We like to think outside is free. It isn't. The trails we ride, the lakes we swim in, the mountains that take our breath away—these wild spaces don’t just exist in a bubble, immune to the pressures of modern life. They need our help.
That’s why we created Help Wanted, a program that seeks to educate, activate, and inspire action within cycling communities around the world. We don’t have all the answers, but we know that awareness is the first step toward meaningful change. Through recon rides and direct engagement with local environmental groups, we’re shining a light on the important issues affecting the places we love and the people who protect them.
So far, we’ve traversed British Columbia’s parklands, Iceland’s glaciers, Tasmania and Scotland’s rugged wilds. Each location brought us face-to-face with critical environmental challenges—and the passionate individuals working to solve them. Now, the journey presses on to Wānaka, New Zealand.
Wānaka: Where Beauty Requires Responsibility
For those who've been lucky enough to visit, Wānaka is a pure paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. Nestled on the southern tip of Lake Wānaka, with the towering peaks of the Southern Alps in the distance, it’s a playground of crystal-clear waters, alpine forests, and vast open spaces. But even here, in this seemingly untouched corner of the world, the environment is under constant threat.
The Issue: Fresh Water Is Fundamental
For all its stunning beauty, Wānaka is facing a crisis beneath the surface. The lakes and rivers that define this landscape are suffering—contaminated by agricultural runoff, urban development, and human impact from the very recreation that brings so many people here. Every ripple in the water tells a story, and if we don’t act now, the health of these waterways will continue to be threatened.
The Foundation: WAI Wānaka’s Water Action Initiatives
Thankfully, Wānaka is home to a community that refuses to let this happen. WAI Wānaka is leading the charge, working to accelerate direct action to protect fresh water. Their mission is simple yet powerful: educate, engage, and empower locals to safeguard their ecosystem.
Through research initiatives, education programs, and hands-on restoration projects, WAI Wānaka brings together individuals, farmers, businesses, and schools to reverse biodiversity loss, improve ecosystem health, and ensure that every person who touches the water understands their role in protecting it for future generations to come. Here are just a few of their ongoing initiatives:
The OUR PLACE collaboration: Uniting local organisations to share knowledge and resources for environmental protection, demonstrating how land, water, flora, fauna, climate and people are all connected.
The Community Catchment Plan: Implements 60 actions to enhance Upper Clutha's freshwater health and biodiversity improvement.
Adopt A Drain: Engages the community in managing urban waterways and stormwater systems to ensure pollution does not infiltrate the environment.
Natur-ED Education Programs: Providing environmental programs to schools and the public, offering nature-based field trips, as well as afterschool education and wellbeing sessions for teachers.
Volunteer Events: Organizes activities like native planting and pest control for ecosystem restoration.
Microplastics Research: Investigating the growing volume of microplastics in freshwater, empowering community participation and change through education from local scientists.
Rolling for a Cause
Our Wānaka recon ride wasn’t just about taking in the scenery—it was about understanding the land, the water, and the responsibility that comes with enjoying these natural spaces. Alongside Wānaka locals, we rode through rolling farmland, along lakefront trails, and into the heart of the region’s backcountry, seeing firsthand both the beauty and the challenges this place faces.
To learn more about the issues facing the region, keep an eye out for an upcoming Help Wanted community ride that will trace the waterways at the heart of Wānaka’s ecosystem. Led by local experts and environmental advocates, this ride will highlight the ongoing efforts to restore and protect this fragile landscape.
And if you find yourself riding in Wānaka in the future, take a moment to appreciate the delicate balance of nature that makes this place so special. Better yet, visit WAI Wānaka today to learn more about their work and how you can get involved.
Our Help Wanted Wānaka Route
With special thanks to:
Photos by Jake Forsythe + Michael Overbeck
