NZ Landcare Trust has launched a new book to mark the end of the very successful Southland Farmer-Driven Community Catchment Groups Project.

The project, led by NZ Landcare Trust and funded by Ministry for Primary Industries through its Sustainable Farming Fund and other co-funders, concludes on June 30 with hundreds of farmers and landowners on board and making positive change to their land, and their catchments, through the formation of 23 Southland catchment groups and a determined focus on Good Management Practices.

NZ Landcare Trust communications manager Hannah Blake said the booklet was a great way to finish what had been a very successful and inspiring project.

“This book creates a record of what has been such a successful project. It brings together all the work done by the Trust’s project coordinator Sarah Thorne and the farmers and their communities throughout Southland. It shows the level of community collaboration that occurred throughout it all," she said.

“This book will also be used as a resource for other regions so they can learn from what worked and what didn’t, and implement those proven ideas and plans,” Hannah said.

Sarah said the project had been an absolute pleasure to work on.

“I have been really fortunate to work with so many people across Southland, from the farmers and their communities, to the stakeholders and agencies, I have been inspired with their enthusiasm for the environment, and I am in awe of what they have achieved,” she said.

“This project has been so well supported and for that, we are just so thankful. And on top of all these achievements of the project, we now have a book to tell the story, which is a great way to finish it off.”