Freshwater Champions Aotearoa New Zealand celebrates the individuals, groups and communities working to restore and protect the health of freshwater.

Freshwater is central to the wellbeing of people, ecosystems and communities. This initiative recognises those taking action to care for rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands, and helps share stories of leadership, restoration and hope.

Launched in 2023, this event replaces the Cawthron New Zealand River Awards, a biennial event that has been celebrating freshwater restoration efforts by groups and individuals since 2013.

The Thomas Cawthron Annual Memorial Lecture is a free public event held for the people of Te Tauihu. It honours the legacy of Thomas Cawthron and creates an opportunity for communities to hear from leading thinkers, researchers and changemakers.

Over many decades, the lecture has brought science and ideas into public conversation, with speakers covering topics that matter to our region, our country and our future.

Past speakers include Dr Siouxsie Wiles, Sir Edmund Hillary, Sir Ernest Rutherford, Professor Lord Robert Winston, Rt Hon Helen Clark and Sir Jonathon Porritt, as well as Cawthron scientists.

You can view our Thomas Cawthron Annual Memorial Lecture collection online.

Sign up to the Friends of Cawthron mailing list to receive updates about future lectures and other Cawthron events.

Cawthron Open Days give the community a chance to step inside our research facilities and see science in action.

Visitors can meet our scientists, tour laboratories and research spaces, and learn more about the work happening here in Te Tauihu, from mountains to sea.

Open Days are part of how we share our science with the people and communities it is designed to serve. They help connect local communities with the research, tools and ideas that support healthier aquatic environments and more resilient futures.

Watch our Facebook page or sign up to the Friends of Cawthron newsletter to hear about future Open Day opportunities.

Each summer, Cawthron offers 10-week scholarships for tertiary students. These placements give students the opportunity to contribute to active research projects and be mentored by Cawthron scientists.

The programme supports emerging scientists to build practical research experience, develop professional networks and contribute to work that has real-world impact.

Cawthron has established several scholarship funds to support students studying at New Zealand tertiary institutions:

Sir Theodore Rigg Scholarship
For an undergraduate student. Sir Theodore Rigg was one of Cawthron’s most renowned agricultural and chemistry scientists. He retired in 1956 after devoting his scientific career to Cawthron Institute and publishing more than 80 scientific papers.

Kathleen Curtis (Lady Rigg) Scholarship
For an undergraduate woman. Kathleen Curtis was the first New Zealand woman to graduate with a Doctor of Science. She was a founding staff member of Cawthron Institute and the first woman appointed to a research position in New Zealand.

Te Pītau Whakarei Karahipi
For a Māori undergraduate student. This scholarship supports Māori research capability and capacity building in partnership with Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence.

Madge Johnston Scholarship
For an undergraduate student. This scholarship is made possible through the generosity of a bequest from Tasman resident Madge Johnston and supports a student with strong academic achievement and community contribution.

Emerging Scientist Scholarships
These scholarships are offered when suitable projects and funding are available.

You can contribute to an existing scholarship fund or establish your own. Please email foundation@cawthron.org.nz if you would like to support future scientists through Cawthron’s scholarship programme.

The Cawthron Scitec Expo continues a proud tradition of science fairs in Nelson that goes back more than 30 years.

Cawthron has been closely involved for much of that time, first as a sponsor and now as manager of the event. The Expo brings together students, teachers, scientists and local organisations to support young enquiring minds across our region.

Thomas Cawthron believed science was key to a better future. The Cawthron Scitec Expo carries that legacy forward by encouraging curiosity, creativity and confidence in the next generation of scientists, innovators and problem-solvers.

The Year 13 Mussel Biology Workshops give students hands-on experience with applied marine science and support the requirements of the NCEA Level 3 Biology 3.1 curriculum assessment.

Run annually in collaboration with the University of Otago, Spat NZ and NMIT, the workshops take place in the NMIT teaching laboratory at the Cawthron Aquaculture Park.

Students undertake a mussel investigation in a purpose-built laboratory, meet Cawthron scientists and learn how research has supported major advances in aquaculture.

The workshops help students connect classroom learning with real science, real environments and real-world challenges.