Letter: Aquifer concern | Stuff.co.nz

Trevor and Barbara Chinn, friends of mine who live by Lake Hawea, may have become very mindful of water quality by the proximity of many thousands of dairy cattle at nearby Hawea Flat.

New Zealand Dairy Cows
Photo by Southern Light

Trevor’s letter below should be read in the context of his lifetime’s work as an internationally acknowledged glaciologist

The South Island has been blessed by massive supplies of gravel spread from the Southern Alps down to the coasts to form fertile valleys and plains holding pristine aquifers.

I have been concerned about the effects of the recent explosive spread of dairy irrigation in the catchments feeding these aquifers.Over the gravel plains of Canterbury, Mackenzie Country, Upper Clutha and Southland, with annual rainfalls of around 800mm

Read more at the source: Letter: Aquifer concern | Stuff.co.nz

Cheers

Donald

Sustainable Summits 2016, 1st day, 8th Aug

Many people arrived the evening before the conference and after registration enjoyed a social hour or two at the Dept of Conservation [DOC] Visitor Centre where we were welcomed by organiser John Cocks and Mike Davies the manager of Mt Cook National Park

Aoraki Mt Cook road
Aoraki Mt Cook as seen from the road to the conference venue

The conference kicked off on Monday 8th Aug. with a whakatau / welcome given by Justin Tipa, with support by Takerei Norton, Ngai Tahu, and Sustainable Summits conference Leaders at the Ed Hillary Center in the Hermitage Hotel

Sustainable Summits 2016, The Hermitage Aoraki Mt Cook
Reception of the conference venue, the Hermitage Aoraki Mt Cook

Background [Please scroll down to see the slide show – many thanks to Ross Cullen for supplying the words]:

The first Sustainable Summit Conference was held in Colorado in 2010 as Exit Strategies with a focus on, yes, human waste. The Conference was organised by the American Alpine Club and the American National Park Service under the leadership of Denali Mountaineering Ranger Roger Robinson and Ellen Lapham of the American Alpine Club.  The event was well received and was attended by about 90 interested participants from throughout the US and several other countries.

With enthusiasm and commitment by participants and the organisers, another event was held, again in Colorado, in July 2014. The conference was called Sustainable Summits and was held over three days, during which presentations and discussions addressed the broader social, environmental and economic contexts of recreating in the alpine realm. Nearly 100 scientists, climbers, business experts, social entrepreneurs, recreation consultants, land managers and guides from 13 countries and all seven continents attended.

New Zealand was represented at these conferences, with delegates from the Department of Conservation and the New Zealand Alpine Club.  With support from both these organisations, the two New Zealand representatives at the 2014 conference, John Cocks and Dave Bamford, offered to help organise a similar conference in New Zealand in 2016.

Sustainable Summits 2016, Mt Sefton, Aoraki Mt Cook National Park
Mt Sefton on the left with Footstool to the right, as seen from the conference venue. Aoraki Mt Cook National Park

Support has been gratefully provided, particularly by the lead organisations of: the New Zealand Alpine Club, the Department of Conservation, the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand, Ngāi Tahu the tangata whenua of the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana, the Petzl Foundation, and the American Alpine Club. Both the AAC and Petzl have been involved in the previous two conferences. Other organisations have come on board, including Aoraki Solutions, Adventure Consultants, TRC Tourism, and Earth Sea Sky – thanks to all.

Sustainable Summits 2016 sponsers

The Sustainable Summits conference organisation is made up of passionate people, supported by their dedicated organisations and gives the chance to renew old friendships and create new ones, then return home with renewed vigour to assist in sustaining wonderful mountain environments and to continue recreating amongst them.

It is hoped there will be future conferences in other countries, and it was announced at the end of this 2016 conference that the next, in two years time, will be in Chaminox France, with a focus on mountain issues pertinent at that location and globally.

The approach will continue to be one that encourages other countries to seriously look at hosting future conferences.
Ngā Mihi
Dave Bamford and John Cocks

After the official opening by Senior Government representative DOC Director General the event got underway starting with Ngāi Tahu and sacred New Zealand Mountains
Justin Tipa and Takerei Norton, Ngāi Tahu

Session 1

  • Antarctica to the Southern Alps – an approach to sustainability by Lou Sanson – DOC Director General and previously CEO Antarctica NZ
  • New Zealand Mountains Falling Down by geologist Simon Cox
  • Panel Discussion Q&A
    Speakers and from the floor

Session 2

  • Field Visit – Local Natural Hazards (2 options) and Hermitage recycling
    Don Bogie, Simon Cox, Shirley Slatter and Ray Bellringer

Session 3

  • Mountain Sustainability Issues facing Mont Blanc
    Olivier Moret and Pascal Mao
  • Retreating New Zealand Glaciers
    Brian Anderson
  • Panel Discussion Q&A
    Speakers and from the floor

Then after a social hour and dinner a panel discussion on ‘Commerce in the Mountains’ by Suze Kelly, Peter Rupitsch, Dawa Steven Sherpa, Robin McNeill, Erik Bradshaw and Geoff Gabites. Moderator Hugh Logan

Slides of the various presentations/events in chronological order – click on any one to see a slide show [these images are a free download, they’re 750 px wide and thus good for FaceBook, however they are not right-clickbale, so if you email donald@icommunicate.co.nz I’ll temporarily disable this so they can be easily dragged or copied..

