Guardian of the river

Protecting our rivers, the source of life, has become as urgent as protecting the air we breathe and the climate we rely on. This is what inspired us to create River Guardian recently. The end-of-winter conditions meant that the daytime air temperature rises, causing mist to swirl just above the cold surface of the water. We thought this would be an eerie setting for a temporary installation.

We made the guardian by first constructing a strong framework of branches - cuttings from the regular trimming of the thriving native kanuka trees where we live. As we attached more branches we trimmed it to the shape we wanted and transported it to the river . Wearing waders we found the best place to install it and waited patiently for the mist to flow along the river.

The sculpture is intended to symbolise the need to watch over and protect the river. The source of the mighty Clutha River is Lake Wanaka. It carries a huge flow of water from the great mountains and glaciers of the Southern Alps. Rivers are the arteries of the land and are vital to the health of ecosystems, to the species that flourish in these habitats and to the people who rely on them for drinking water and recreation. 

In our region of Wanaka in Central Otago, New Zealand there is much discussion about protecting the water table, rivers and lakes from the increasing habitation and industrial agriculture, particularly conversion of farms to intensive dairy farming using pivot irrigation and imported feedstock with little management of the resulting effluent. The push for more economic growth at the expense of the environment and water quality has led to dramatic decline in water quality in many rivers and lakes in other lowland parts of New Zealand. Now there is danger to the water systems of our once pristine highland water catchments.

River Guardian, Clutha, New Zealand