In case you missed it: here is the full interview of our project coordinator Zoe talking to Jesse Mulligan on RNZ about the mission of the project, the challenges of growing seaweed babies, what role kina play, the benefits of healthy seaweed.

Image credit: Nicole Miller

Monitoring is a crucial part of the work of Love Rimurimu and thanks to the dedication of Rachel Parry, our Science Lead & Kelper trainer we’ve been closely tracking the progress of our community plant-outs.

This is story of death, of murderous intent and of survival. It’s the story of C2, B3.

First we’d better set the scene. It’s a week after our first seaweed plant-outs and things have been looking pretty dicey out there. We’ve had big swells and rainfall, keeping us out of the water, and worrying. Are our seaweeds faring ok?

It’s September. The water is a cool 12 degrees. And it’s time for our first seaweeds to travel from the lab at NIWA to the community plant-out site at Worser Bay. We’ve waited a long time for this, but finally all the pieces of the puzzle are in place.

The Kura Kelpers are ready with their freshly woven toka (baskets) to begin the plant-out process.

Inviting others to take the plunge into the world of seaweed is what Love Rimurimu is all about. The Love Rimurimu Immersion Day was a great opportunity to share everything we’ve been learning with others.

The Love Rimurimu project enters an exciting phase with the plant out of giant kelp into regeneration sites across Wellington harbour this winter. Keeping a close eye on how the young seaweeds grow and survive is important information to collect, and a group of passionate local volunteers are helping to make this happen.

Our seaweed finally made it into the ocean!
Despite the unsettling weather we had over the last month, the seaweed seem to be doing great and are now developing multiple blades and bladders!

They have made themselves at home and are thriving out in the ocean! This is just the beginning of the many seaweed forests to follow them!

Heather from Sea Change interviewed Mareike and Nicole about how the Love Rimurimu project was initiated, their roles within the project and the challenges and opportunities they are facing.

We Received a Major Funding Boost for our Community-Led Seaweed Regeneration Project!

As the only project of its kind in the country, we were able to secure a substantial funding boost from Wellington-based Clare Foundation, in collaboration with existing partner the Wellington Community Fund, whose three-year funding commitment enabled our project to get off the ground in 2021.

Aimee Clark, Masters student at the Centre of Science Communication, University of Otago, interviewed our Zoe Studd, Director of the Mountains to Sea Wellington Trust and lead on the Love Rimurimu Project

We got featured at stuff.co.nz! Check out the fabulous article

‘There is forest all around Wellington – you just can't see it.

Under the waves whipped up around the capital's coasts, and inside the harbour itself, seaweed is a habitat for marine life, a filtration system, and a natural carbon sequesterer. […]’

In case you missed it: here is the full interview of our project coordinator Zoe talking to Jesse Mulligan on RNZ about the mission of the project, the challenges of growing seaweed babies, what role kina play, the benefits of healthy seaweed.

Image credit: Nicole Miller

After many months of planning we finally had our official public launch of the Love Rimurimu project in August!! As our friend Lara Taylor put it, when starting a big project you’ve got to be like the bull-kelp (rimurapa); holding fast to the rocks, being flexible with the waves and weathering the storms to stay attached!

Photo: Love Rimurimu Team at Launch day

The Love Rimurimu education programme is in full swing with Mountains To Sea Wellington, with all the kura cracking into their Term 3 learning. They started the term with field trips to their local coastlines looking for fertile Ecklonia and Lessonia…

Photo: Zoe Stuff with students exploring the rocky reef

We begin the regeneration project in the hatchery by putting the ‘love’ in Love Rimurimu as we make some seaweed babies….

Photo: Joe and Laura collecting fertile seaweed tissues