within the Love Your Water space with the expectation that our planting, maintenance and monitoring projects are always working to best practice and are established in collaboration with local community groups and mana whenua.

Working with the support and guidance of our Programme Manager, the purpose of this position is to coordinate and implement waterway restoration projects, with a focus on the Porirua catchment, as well as lead Love Your Coast beach clean-up projects and campaigns across the wider Wellington region. This includes but is not limited to: school education and events, corporate events, sponsor projects, monitoring and evaluation, training and support and training workshops.

There will be an expectation to support other Sustainable Coastlines programmes (such as Litter intelligence programme) when and where necessary, with regular travel between Wellington and Porirua and some travel to other parts of Aotearoa when needed. The position will require you to attend events at weekends a number of times during the year.

Personal Attributes

• Creativity and strong problem-solving skills with the ability to think on your feet.
• A growth mindset and a commitment to learning.
• Level headedness and a good sense of organisation.
• A commitment to the mission, vision and values of Sustainable Coastlines and a strong connection to the ocean.
• An enthusiastic interpersonal style that fosters great relationships with colleagues and external partners.
• Confidence in presenting and talking with large groups and building relationships with a range of stakeholders, including community groups and mana whenua.
• Ability and desire to travel domestically and be on the road on a regular basis.
• Initiative to manage workload remotely
• A commitment to communicating clearly and collaboratively on shared projects and events with close colleague

Skills & Experience

• Some industry experience and knowledge, with a view to specialising in community-led restoration projects would be preferable.
• Some understanding of te ao māori and te reo māori.
• Ability to work within a budget and to do event planning; a proven history of successfully delivering and reporting on community projects within budget constraints.
• Demonstrated experience in using digital tools for planning, reporting and communicating.
• Proven success in the planning, and/or delivery of educational activities and programmes.
• Excellent ability to manage priorities and communicate effectively.

Values Alignment

Our core values at SC are:

Respect indigenous knowledge – We’re committed to being a better collaborator by increasing our understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, tikanga, te reo, and te ao māori.

Create the high five effect – We motivate people through passion, fun, positivity and a sense of achievement.

Together is better – We’re caring, collaborative, diverse and inclusive.

Strive for brilliance – We’re curious, tech-enabled people, open to new approaches.

Make waves – We focus on high impact solutions and measurable outcomes.

Come join our awesome whānau to support communities to restore waterways and prevent litter. We need a passionate person who loves our coastlines and cares about the communities around them. Being familiar with te ao and te reo would definitely be a plus. If you want to work in an exciting, inclusive, fast-paced non-profit, with a range of additional benefits then we’d love to hear from you.

How to Apply

Email your CV and cover letter to Rachel: [email protected] by 20 April 2022

Job Category: Environment / Conservation. Job Type: Full-Time. Job Salary: $55,000 – $59,999 • Full time  Closes: 20 April, 2022

Camden Howitt wins Sustainability Superstar Award

 

Camden Howitt is Co-Founder and Programmes Director of multi award-winning charity Sustainable Coastlines. He is also a founding member of Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance and an Edmund Hillary Fellow. He is a passionate advocate for our oceans and a driving force behind community solutions.

Since 2008, Sustainable Coastlines has delivered large-scale coastal clean-ups, education and data collection activities around Aotearoa New Zealand. Camden leads strategy, fundraising and design. He manages national and international stakeholder relationships. He also raises the profile of the cause through media and speaking opportunities.

Camden on a remote Fiordland beach conducting a Litter Intelligence survey in May 2021.

A regular contributor to national, regional and global dialogue on marine litter, Camden relentlessly pushes for innovative solutions. He has twice addressed the United Nations at its headquarters in New York, and presented at the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya.

Camden has devoted 12 years to designing, delivering, refining and scaling Sustainable Coastlines’ work to connect more people to nature and inspire positive change. Without his communication and influencing skills, the organisation would not have achieved the level of recognition and influence it has around Aotearoa New Zealand. His dedication makes a difference to communities, government policy and our environment every day.

Government continues support for groundbreaking litter data
on the build-up of plastic in our environment

 

New Zealand’s first national coastal litter database, Litter Intelligence, was first launched in 2018 by Sustainable Coastlines, as part of a three-year deed with the Ministry for the Environment (MfE). In light of the success of the programme, the government has awarded a one-year extension to continue the much needed data collection to help inspire action and work towards a litter-free Aotearoa.

