Help Wanted: Protecting What Makes Wānaka!
At Heatwave, we’ve always wanted to have a deeper connection than just being a shop, we wanted to build a community that respects the playground we have on our doorstep. The trails, lakes, and ridge lines around Wānaka are amazing but we can't take it for granted. Lately, it’s become clear that even the most beautiful places need looking after.
That’s where WAI Wānaka comes in! And recently, MAAP too!
WAI Wānaka is a local non‑profit committed to safeguarding freshwater and ecosystem health across the Upper Clutha region. WAI acts as a bridge between community, science, and local government, making sure everyone who touches the water acts to protect it, so future generations can swim, drink, and enjoy Wānaka's waterways for generations to come.
Earlier this year, we spoke with our mates at MAAP. A brand that shares our love for riding bikes and our belief that community and environment go hand in hand. As part of their Help Wanted initiative, they chose Wānaka as one of the global locations to spotlight environmental issues and the grassroots organisations tackling them. That meant linking up with us, the boys at Could Be Keen and WAI Wānaka to explore how our fresh water system is under threat. And how we can do something about it.
We hosted a recon ride through the Wānaka area into Mount Aspiring National Park up the Matukituki Valley with Jeremy, Sam, Alexia & Meg. To check out the ecosystems we often zip past and where a majority of our water starts its journey to Lake Wānaka.
We then hosted two community rides. The first was with the WAI Wānaka team where the ride stopped along the way at some key areas to talk about the work the have been doing in the local community to help keep out water system safe.
The second ride was part of our own Human Kinder Project - a project combining exercise and volunteering - where we met up and rode to Lake Hāwea to help with WAI Wānaka's beach clean up. It was howling wind so big up to all of the volunteers who managed to pick up 54kg of rubbish!!!
Wānaka’s a pretty special place for us and for most who live here. We chose to be here for a reason: the community, the landscape, the water. So it’s pretty cool to see organisations like WAI working to protect what makes it so epic. Being such a small town, it means a lot to have brands like MAAP get involved and support what we’re building and shining light from another perspective.
Check out the full blog post from MAAP here.
If you are local check out what WAI Wānaka are up to here.
AND last but not least enjoy these photos from Parker Carruthers over both the recon and community rides!
Hopefully see you at one of the next projects!!
Heatwave