Celebrating World Rivers Day right here in Hurunui

On the fourth Sunday of every September (today), millions of people in more than 100 countries participate in World Rivers Day. A celebration of the world’s waterways, the occasion marks the many values of rivers, striving to increase public awareness and encourage the improved stewardship of rivers around the world.

Here in Hurunui, there are some great examples of stewardship of the district’s rivers.

Today we’re highlighting some work of the Canterbury Whitewater Club, which paddles on South Island rivers most weekends between September and June.

Last weekend, Club members enjoyed paddling down the Hurunui River looking for Black Fronted Terns, reporting their findings back to the Hurunui District Council, which it works closely with alongside Hurunui Biodiversity Trust.

Heather Gluyas is conversation officer for Canterbury Whitewater Club, and feels privileged to be promoting sustainable paddling (‘leave no trace’).

“Working together with these organisations, kayaking gives us a front-row seat to the river environment and offers the chance to protect and care for our rivers,” said Gluyas.

The Club recently had a very successful working bee eradicating wilding pines from private farmland bordering the upper Hurunui River, “swapping our paddles for silky saws!”

The Club is an inclusive paddling community welcoming all ages, kayak styles and packrafters.

Coinciding with World Rivers Day, voting for Bird of the Year closed recently. Hurunui District Council was urging locals to vote for the Black Fronted Tern. Its populations gracing riverbeds across the district are at risk from predators both flying above them and living amongst them at ground level.

The 2026 Bird of the Year winner was karure, the Chatham Islands black robin, with more than 25,500 votes.

Overall, 105,000 people voted in this year’s competition.

To learn more about Bird of the Year, please visit https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/

“Rivers are the arteries of our planet; they are lifelines in the truest sense.”
~ Mark Angelo

To learn more about Canterbury Whitewater Club, visit https://www.canterburywhitewaterclub.co.nz/