Sustainable Summits PODCAST DAY 1 ~ courtesy of Carla Braun-Elwert. Filmmaker, editor and artist

or…

FaceBook posts >>

Aoraki Mt Cook village, Glencoe Stream
Glencoe Stream, Aoraki Mt Cook village

Sustainable Summits 2016, 2nd day, 9 Aug

Please scroll down to see the slide show [many thanks to Ross Cullen for supply the words]

Session 4

  • The Everest Environmental Story
    Dawa Steven Sherpa
  • The Denali Story – The Clean Climb Program
    Roger Robinson + video by Geoff Hill [shown later
  • Panel ‘Keeping the Mountains Clean’
    Dawa Steven Sherpa, Roger Robinson, Pascal Mao, Moderator: Stuart Gray

Session 5

  • Sustainable Practice – A guiding company’s role
    Guy Cotter
  • Environmental impacts – waste
    John Cocks and Tom Hopkins
  • Norm activation theory and human waste education in Recreational Setting Kristine Route
  • Iwi perspectives on human waste management Paul Carr, Dave Milner and Bubs Smith
  • Speakers and from the floor

Session 6

  • Field visit: Repeat of the previous day

Session 7

  • Sustainable accommodation
    Karen Rollins
  • Huts – New Zealand context (Mid Tasman fly-in hut)
    Derek Chinn
  • Q&A
    Speakers and from the floor

Slides of the various presentations/events in chronological order – click on any one to see a slide show [these images are a free download, they’re 750 px wide and thus good for FaceBook, however they are not right-clickbale, so if you email donald@icommunicate.co.nz I’ll temporarily disable this so they can be easily dragged or copied..

Sustainable Summits PODCAST DAY 2 ~ courtesy of Carla Braun-Elwert. Filmmaker, editor and artist

or…

FaceBook posts >>

Sustainable Summits 2016, 3rd day, 10th Aug

Please scroll down to see the slide show [many thanks to Ross Cullen for supply the words]

  • People in the Austrian Alps
    Peter Rupistch
  • Global climbing pressures and management options
    Dave Bamford
  • Panel Discussion Q&A
    Janet Mackay, Roger Robinson, Lisa Choegyal, Moderator Sam Newton

Session 9

  • Mt Kinabalu, addressing social pressures
    Jamili Nais
  • Wilderness values in the mountains
    Rob Brown
  • Access to the Alps – a case study
    Erik Bradshaw
  • Q&A Speakers and from the floor

Session 10

  • Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park Plan
    Mike Davies
  • Tongariro Alpine Crossing
    Harry Keys
  • 10 min case studies
    • Leave No Trace
    • Role of volunteers
    • Khumbu Climbing Centre
  • Richard Wesley
    Robin McNeill
    Nima Namgyal Sherpa

Session 11

  • Summing up – What can we do?
    Where to from SS 2016?
    Chair Hugh Logan
    Roger Robinson

…then in the early evening:
NZAC President’s drinks at Unwin Lodge followed by the conference dinner at The Hermitage

Slides of the various presentations/events in chronological order – click on any one to see a slide show [these images are a free download, they’re 750 px wide and thus good for FaceBook, however they are not right-clickbale, so if you email donald@icommunicate.co.nz I’ll temporarily disable this so they can be easily dragged or copied..

Sustainable Summits PODCAST DAY 3 ~ courtesy of Carla Braun-Elwert. Filmmaker, editor and artist

or…

FaceBook posts >>

Sustainable Summits 2016, 4th day, 11th Aug

Thursday 11th August 2016, as the conference wound down.

Optional field trips – attended by a few participants included:

Exploring the conference themes through the Hooker Valley, Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, led by:
Ray Bellringer DOC.

and

Skiing the Tasman Glacier.

Many thanks to the organisers The New Zealand Alpine Club, and to Ross Cullen who supplied the words for these four posts about the conference, and Carla Braun-Elwert. Filmmaker, editor and artist  for the podcasts

Cheers

Donald Lousley

Ed Hillary [statue] looking at Aoraki Mt Cook

FaceBook posts of the conference >>