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New park feature helps children pedal their way to road safety success A mini road system in McLeans Forest will allow children to learn the road rules on their cycles. Our parks and forests team is pleased to announce the completion of a mini road system in the Waimakariri River Regional Park. The system features…
But she only lasted three weeks before telling her husband Mark she needed the companionship of a dog to get her through the invasive treatment. They headed to Christchurch City Council’s Animal Shelter the very same day. “When Jess was bought out into the exercise area, I saw this cute, scruffy, and charming little…
New equipment helps water monitoring at Te Puna-a-Taka/Lake Clearwater As winter settles in at Te Puna-a-Taka/Lake Clearwater, our team is getting set to install new water monitoring equipment. Over the past few months, our scientists have been collecting essential data sets from beneath the surface of the Ōtūwharekai Ashburton Lakes. Four monitoring stations are providing…
Generous sponsor helps connect budding maths scholars #Philanthropy@UC The annual Elaine P Snowden maths workshop is proving a fantastic way for New Zealand’s biggest high school maths fans to connect, while greatly expanding their understanding of the world around them. Over 300 students from around the country are enrolled in the course, with almost 80…
Fiona’s gift helps social workers to help others #Philanthropy@UC A young woman who cared about people and held a strong sense of social justice has created a powerful legacy for Social Work students at the University of Canterbury. Fiona Leeves graduated UC with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology and started her third year…
Regalia hiring group help funds Pasifika study programme for NCEA students Pasifika NCEA students will have the opportunity to participate in a free study programme during the holidays, thanks to the generous support of Graduate Women Canterbury (GWC). This year GWC is supporting UCMeXL, the University’s outreach programme that aims to help Pacific students achieve higher results…
For 12-year-old Connor Duncan-Caley and his mum Karen a trip to the beach has been a difficult rather than a fun experience. “Driftwood, sinking in the sand, seaweed and all the rest of it just doesn’t play well with a wheelchair,” explains Karen. But that has changed thanks to the addition of a special beach…
A month ago Emma Udy had no idea what she wanted to study, or which university she should attend. But now, after attending Massey’s Uni Experience course in January, the Christchurch student is packing her bags and beginning her journey to become a dietitian at Massey University. Emma finished school at Rangiora High School at…
On Wednesday May 12th, representatives from Meridian Energy, The Christchurch Foundation and Ara Institute of Canterbury braved the wet chilly weather to plant a tÅ«i-attracting array of trees on the South Green at Madras Street Campus. Over 300 native and introduced trees and bushes were carefully placed into hand-dug holes by Claire Shaw, GM of…
A University of Otago researcher is one step closer to unlocking the secrets of the ageing process after receiving Marsden funding. Professor Mark Hampton, from the Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science, University of Otago Christchurch, secured $960,000 from the Te PÅ«tea Rangahau a Marsden to investigate what happens in cells as people age. His…
Safer neighbourhoods together. That’s the motivation behind a joint initiative spearheaded by the Waimāero Fendalton-Waimairi-Harewood Community Board. The Board has been working with Police, North Christchurch Community Patrol, Ilam Electorate MP Sarah Pallet and Canterbury Neighbourhood Support to promote awareness of steps people can take to help them feel safe in their neighbourhoods. While Avonhead…
3D printing helps turn ‘bleach’ into non-toxic rocket fuel A University of Canterbury Engineering student is using 3D printing to help turn hydrogen peroxide into a non-toxic rocket fuel for the growing aerospace market. Chemical and Process Engineering PhD student Simon Reid with the test bed that will hold the catalyst structure for testing. His…
Prize money helps propel University of Canterbury innovation Seaweed-based plasterboard, an app to help young people navigate sex and relationships, and a system to make houses safer in an earthquake are some of the innovative University of Canterbury projects to win a funding boost this week. UC academics and students from five winning projects were…
New tool helps computer workers upgrade their people skills An innovative training tool being developed at the University of Canterbury will help computer engineers brush up on their communication, teamwork and social skills. University of Canterbury (UC’s) Prof Tanja Mitrovic, Associate Professor Sanna Malinen, and Associate Professor Matthias Galster are collaborating on new ways to…
An authentic Irish pub named after a colourful Irishman will take up residence in one of Christchurch’s smallest heritage buildings – Shand’s Emporium. Inkster Company, the owner of OGB, The Parlour and Austin Club, has signed a lease with the Christchurch Heritage Trust to refurbish Shand’s Emporium and the Trinity Congregational Church, on the corner…
