2018 Projects (Round 6)
Electric vehicle battery health
Verifying corporate specifications of electric vehicle batteries
Testing the instrumentation used to estimate battery energy-holding capacity
Does overheating cause electric vehicle battery energy holding capacity and range to degrade at a faster rate than the manufacturers tell us?
That question was the central focus of Flip the Fleet, which followed on from 2018’s Flip the Fleet: accelerating electric vehicle uptake in Otago. During this project, a coalition of over 1,000 electric vehicle owners uploaded monthly statistics from their vehicles to a communal database.
Using these data, the team uncovered an apparent high rate of battery degradation in the relatively new (late 2015 onwards) ‘30 kWh Leaf’ EV model. Batteries are environmentally and financially costly to manufacture, and new battery replacements are not yet available in New Zealand.
Thirty-two Nissan Leaf vehicles from around Otago took part in this study, each one fitted with automatic data recording equipment. Each participant received an individualised battery charging plan, based on community experiments, monitoring results and instrumentation calibration tests. Other owners completed ‘run-out’ tests where the batteries were run completely flat on a Cromwell racetrack to test whether the car’s instruments reliably reported range and battery health.
This project was citizen science in action. Together, the community and experts designed strategies to prolong battery life and maximise the environmental benefits and return on investment in electric vehicles. They gathered valuable independent data for consumer protection and checked corporate claims about electric vehicles, an exciting technology with huge potential to combat climate change.
Organisations involved in the project included the Otago Museum, Ecosystems Consultants, Otago Electric Vehicle Incorporated Society, Dunedin EV Owners Group, Zeno Networks, PowerStats and Exact IOT Ltd.
Visit the Flip the Fleet website, like their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter to find out more.
Funding: $20,000
Contact: Emeritus Professor Henrik Moller (Ecosystems Consultants)
Investigating native plant-fungi symbiosis
Exploring the use of symbionts to aid native plant establishment and survival
Improving biodiversity in Central Otago’s indigenous woodland
What techniques can community members use at home, on farms and in parks to help native plants become established?
The Haehaeata Natural Heritage Trust and Mokihi Trust, in collaboration with the University of Otago’s Department of Botany, focused on answering this question.
Many native plants have associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), but very little is known about AMF associations with dryland native plants in Central Otago. If natives can be inoculated with AMF in a nursery, it may help their establishment and survival in revegetation sites. The scientific challenge for this project was to overcome the lack of existing information and protocols for AMF use in dryland native revegetation through establishing a series of trail plots and lab-based genomic analyses of AMF types.
Newsletters and media releases provided ongoing insight into the project. Interested community members also had the opportunity to join field trips and workshops.
For more information on this project, check out the Clyde Railhead Community Eco Nursery website or Facebook page.
Funding: $19,960
Contact: Cathy Rufaut (University of Otago)
Open Valley Urban Ecosanctuary (Open VUE) – Kapuka Taumahaka Whakamaurutanga
Observing birds, predators, lizards and invertebrates
Providing an education programme to schools and the community
North East Valley locals were the driving force behind the Open Valley Urban Ecosanctuary (Open VUE). This community-led initiative followed on from 2017’s The Valley Urban Ecosanctuary. It was spearheaded by the Valley Project in collaboration with Orokonui Ecosanctuary and the University of Otago.
Overall, the project aimed to create a green corridor between the Dunedin Town belt and Orokonui, and encourage native species back into the area. Creating a low-predator environment in which native species can thrive was an essential component of this work.
Open VUE brought schools and community members together to deliver a curriculum-based education programme. Students learned how attract native birds and survey predators in their own backyards. Biodiversity topics were also expanded to include lizards, invertebrates and long-term trends.
For all the latest, check out the Open VUE Facebook page.
Funding: $20,000
Contact: Eleanor Linscott (North East Valley resident)
If we build it, will peripatus come?
Assessing urban green spaces for invertebrate biodiversity
Developing information sheets to create suitable habitats for peripatus
Peripatus sounds like something from a fantasy story – an ancient velvet worm that emerges at night to shoot its insect prey with poisonous spit before devouring them. But how widespread are peripatus across Dunedin, and can this mysterious worm flourish in urban green spaces?
To answer these questions, students from three Dunedin primary schools – Green Island, St Francis Xavier and Abbotsford – worked with experts from Catchments Otago (University of Otago) and the Otago Museum. They investigated overall invertebrate biodiversity and compared their findings with their own school grounds, where they worked to create suitable habitats.
