Spreading the word
Before we could set up the website, we had to set up the organisation’s name and shape.
A poll of interested people chose the preferred name (Conteol Didymo Aotearoa) and domain name (www.nodidymo.nz)
We set up the organisation as a non-for-profit business (rather than a Trust or some other shape, as this seemed the simplest and cheapest). We then went through the process of applying for Charitable Status - we applied in August and the take 3 months to review applications so we hope to hear back in October. This would be good as we could then let any donors or potential donors know that their support would be tax-deductible.
The website was a DIY effort, to help keep costs down. Various bodies such as NIWA and Landcare Research Manaaki Whenua kindly allowed us to use some of the photographs. The website went live in August.
The marketing consisted of me contact everyone I know, plus then writing to all the Angling clubs I could find, plus other potentially interested groups (4WD clubs, tramping clubs, kayaking clubs, etc). Some interest and donations started to trickle in which was great. Some of the Angling Clubs have been really great (including Selwyn Anglers Alliance, the Upper Clutha Angling Club, the Kapiti Fly Fishing Club, the Auckland Flyfishing Angling Club, the Auckland 4WD club, the Central Otago 4WD Club and the Wakatipu Tramping Club), with both encouraging emails, but also sending our ideas to other scientists for peer review and offers for me to come to their meetings to talk about our project ideas. First meeting is 3rd Sept in Rolleston - I’m looking forward to it!
Fish & Game continue to be supportive, and crucially featured us in yesterday’s Newsletter (https://newsletter.fishandgame.org.nz/t/y-e-qtuhduk-ihmirghj-ji/)
This has really increase interest - a big thank you to everyone involved - and I’ll write to everyone who has either got in touch or donated.
To date we have now $2400 in our account, which should be enough to do the intitial RNA sequencing work, looking for novel didymo viruses from one river. I’m currently in discussions with MPI to sort out a protocol for collecting samples without needing a permit (which is costly). Key thing is that we must make sure that any samples of didymo are unviable (dead!) before we leave the riverside, but the samples need to also have their RNA carefully preserved. Hopefully we’ll have this sorted in the next couple of weeks, and then we can actually start the research…..what a milestone that will be.