Covenant and industry funding helps protect coastal scarp wetland Funding from Fonterra is supporting the protection and enhancement of one of the last remaining coastal bush scarp and wetlands in the South Island. Hapuku Scarp wetland sits below the Seaward Kaikōura Ranges The Hailes’ family farm just north of Kaikōura boasts uninterrupted views of the…
A project that tells the stories and histories of important heritage places in Christchurch is getting a $30,000 grant from Christchurch City Council. The grant for the Te Pūtahi Architectural Audio Tour is the first that the Council has made through its newly established Intangible Heritage Grant Fund. “We set up the fund last year…
Breanna Hill is just a few weeks into starting her new role at the Gardens –a three year apprenticeship working as a horticultural trainee. Funded by the Helen Irvine Friends of the Botanic Gardens Scholarship, the role was made possible by the generous bequest from the late Helen Irvine, who worked at the Gardens in the…
New startup helps seniors join the digital age Helping older people use technology to connect with their friends and family is the goal of a new business venture set up by three University of Canterbury (UC) graduates. University of Canterbury (UC) graduate Phoebe McCaughan tutors a client as part of a new Christchurch startup called…
The Association has won a contract with the Government’s Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunches programme, which provides nutritious lunches every school day to primary and secondary school pupils from participating schools. The programme is being rolled out nationally to address food insecurity among kiwi youth – something intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic….
New scholarship helps Māori and Pacific students navigate life at UC A sense of belonging, resilience and self-reliance are some of the benefits gained by a group of Māori and Pacific students through an inaugural live-in scholarship programme at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC). Favor Leavasa, Solomon Davis and Kisania…
A large steel frame measuring 13.2 metres high by 10.3 metres wide has been installed on the western façade of Christ Church Cathedral. The 18-tonne frame is a key component of the stabilisation work of the quake-damaged Cathedral and will be a permanent structural element, eventually housing the Rose Window. It has a banner over…
Households across Christchurch are learning to reduce their household waste with a little help from award-winning waste educator Kate Meads. “I travel around the country teaching people how to reduce waste, save money and do their bit for the environment,” Meads says. “I find one of the most common barriers to individual behaviour change is…
A common garden plant has hopped the fence and is wreaking havoc on Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour’s native vegetation. Spur valerian, a cottage garden plant with pink, magenta or white flowers, is spreading across rocky outcrops and coastal cliffs around Banks Peninsula and Lyttelton Harbour. “Don’t let that pretty splash of pink fool you – spur valerian…
University club helps launch students into aerospace careers UC Aerospace, one of the largest academic clubs at the University of Canterbury is aiming to make Canterbury a hub for aerospace talent by building career pathways for students. The club runs multiple outreach programmes at both primary and high-school levels to grow student interest in STEM…
On September the 4th, Ara Institute of Canterbury Visual Communications and fashion design students took their re-imagined, re-crafted and re-fined works of art to the people for an event held at TÅ«ranga in the central city for 2020’s Red Cross appeal event ‘Retooled’. This inaugural Retooled event is the brainchild of the New Zealand Red…
Clever solution helps more Covid-19 ICU patients breathe A simple, low-cost, open source, 3D-printed solution developed by University of Canterbury engineers could save thousands of patients’ lives around the world. TVNZ’s Lisa Davies talked to Distinguished Professor Geoff Chase, PhD students Lui Holder Pearson and Ted Lerios, and ICU specialist Professor Geoff Shaw about the…
New role helps protect ancient South Canterbury rock art It may not be your typical job, with elements of science, land management, Māoritanga and even art conservation, but Rosemary Clucas is relishing her new role as South Canterbury’s Poū Matai Kō mahinga kai facilitator. Rosemary Clucas is South Canterbury’s new Poū Matai Kō mahinga kai…
Admiral Sir Gordon Tait Scholarship helps Timaru boys pursue ambitions Scholarships enabling aspiring young students from Timaru Boys’ High School to pursue tertiary studies at the University of Canterbury have been made possible through the generosity of Philippa, Lady Tait. Philippa, Lady Tait and Admiral Sir Gordon Tait at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, UK,…
State-of-the-art sorting equipment will be installed at the plant that processes Christchurch’s recycling material thanks to a multi-million dollar grant from the Government. The Ministry for the Environment (MfE) has announced $16.8 million in funding for EcoCentral to upgrade the optical and mechanical sorting machines it uses at its Parkhouse Road Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)….