Livestock in New Zealand produce an estimated 100 million tonnes of manure a year. Most sits from weeks to months unrendered on pastures or washes into our waterways resulting in poor water quality. Dung beetles represent a low cost, significant, self-sustainable tool deployed across pastoral land to improve water quality by 80% in addition to improving soil health, soil conservation, carbon sequestration and pastoral productivity.
Mangamingi, Makuri and Waitotara groups engaged Dr. Shaun Forgie, a dung beetle specialist with 30 years experience in the ecology, economics, importation and mass rearing of dung beetles to present a workshop to promote this environmental option.