Litter Intelligence is a long-term initiative to help solve the plastic-pollution problem and uses innovative, open-source technology to collect data, provide powerful insights and inspire action. It is helping to build a better understanding of the plastic problem, and has already been used for individual actions, community-led solutions, informing policy and environmental reporting.

Sustainable Coastlines engages with communities around the country and thoroughly trains citizen scientists to collect data on litter while simultaneously inspiring solutions through its nationwide school education programmes and interactive website, insights.litterintelligence.org

Litter Intelligence programme manager, Shawn Elise Tierney says the organisation is really proud of the work they’ve achieved since Litter Intelligence launched in 2018. To date, Litter Intelligence has completed 1,000 surveys of beach, freshwater & stormwater sites across 300 survey areas through 12,535 volunteer hours. It also won the Tech for Good Award at the 2020 Sustainable Business Awards.

“We cannot improve what we do not measure. We launched with the Ministry for the Environment’s brilliant support, and here we continue to work together in light of the successes the programme continues to achieve, time and time again”, adds Shawn Elise.

Community day, Howick, Eastern Beach, Auckland 15 June 2021
Photo credit: Irena Cima Photography

Earlier this year, Litter Intelligence data was used to help inform decision making on the government’s plan to tackle problem plastics and single-use plastic items and provided key evidence to prioritise this proposal.

Of the programme, Hon David Parker, Minister for the Environment has previously said, “The data set that is being provided by Sustainable Coastlines is a huge advantage to the Ministry for the Environment as a public policy tool, as it shows the areas that are most problematic and highlights to us the things that can be fixed.”

Litter Intelligence’s data collection methodology is based on United Nations guidelines and was co-designed alongside the Ministry for the Environment, Stats NZ and the Department of Conservation. The detailed training, combined with user-friendly technology, allows environmental data to be submitted by communities at the highest standard, so it can be used by government agencies for national and international reporting, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The additional funding provided by MfE will enable the charity to continue supporting existing volunteer groups to collect data all over the country, including schools participating in the Litter Intelligence Education Programme (LIEP). It will also continue its quality control measures to ensure the data is rigorous enough for governmental reporting on the state of the environment. Sustainable Coastlines will also continue to offer LIEP Professional Development to educators and run ‘train the trainer’ workshops to expand the programme’s reach.

The funding will also allow for new workstreams to explore how to increase accessibility for tangata whenua, research and develop workshops on using data to take action to effect change, and collaborate with existing interest groups to facilitate data collection for freshwater and stormwater locations. Funding will also support ongoing tech costs.

“The ultimate goal of Litter Intelligence is that data is used to inspire action — at all levels: schools, policy, community infrastructure, product design, etc.,”, adds Shawn Elise.

“The single-use plastic ban announced earlier this year is a good example of this on a government scale but we are also interested in communities using their own local data to effect change in their own neighbourhoods. We thank the Ministry for the Environment for their trust in our platform and cause, and we look forward to another step closer to a litter-free Aotearoa”.

Programme Coordinator

Job Description

Love our coastlines? Want to play a key role in restoring and protecting them? Are you community focused with an epic ability to bring people together towards a shared kaupapa? If you’ve had experience working with community groups and mana whenua and ideally in the environmental space and you are based in Christchurch – you could be just the people we’re looking for.

About Us

Established in April 2009, the Sustainable Coastlines Charitable Trust is a multi award-winning New Zealand charity that exists to connect people to nature and inspire change. Our long-term, shared vision is to restore the mauri for our moana and our mission is to support communities around Aotearoa to prevent litter and restore waterways. We want to see beautiful beaches / oneone kōrekoreko, healthy waters / waiora and inspired people / tāngata whakaohooho. We believe we can be part of a solution, working with local communities,  government and business across Aotearoa and the world.

We deliver and support large-scale coastal clean-up events, educational programmes, public awareness campaigns, catchment-based freshwater restoration and citizen science activities to collect environmental data. We also enable others by supporting ‘Do It Yourself’ efforts and training groups to run their own events.

The Roles

We’re looking for two new members of our programmes delivery team, with one role based in Christchurch.

