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Environmental Action Plan Design

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Environmental Action Plan Design

A community group wants to improve the health of a stream flowing through a farming and residential area in Aotearoa New Zealand. Use the evidence and ecology ideas on this sheet to design a practical, fair action plan. Sample results are fictional but realistic. Give reasons for your choices; more than one well-supported plan may be valid.

Read the evidence

A volunteer group sampled Te Rimu Stream at the same downstream site in early summer. After heavy rain, they noticed muddy water and fewer water insects beneath a bare section of bank. The group wants to choose actions that address causes, protect living things, and can be checked over time. In this example, higher clarity readings mean clearer water.

Measure

Dry-weather sample

Day after heavy rain

Water clarity (cm)

Nitrate (mg/L)

1.2

2.8

Aquatic insect groups found

Investigate and plan

Use the scenario and sample results as evidence. Write specific answers that connect an action to an ecological outcome.

1.Compare the two samples. State one important change after heavy rain and explain what it could mean for organisms living in the stream.

2.The group observed muddy water after rain and a bare bank nearby. Which explanation is best supported by the evidence?

Rain may wash exposed soil into the stream, increasing sediment.
Aquatic insects caused the bank to lose its soil.
The stream became clearer because nitrate increased.
The sample results prove that no land use affects the stream.

3.Nitrate rose from 1.2 mg/L to 2.8 mg/L after rain. Describe one possible route by which nitrate could reach the stream and one ecological effect of excessive nitrate.

4.The group has a small budget and can begin with one action this month. Which is the strongest first step for reducing sediment entering the stream from the bare bank?

Plant suitable native vegetation along the bare bank and protect it while it establishes.
Remove all plants beside the stream so the bank is easy to inspect.
Add more fertiliser to the paddock before the next rainfall.
Count insects once and take no further action.

5.True or false: One sample taken after rain proves that the bare bank is the only cause of the stream’s water-quality changes. Explain your answer.

6.Write a goal for the first six months that is specific and can be measured. Include an action and at least one way to check progress.

7.Name two things the group should keep consistent when collecting future water samples so the results can be compared fairly.

8.Suggest two groups the community team could consult or work with before acting, and explain what each could contribute. Consider the importance of respectful partnership with mana whenua.

9.Native planting may take time to establish and seedlings may be damaged. Give one practical way to reduce this risk and explain why it helps the plan succeed.

10.Write a concise action plan for Te Rimu Stream. Include two actions, who could help, a timeframe, and one measure of success. Explain how the actions could improve stream ecology.