Stormwater Conference 2026: ESF strengthens connections for Awhi Awa | Embrace a Stream
- 17 hours ago
- 2 min read
Recently our General Manager, Natalie Jessup presented at Stormwater 2026 alongside councils, developers and iwi representatives, to talk about the state of freshwater species in Aotearoa, and the work underway to reshape how urban communities relate to fresh water.
Image: ESF GM Natalie Jessup with Freshwater Advisor James Dare at Stormwater 2026
Awhi Awa | Embrace a Stream, the focus of Natalie's presentation, is a project built around reframing urban drains as the streams they once were and restoring these waterways for both people and wildlife. Freshwater ecosystems are home to some of the most critically endangered species in Aotearoa, and urban waterways are a critical piece of that picture.
The conference was also an opportunity to connect with James Dare, who has recently joined ESF as Freshwater Advisor. James is Head of Environmental Solutions at AquaWatch Solutions, where he brings more than fifteen years of experience as a water quality scientist, working across rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal environments. At Stormwater 2026, he demonstrated AquaWatch's water-monitoring and reporting technology, which uses cutting-edge tools to track and communicate the health of aquatic ecosystems.
“We are so pleased to have James on the team,” said Natalie. “He brings exceptional depth of knowledge and extensive hands-on experience in freshwater science, which is invaluable to our mahi.”
Image: ESF GM Natalie Jessup presents on Awhi Awa | Embrace a Stream at Stormwater 2026
ESF also connected with Ebrahim Hussain from AquaWatch Solutions, who has important work underway toward the endangered classification of native freshwater mussels, kākahi. Watch this space!
"We look forward to working with the connections made here and further scaling the Awhi Awa | Embrace a Stream project with key groups across Aotearoa", Natalie said.
Find out more about Awhi Awa | Embrace a Stream and how your community can get involved:
