Project Twin Streams

Our class went on a thought-provoking fieldtrip to Project Twin Streams in Henderson yesterday. 

The part that grabbed my attention was the enormity of the project - and that impression was from seeing only a very small part of the total project.  In particular, it was fascinating seeing how the project operates at a micro level requiring intensive community engagement.

Source: Katrina David

The streams have gone from a negative space for the community - regularly being flooded and used as a rubbish dump (a cleanup of a small section of the stream the weekend before our visit yielded seven tyres and one shopping trolley, amongst other things), to a space where individuals and groups can interact positively with the stream and its surrounds.

Our seminar is all about communicating places and telling stories linked to water.  Walking the path along the stream’s edge was like seeing a snapshot of the local community.  Different groups care for different sections of the stream, reflecting their priorities and interests by what they have done with their section. 

A class from a local school is responsible for a garden filled with plants used for traditional Maori medicinal purposes.  Another garden has been planted with flaxes by the weaving circle from the nearby Corbans Estate, a community art center.  The members care for the garden and harvest the flax for their use. 

Source: Katrina David

An outdoor education class scientifically monitors the quality of the stream water.  There is a sportsfield that runs alongside part of the stream, where members of a sports team were training during our visit.  Even local people part of a Corrections PD programme are a regular part of the maintenance of the stream.  These plaques are from people who have contributed to the project in some way. 

Source: Katrina David

I asked our tour guide Rata, the Community Co-coordinator of the project, where the community will comes for such an intensive project.  She said the will is there – in church groups, passionate teachers at local schools, other groups in the community etc – it just needs to be tapped into and facilitated.    

Some benefits of the community’s engagement with the stream are obvious, but total benefits must be immeasurable.  Linking it to our seminar, the project overall has created the opportunity for a wide spectrum of the community to create a positive relationship with, take ownership of and take pride in, this local water body.  They have the opportunity to spend time there (in the sportsfield, or commuting along the pathway), growing plants for use, enhancing the quality of the stream itself, protecting the space and being part of a project with the rest of the community.

Project update...

I now have the maps I need to trace the source of water that comes to my house - maps from Watercare showing the water network and distribution zones for from water sources throughout Auckland, and the interactive GIS viewer on Auckland Council's website.  The next step in my research will be to make connections between these maps and then go out and do some field research.