7 May 2002 Plaque marks biodiversity work at Kowhai Farm

Farmland biodiversity in Canterbury has been celebrated on the Kowhai Farm site at Lincoln University with the presentation of a plaque by Environment Canterbury.

The plaque, recognising an award under Environment Canterbury's Environment Enhancement Fund, was unveiled by EC Chairman Richard Johnson on 7 May in the presence of the Vice-Chancellor and representatives of the partners involved in Kowhai Farm – Heinz Wattie's Australasia and Ravensdown Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd.

Environment Canterbury (formerly Canterbury Regional Council) has an Environment Enhancement Fund from which it makes awards to various projects throughout the region. It makes these awards under two categories – "site recognition" and "funding".

The fund was launched by Environment Canterbury last year to support and recognise groups in Canterbury working to protect and enhance indigenous plants or animals and their habitat. More than $100,000 has been distributed to 27 projects throughout the region covering work such as bush protection, wetlands restoration, native planting and stream fencing work.

Heinz Wattie's Organic Farm at Lincoln University, Kowhai Farm, received a "site award".

The award recognises the combined efforts of the Selwyn Sustainable Agriculture Society, Lincoln University, and Heinz Wattie's Australasia to demonstrate how biodiversity can assist farmers.

In unveiling the plaque Mr Johnson said that it "celebrated biodiversity at this site'.

"Biodiversity can enhance a commercial cropping farm," he said. "Farming can co-exist with biodiversity.

"Kowhai Farm shows us that biodiversity can play an important role on the farm. Native grasses and trees, and insects like bees, are normally thought of as 'warm fuzzies'. Nice to have but not essential ingredients for farmers. Kowhai farm indicates otherwise because they can boost productivity."

Heinz Wattie's Organic Farm at Lincoln University, Kowhai Farm, showed that Canterbury's indigenous biodiversity was being enhanced, said Mr Johnson.

Vice-Chancellor Dr Frank Wood said that in the past words such as sustainability and biodiversity were the province of academics and scientists and were not really connected to the reality of farming.

"But this has changed. There has been a change in philosophy which we will see flow through most of our farms," he said.

"What we're seeing here is happening right around the world."

Dr Wood paid tribute to the University's partners who had come together in the Kowhai Farm venture.

"Without the support of our partners this wouldn't have happened," he said.

A group of about 30, made up of staff members, interested individuals and representatives of different interested organisations, gathered at the farm for the unveiling of the plaque and a morning tea provided afterwards by Environment Canterbury.

Mr Johnson announced at the gathering that from 2004 the Environment Canterbury's fund for disbursement to worthy community projects supporting biodiversity would be increased to $150,000 annually.