title: Assessment of fish populations in Lake Horowhenua, Levin

authors: Tempero, Grant Wayne

subjects: Lake Horowhenua

abstract: Lake Horowhenua (Waipunahau) is of substantial historical, cultural and recreational value to the people of the Horowhenua region. However, water quality and biodiversity within the lake has been in decline for a number of years. As part of lake restoration efforts by Horizons Regional Council and the Lake Horowhenua Trustees, a survey of fish species in Lake Horowhenua was conducted by the University of Waikato using boat electrofishing and fyke netting. A lake restoration plan had previously identified invasive fish species such as koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) and European perch (Perca fluviatilis) as being potential barriers to rehabilitation of the lake. The purpose of this survey was to determine the abundance and diversity of fish species within the lake and to ascertain if pest fish species were present at biomasses high enough to be negatively impacting on lake ecology. Recommendations would then be made as to the potential methods and necessity for pest fish removal.

text: Assessment of fish populations in Lake Horowhenua, Levin Lake Horowhenua (Waipunahau) is of substantial historical, cultural and recreational value to the people of the Horowhenua region. However, water quality and biodiversity within the lake has been in decline for a number of years. As part of lake restoration efforts by Horizons Regional Council and the Lake Horowhenua Trustees, a survey of fish species in Lake Horowhenua was conducted by the University of Waikato using boat electrofishing and fyke netting. A lake restoration plan had previously identified invasive fish species such as koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) and European perch (Perca fluviatilis) as being potential barriers to rehabilitation of the lake. The purpose of this survey was to determine the abundance and diversity of fish species within the lake and to ascertain if pest fish species were present at biomasses high enough to be negatively impacting on lake ecology. Recommendations would then be made as to the potential methods and necessity for pest fish removal.

year: 2013

title: Māori women’s perspectives of leadership and wellbeing

authors: Ruru, Stacey Mariu

subjects: Māori leadership

abstract: Within Aotearoa, New Zealand, Māori women are engaged in leadership roles in community and professional workplace settings, however little is known about how they maintain their wellbeing. This research sought to unravel how Māori women leaders maintain their wellbeing, while occupied in complex leadership roles. We report on the findings from semi-structured interviews, acknowledging kaupapa Māori theory and principles, with five Māori women leaders. Thematic analysis was used, and these themes related to five whakataukī (proverb) that provided overarching themes and directions relating to Māori women’s leadership and wellbeing. Each whakataukī describe unique aspects of leadership and wellbeing from a Māori worldview. Themes include humility, collectiveness, courage, future orientations and positivity. While the themes are housed in whakataukī, central to the success of these Māori women leaders was being connected to whānau (family) and friends, and being influenced by tamariki (children), tauira (students) and employees. These social connections made Māori women leaders strong and resilient to change and challenges.

text: Māori women’s perspectives of leadership and wellbeing Within Aotearoa, New Zealand, Māori women are engaged in leadership roles in community and professional workplace settings, however little is known about how they maintain their wellbeing. This research sought to unravel how Māori women leaders maintain their wellbeing, while occupied in complex leadership roles. We report on the findings from semi-structured interviews, acknowledging kaupapa Māori theory and principles, with five Māori women leaders. Thematic analysis was used, and these themes related to five whakataukī (proverb) that provided overarching themes and directions relating to Māori women’s leadership and wellbeing. Each whakataukī describe unique aspects of leadership and wellbeing from a Māori worldview. Themes include humility, collectiveness, courage, future orientations and positivity. While the themes are housed in whakataukī, central to the success of these Māori women leaders was being connected to whānau (family) and friends, and being influenced by tamariki (children), tauira (students) and employees. These social connections made Māori women leaders strong and resilient to change and challenges.

year: 2017

title: The place and meaning of physical culture in the lives of underserved young women in a Canadian inner-city

authors: Lemoine, Meghan

subjects: interpretive phenomenolgy

abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore underserved young women's experiences and understandings of physical culture (Kirk, 1999).  There is evidence that once young people reach the age of adolescence, patterns of participation in physical activity decline (Humbert, Chad, Burner, Spink, Muhajarine, Anderson, Girolami, Odnokon, & Gryba, 2008)  and in Canada this drop is more significant for young women then young men (Wharf Higgins, Gaul, Gibbons, & Van Gyn, 2003).  While there is a growing body of research indicating that young people’s experiences with physical activity are different across social, cultural and physical locations (Burrows & McCormack, 2011), the perspectives of young women who are situated in marginalized communities are rarely sought (Hill & Azzarito, 2012; Dagkas & Hunter, 2015). What is undoubtedly known about young women in marginalized communities is that they have less access and opportunities to engage in physical culture than their counterparts in affluent communities (Sabo, 2009). This research sought to make sense of this outcome by diving into the lived experiences of the young women who live in these communities, specifically an underserved community in a Canadian city. Data were collected from 6 young women between ages 12 and 18 using in-depth semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using an interpretive phenomenological analysis. Five key themes emerged: (1) Attitudes Towards Physical Activity (2) Supports (3) Constraints (4) Gender Discourse (5) Centrality of the Body in Physical Culture.  While some findings mirrored those present in existing research literature, others suggest there are particular supports and constraints to participation that distinguish these young women's experiences in an underserved community. The neighbourhood community center emerged as a crucial support for these young women's engagement in physical activity. It is important that the programs in these kinds of spaces continue to be supported financially to provide young women with access and opportunities to physical activity. Further, policy makers and teachers must consider the wider circumstance of their lives as underserved young people and actively seek to create equitable opportunities.

text: The place and meaning of physical culture in the lives of underserved young women in a Canadian inner-city The purpose of this study was to explore underserved young women's experiences and understandings of physical culture (Kirk, 1999).  There is evidence that once young people reach the age of adolescence, patterns of participation in physical activity decline (Humbert, Chad, Burner, Spink, Muhajarine, Anderson, Girolami, Odnokon, & Gryba, 2008)  and in Canada this drop is more significant for young women then young men (Wharf Higgins, Gaul, Gibbons, & Van Gyn, 2003).  While there is a growing body of research indicating that young people’s experiences with physical activity are different across social, cultural and physical locations (Burrows & McCormack, 2011), the perspectives of young women who are situated in marginalized communities are rarely sought (Hill & Azzarito, 2012; Dagkas & Hunter, 2015). What is undoubtedly known about young women in marginalized communities is that they have less access and opportunities to engage in physical culture than their counterparts in affluent communities (Sabo, 2009). This research sought to make sense of this outcome by diving into the lived experiences of the young women who live in these communities, specifically an underserved community in a Canadian city. Data were collected from 6 young women between ages 12 and 18 using in-depth semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using an interpretive phenomenological analysis. Five key themes emerged: (1) Attitudes Towards Physical Activity (2) Supports (3) Constraints (4) Gender Discourse (5) Centrality of the Body in Physical Culture.  While some findings mirrored those present in existing research literature, others suggest there are particular supports and constraints to participation that distinguish these young women's experiences in an underserved community. The neighbourhood community center emerged as a crucial support for these young women's engagement in physical activity. It is important that the programs in these kinds of spaces continue to be supported financially to provide young women with access and opportunities to physical activity. Further, policy makers and teachers must consider the wider circumstance of their lives as underserved young people and actively seek to create equitable opportunities.

year: 2020