The Programme Coordinators will deliver the “on-the-ground” components of the Love Your Water, Love Your Coast and Litter Intelligence programmes, in conjunction with colleagues and community groups, to deliver the world-class mahi Sustainable Coastlines is known for, in terms of programme impacts and funder deliverables.

Working with the support and guidance of our Programme Managers, the purpose of this position is to coordinate and implement waterway restoration projects, as well as beach clean-up projects and campaigns and litter survey and audits. This includes but is not limited to: school education and events, corporate events, sponsor projects, monitoring and evaluation, training and support and training workshops. Success in this role looks like professional and well run programmes with strong community presence & support.

Being the local Sustainable Coastlines representative across our programmes will require you to be a community engagement superstar. Alongside planning, running events and reporting on them, as the key contact person for groups in your area you will deliver training activities with schools & community members, enthusiastically deliver presentations & run engagements with personality, and be confident to speak to the issues core to Sustainable Coastlines to a variety of audiences. You will be able to support data collection in freshwater & litter monitoring, as well as clean-up and planting events.

The work will be at times physical & dirty. You’ll be loading utes with trees or rubbish one day and running a Litter Intelligence training workshop with a corporate group the next. Mixed in with office work, your days will always be variable. You will use your adaptability and flexibility to manage priorities well and you’ll bring creative ideas to the table to integrate across programmes.

As you’ll be working across several programmes, you’ll need to be highly organised and excel at communicating proactively. The Christchurch role will work remotely and report to a manager in Auckland, so a particularly high level of initiative is required here.

The position will require you to attend events at weekends a number of times during the year.

Personal Attributes

• Creativity and strong problem-solving skills with the ability to think on your feet.
• A growth mindset and a commitment to learning.

• Level headedness and a high sense of organisation and initiative.
• A commitment to the mission, vision and values of Sustainable Coastlines and a strong connection to the ocean.
• An enthusiastic interpersonal style that fosters great relationships with colleagues and external partners.
• Confidence in presenting/public speaking with large groups
• Ability to build great relationships with a range of stakeholders, including community groups and mana whenua.
• Ability and desire to travel domestically and be on the road on a regular basis, including weekends.
• Reasonable level of fitness to do demanding physical work

Skills & Experience

• Some industry experience and knowledge, with a view to specialising in community led restoration projects.
• A good understanding of te ao Māori and te reo.
• Ability to manage budgets and event planning; a proven history of successfully delivering and reporting on community projects within budget constraints.
• Strong writing and communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience in using digital tools for planning, reporting and communicating.
• Proven success in the planning, and/or delivery of educational activities and programmes, including managing of events logistics
• Excellent ability to manage priorities

Values Alignment

Our core values at SC are:

Respect indigenous knowledge – We’re committed to being a better collaborator by increasing our understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, tikanga, te reo, and te ao māori.

Create the high five effect – We motivate people through passion, fun, positivity and a sense of achievement.

Together is better – We’re caring, collaborative, diverse and inclusive.

Strive for brilliance – We’re curious, tech-enabled people, open to new approaches.

Make waves – We focus on high impact solutions and measurable outcomes.

Come join our whānau to support communities to restore waterways and prevent litter. We need a passionate person who loves our coastlines and cares about the communities around them. Being familiar with te ao and te reo would definitely be a plus. If you want to work in an exciting, inclusive, fast-paced non-profit, then we’d love to hear from you.

How to Apply

Email your CV and cover letter to Maurine Talpin: [email protected] by 25 September 2021.

Job Category: Environment / Conservation. Job Type: Full-Time. Job Salary: $50,000–$60,000. Closes September 21, 2021

Charity Sustainable Coastlines’ annual ANZ Love Your Water Tour, is a series of native tree planting events across Aotearoa, which sees Sustainable Coastlines working with community members to restore their local awa. This year the mahi will have a strong holistic approach, focusing on the entire ecosystem of the river, protecting biodiversity and the species that live there and enhancing the well-being of the communities that surround it.

This broader ecosystem approach is in response to our modern lifestyle that has seen us become increasingly disconnected from nature and from each other, which is leading to alarming rates of biodiversity loss and having a negative impact on our mental health.

