The cleanup and water testing will take place on Tuesday at the Outlet of Lake Wānaka, starting at 9.30 am.
Wai Wānaka community actions urban lead Jose Cranfield said it was the first time the organisation was doing a cleanup during that time of year, but it was an important time to focus on sustainability.
After the crowded New Year celebrations, rubbish and pollution seemed to have increased, making it the perfect time to organise a cleanup.
“We are kind of targeting more visitors to our place because there are a lot more around at the moment,” Ms Cranfield said.
Many holiday homeowners had visited during that time of year and some were still in town, which further increased the number of people, she said.
“This is the time of year that they come and use the holiday homes and so the population increase is massive. It will be really interesting to see what we do find.”
The community catchment plan for the Upper Clutha had identified five pressures on the environment several years ago and one of them was tourism, Ms Cranfield said.
A significant impact of that pressure was the increase in pollution both on land and in the water.
Next week’s cleanup includes water testing, which the organisation is aiming to do every six months.
Ms Cranfield said it tested mostly for microplastics, which were the result of either pollution or poor waste filtration.
In the previous test in winter last year it found very low levels of microplastics, which was not expected to change following the upcoming test.
“I don’t think we’ll expect the microplastics to change as much as the beach litter will change, but it will be interesting to see,” Ms Cranfield said.
She also credited the event to the hard work of community organisations and businesses such as Love Wānaka, Hello Ranger Cafe, The Sauna Wānaka and The Curious Minds.
The event is open to everyone, and people are encouraged to bring their own gloves and be prepared for a day of restoration with the community.
rawan.saadi@alliedpress.co.nz
