Toxic algae warning issued for length of Canterbury's Ashley River
A health warning has been issued for the length of the Canterbury's Ashley/Rakahuri River after more toxic algae was found.
The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) says moderate to high cover of potentially toxic algae (benthic cyanobacteria) has been found along the river between the Okuku River Confluence to the State Highway 1 bridge.
A warning was already in place for the SH1 site, and while a warning was recently lifted for the Loburn-Rangiora site because it had become dry, new algae growth was already being seen there.
Canterbury medical officer of health Dr Ramon Pink says the algae looks like dark brown to black mats and can product toxins harmful to people and animals.
"Exposure may cause skin rashes, nausea, stomach cramps, tingling and numbness around the mouth and fingertips."
Anyone who experiences such symptoms should visit their doctor immediately, and animals showing signs of illness should be taken to a vet immediately.
Reticulated town water supplies are currently safe, but no-one should drink water from the river at any time, Pink said.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Calling All Puzzle Masters! Can You Solve This?
When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height.
Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was.
If the tree grew by five centimetres each year, how much higher would the nail be?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.