Students developed flyers, supported by the experts, which were launched at events around International Biological Diversity Day in May 2019. These focused on how to create invertebrate-friendly urban environments and how to help increase available habitats for peripatus in Dunedin.
To find out more, check out the Catchments Otago website, like them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.
Funding: $20,000
Contact: Dr Cynthia Winkworth (University of Otago)
Predator control and biodiversity monitoring on Quarantine Island Kamau Taurua
Surveying birds and seedlings, monitoring skinks and using tracking tunnels
Utilising predator traps and recording carcasses
Experts, local schools, and community groups teamed up to continue the important work of 2017’s Biodiversity Monitoring on Quarantine Island Kamau Taurua project. Traps (A24s, snappy traps and DOC200s) were installed in 2016–17 to control rats and mice – the only known predators on the island. A motion sensor camera was set up by the A24 traps in early 2018, with data leading to trap-design modifications.
While the previous iteration of the project largely attracted younger participants, the team hoped to bring older people, or those not normally involved in scientific studies, on board.
This study made further use of motion sensor cameras and regular checks for predator carcasses to measure the efficacy of the traps. Different kinds of lure were also tested in the tracking tunnels to see if this affects activity.
Surveys were carried out monthly and participants collected data on birds, skinks and seedling populations. This allowed for comparisons between the seasons and with previous data, helping to identify trends and anomalies.
Join the Quarantine Island Community Facebook page or subscribe to their email newsletter to find out more.
Funding: $15,042
Contact: Kristen Bracey (Quarantine Island Secretary)
Source to sea catchment planning – Phase 1
Understanding the ecosystem services that our catchments should provide
Evaluating the health of freshwater systems within our catchments
Evaluating where the delivery of ecosystem services is being compromised, and why
Developing an action plan that will address the identified impacts on ecosystem services
Students from Karitane, St Leonards, Sawyers Bay and Port Chalmers Schools explored their local catchments and completed an evaluation of areas within each catchment that play or have the potential to play an important role in the delivery of the identified ecosystem services.
Water quality, vegetation, topographical and terrain data was collected and stream health was assessed. Students defined a series of interventions that could be delivered into the landscape to enhance the delivery of the ecosystem service, and presented their findings back to the respective communities.
Funding: $20,000
Contact: Liz Sherwood
Down the drain – Citizen science in Wanaka
Mitigating the effects of storm water on Lake Wanaka’s water quality
Using restoration science, monitoring and education
In 2017, students from Wanaka Primary School and Mount Aspiring College teamed up with Wanaka Lake Swimmers Club, the Ruby Swim and Touchstone to complete a water quality monitoring project in Roys Bay, Lake Wanaka. Their results showed that storm water from three major drains affects the water quality of the lake.
This year, the team will work with new partners to develop strategies to mitigate the effects of storm water run-off on water quality and recreational swimming in Lake Wanaka.
A wide array of organisations are involved in the project, including the University of Otago, Otago Regional Council, Aspiring Environmental, Queenstown Lakes District Council and the Wanaka Community Board.
Findings will be presented at a public meeting in 2019, with other events and activities announced throughout the project.
For more information, visit Touchstone’s website or Facebook page.
Funding: $17,363
Contact: Chris Arbuckle (Aspiring Environmental Ltd.)
Ka Hao te Rakatahi
Monitoring tuna (eels)
Comparing capture methods of fyke nets and hīnaki
One of the key objectives of Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau/Sinclair Wetlands is to restore Ngāi Tahu as kaitiaki over the area. The vision is that Kāi Tahu Whānui will re-learn the practices and language associated with mahika kai. Through this project, Kāi Tahu rakatahi will learn skills to monitor tuna numbers. They will compare the use of hīnaki and fyke nets as capture methods and gain an understanding of wetlands ecology, tuna lifecycle and habitat.
A wānanga was held in July 2018, to review existing research and knowledge of traditional fishing methods, followed by a second wānanga covering hīnaki building techniques. Rakatahi worked with freshwater ecologists from the University of Otago to sample tuna each month, from September 2018 to April 2019. They collected data on tuna numbers and ages, and will compare it to data from earlier studies at Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau.
Cultural experts from Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou and He Waka Kōtuia will ensure that kaupapa Māori and mātauraka Māori are embedded in the design and execution of the project.
The findings from this study will be shared with Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou and the wider community through workshops and presentations. Rakatahi will also create works of Māori performing arts, such as waiata and kapa haka, to ensure the knowledge is retained and shared.
Find out more about Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau/Sinclair Wetlands on their website.
Funding: $20,000
Contact: Paulette Tamati-Elliffe (Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau/Sinclair Wetlands)