Water Protectors

The Story of the Campaign To Save Te Waikoropupū Springs in poetry and images

Te Waikoropupū Springs in Golden Bay New Zealand is a national treasure. Crystal clear waters surge to the surface to form a bubbling fount. Over 90,000 people flock to visit each year. Many experience a ‘spiritual presence.’ People return again and again.
Yet Te Waikoropupū is under deadly threat. Nitrate leaching from intensive dairy farms is the culprit. The nitrate threatens the ecosystem of tiny creatures that clean the waters of the Arthur Marble Aquifer which feeds the Springs. An environmental battle has broken out between those who want to protect Te Waikoropupū and the Tasman District Council who wants to allocate more water to intensive dairy farmers.