Biodiversity loss is falling more steeply in freshwater ecosystems than in other ecosystems, which is starkly obvious in Aotearoa where 76% of our native freshwater fish are classified as threatened or at risk of extinction. This scale of loss and the constant narrative about the declining state of the environment is leading to ‘eco-anxiety’, as people worry about the fate of our planet and future generations.

But Sustainable Coastlines believes there is hope, by partnering with and supporting local communities to care for their local ecosystem and each other. This not only tackles the problem itself, but also helps to alleviate the sense of futility people can feel in the face of these issues.

Anxiety NZ, a charity who provides treatment and support to people with anxiety, suggests building personal and community resilience, cultivating active hope and joining groups of like-minded people can help with ‘eco-anxiety’. Volunteering with an environmental group, such as Sustainable Coastlines and their freshwater restoration programme, is a great way of doing all three of these things.

The catchments the charity is focusing on are the Whau River and Puhinui Stream in Auckland; Waihou-Piako catchments in the Waikato; Porirua Stream in Wellington; and the Waimakariri in Canterbury.

“Our work is so much more than planting trees,” says Camden Howitt, co-founder and programmes director at Sustainable Coastlines.

“Communities of people, birds, insects and fish call freshwater catchments home, and they all rely on each other to thrive. So by working to restore these freshwater ecosystems we provide locals with opportunities to connect with their community.”

“As people connect with nature and each other it helps alleviate stress, it gives them purpose and something positive to be part of. At our events we see first hand how volunteering and working with others provides a sense of connection, and increases optimism and hope. We call it the ‘high-five effect’.”

Sustainable Coastlines’ Love Your Water programme prioritises activities within the community that go beyond tree planting, such as sourcing native eco-sourced stems from local nurseries, water-quality education with schools in the area, community riparian planting days where locals can volunteer to restore their own awa, weeding and releasing activities and citizen science water monitoring. These activities are designed to connect people to nature and each other, while driving better outcomes for biodiversity, communities and our own well-being.

“We’re proud to support Sustainable Coastlines’ mahi in restoring waterways throughout Aotearoa”, says Antonia Watson, ANZ New Zealand CEO.

“This partnership allows us to contribute to environmental sustainability in our communities and it’s a great way for our people to get outside and connect with te taiao (the natural environment) and each other.”

Sustainable Coastlines seeks to get as many people as possible involved in this positive solution both for their own health and the health of our waterways and native species.

“You can join the movement by volunteering at one of our tree planting events or by contacting us directly to learn more about water quality monitoring opportunities”, adds Howitt.

“We invite all school groups, communities groups, corporates and individuals to get in touch with us, to find out how they can support this mahi in their region”.

Register now for an event at www.sustainablecoastlines.org/events/

 

Programme Manager

Job Description

Love our coastlines? Want to play a key role in restoring and protecting them? Are you community focused with an epic ability to bring people together towards a shared kaupapa? If you’ve had experience managing large scale events and motivating a high performing team in the environmental space – you could be the passionate person we’re looking for!

About Us

Established in April 2009, the Sustainable Coastlines Charitable Trust is a multi award-winning New Zealand charity that exists to connect people to nature and inspire change. Our long-term, shared vision is to restore the mauri for our moana and our mission is to support communities around Aotearoa to prevent litter and restore waterways. We want to see beautiful beaches / oneone kōrekoreko, healthy waters / waiora and inspired people / tāngata whakaohooho. We believe we can be part of the solution, working with local communities,  government and business across Aotearoa and the world.

The Role

We’re looking for a new member of our Operations team to manage the planning and delivery of the “on-the-ground” components of our Love Your Coast programme, in order to deliver the award winning mahi Sustainable Coastlines is known for.

The Love Your Coast (LYC) Programme Manager will lead the implementation of the Love Your Coast programme strategy. They will focus on the planning, continuous improvement and execution of the “on-the-ground” components of the Love Your Coast programme, in conjunction with direct reports, to deliver this world-class programme.

Working with the support and guidance of our People & Operations Director, and with strategic direction from our Programmes Director, the purpose of this position is to coordinate and implement significant beach clean-up projects, environmental education and campaigns across Aotearoa. This includes but is not limited to: school education and events, corporate events, sponsor projects, public events, monitoring and evaluation, training and support.

This position will also involve managing an evolving team of Sustainable Coastlines Employees, Volunteers and Interns to effectively deliver our core programmes and closely collaborating with the Love Your Water and Litter Intelligence Programme Managers, whilst also managing internal relationships with other teams, such as funding, partnerships and communications. The LYC Programme Manager will oversee the management and growth of our highly accomplished staff and be responsible for supporting them to achieve their own performance goals.

Personal Attributes

• Creativity and strong problem-solving skills with the ability to think on your feet
• Highly organised
• Keen and fast learner
• Empathy and great communication skills
• Knowledge of tikanga Māori and at least basic te reo Māori desirable
• A commitment to the mission, vision and values of Sustainable Coastlines
• Ability and desire to travel domestically and be on the road on an occasional basis

Skills & Experience

• A strong connection to the ocean and understanding of water and ocean related issues, either professionally or otherwise
• Strong writing and communication skills
• Experience in managing and nurturing a team and creating a positive and supportive team culture
• Ability to manage money; a proven history of successfully completing and documenting projects within budget constraints
• Proven success in the planning, implementation, and completion of large scale events, ideally with previous experience in environmental or outdoor activities
• Proven success in the planning, implementing and completion of educational activities and programmes
• Confidence in presenting and talking with large groups and building relationships with a range of stakeholders, including community groups and mana whenua
• Strong industry experience and knowledge, ideally in Community Engagement and/or Environmental Sustainability
• Demonstrated ability to develop effective and meaningful external relationships
• Proven ability to manage time, money, resources and priorities to successfully achieve projects’ outcomes

Values Alignment

Our core values are:

• Respect indigenous knowledge – We’re committed to being a better collaborator by increasing our understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, tikanga, te reo, and te ao māori.
• Create the high five effect – We motivate people through passion, fun, positivity and a sense of achievement.
• Together is better – We’re caring, collaborative, diverse and inclusive.
• Strive for brilliance – We’re curious, tech-enabled people, open to new approaches.
• Make waves – We focus on high impact solutions and measurable outcomes.

Come join our whānau to connect people to nature and inspire change. If you want to work in an exciting, inclusive, fast-paced non-profit, then we’d love to hear from you.

How to Apply

Email your CV and cover letter to Maurine Talpin:
[email protected] by 31 August.

 

Job Category: Environment / Conservation. Job Type: Full-Time. Job Salary: $70,000 – 74,999. Closes 31 August, 2021

Programme Coordinator

Job Description

Love our coastlines? Want to play a key role in restoring and protecting them? Are you community focused with an epic ability to bring people together towards a shared kaupapa? If you’ve had experience working with community groups and mana whenua and ideally waterway restoration – you could be just the person we’re looking for. 

About Us

Established in April 2009, the Sustainable Coastlines Charitable Trust is a multi award-winning New Zealand charity that exists to connect people to nature and inspire change. Our long-term, shared vision is to restore the mauri for our moana and our mission is to support communities around Aotearoa to prevent litter and restore waterways. We want to see beautiful beaches / oneone kōrekoreko, healthy waters / waiora and inspired people / tāngata whakaohooho. We believe we can be part of a solution, working with local communities,  government and business across Aotearoa and the world.

The Role

We’re looking for a new member of our programmes delivery team to facilitate the rollout of the “on-the-ground” components of the Love Your Water and Love Your Coast programmes, in conjunction with colleagues, to deliver the world-class mahi Sustainable Coastlines is known for. 

This position will require specialisation within the Love Your Water space with the expectation that our planting, maintenance and monitoring projects are always working to best practice and are established in collaboration with local community groups and mana whenua. 

Working with the support and guidance of our Programmes Manager, the purpose of this position is to coordinate and implement waterway restoration projects, with a focus on the Porirua catchment, as well as beach clean-up projects and campaigns. This includes but is not limited to: school education and events, corporate events, sponsor projects, monitoring and evaluation, training and support and training workshops.

Come join our whānau to support communities to restore waterways and prevent litter. We need a passionate person who loves our coastlines and cares about the communities around them. Being familiar with te ao and te reo would definitely be a plus. If you want to work in an exciting, inclusive, fast-paced non-profit, then we’d love to hear from you.

How to Apply

Email your CV and cover letter to Dan Downing: [email protected] by 14 July 2021.

Job Category: Environment / Conservation. Job Type: Full-Time. Job Salary: 40,000 – 60,000.
Closes July 14, 2021

People have never been more concerned about the plight of our ocean, and sadly, they’re right to be worried — our moana needs our help. Award-winning charity Sustainable Coastlines led an expedition to some of Aotearoa’s most remote beaches to reveal the shocking state of our plastic pollution problem. In light of the findings, it is calling on all Kiwis to take action this World Ocean Day, on Tuesday, 8 June.

World Ocean Day is about coming together to honour and celebrate our shared moana, with a special emphasis on education and awareness. Globally an estimated 11 million tonnes of plastic waste enters the ocean every year, and without urgent action, that amount will nearly triple by 2040. 

Unfortunately, New Zealand’s coastlines do not escape the plastic problem. Sustainable Coastlines was able to quantify litter density at some of New Zealand’s most remote beaches, during an expedition in Fiordland last week. The team were there to set-up survey sites as part of its nationwide litter monitoring programme, Litter Intelligence. In only ten 100 metre stretches of shore, the charity removed 1,586 items totalling nearly half a tonne, 93% of which were made of plastic.

“Despite the isolation, the number-one item found was consistent with the top offender across over 200 survey sites nationwide: Hard plastic fragments. Plastic fragments are ubiquitous in our marine environment due to our addiction to plastic products, and mismanagement of them before, during and after their useful lives,” says Sustainable Coastlines Co-Founder Camden Howitt.

Significant numbers of consumer plastics were found, with plastic bottles the second most common item on Fiordland coastlines, at over 30 times the national average. Large quantities of fisheries-related debris were also washed up, again at levels over 30 times the national average. At 93%, the proportion of plastics found was far higher than the 75% national average — a reminder of the longevity of plastics and their propensity to move long distances on ocean currents.

“Many Kiwis would expect Fiordland’s coastlines to be 100% pure, to be as pristine as they should be,” says Howitt. “Instead these remote spots provide key insights into what the problem would look like nationwide without local action.” Everyday, caring Kiwis walk their local stretch of coastline and do their bit to clean-up. Even in Fiordland, stretches of the coast are cleaned up annually by the Southern Coastal Charitable Trust, who helped Sustainable Coastlines to identify accessible beaches.This is encouraging, but more mahi is needed to cut off the problem at the source by avoiding single-use plastics and preventing plastics from entering our oceans. 

The good news is, the needle is shifting on public attitudes towards waste. According to Colmar Brunton’s Better Futures 2021 report, out of the top ten concerns for Kiwis, three revolve around plastic, waste and landfill. These are clearly common concerns for Kiwis, and through Sustainable Coastlines programmes people can connect with these issues, roll up their sleeves, and do something about it. Howitt calls on Kiwis to do their bit to protect the places they love: “Take action for our moana this World Ocean Day. Change one habit, one behaviour, or one product from your everyday life and reduce your plastic footprint.”

The Fiordland clean-up and survey expedition is part of an ongoing effort established through initial funding from the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund, to gain an accurate picture of litter across Aotearoa to help optimise and scale solutions. “We believe that we cannot manage what we do not measure, and this programme provides evidence to inspire data-driven decision-making at all levels to solve our plastic problem,” says Howitt. For full results from the Fiordland litter surveys, and from over 200 other sites around Aotearoa, visit litterintelligence.org

 

At the end of 2020 the Sustainable Coastlines team farewelled team-member and friend Fletcher Sunde. He’s done everything from coordinating large-scale events and inspiring youngsters in schools to fixing loose planks at the Flagship and working on Litter Intelligence in its early days. This year, in his role as operations director, he’s helped to keep our waka afloat through turbulent waters. Fletch’s contribution to SC has been invaluable.

We’re sad to say goodbye to Fletch, who has been a well-known face of our organisation for more than four years. His ability to build close relationships with the community and his great leadership skills are truly valued. Fletcher’s presence of mind in even the most stressful situation is a skillset he’s shared with the team through his introduction of Wellness Wednesdays. We’ll miss his calming presence and sarcastic wit.

Fletcher is leaving to pursue his dreams and sail off into the sunset on the yacht he’s been restoring for the last four years. Luckily for us, he’s already agreed to stay on as part-time Flagship handyman — it seems like we’re a difficult organisation to shake off!

Best wishes and fine winds, Fletch.