As families and sometimes pets head off to holiday spots for summer, now is a good time to remember that dogs – even Pekinese and the family poodle – can be a deadly threat to kiwi. An exploratory grab can crush the fragile bones of a bird’s chest, even if the dog is ‘retrieving’ rather than trying … [Read more...] about Study evaluates kiwi aversion training for dogs
Research
Regional Councils tackle biodiversity challenge
New Zealand’s regional councils have just released a ‘think piece’ on the future of biodiversity management in New Zealand. “Our native flora and fauna is a taonga that does much to define us as a nation. It’s also under threat, and we are losing ground in many cases. This timely thinkpiece … [Read more...] about Regional Councils tackle biodiversity challenge
Hawke’s Bay study shows predator control contributes to farmland biodiversity
Predator control for conservation purposes tends to focus on reserves, sanctuaries and remnants of native habitat rather than open pastures. When researchers publish articles on pastural predator control, they’re generally focused on possums and TB eradication. But landscape scale predator control … [Read more...] about Hawke’s Bay study shows predator control contributes to farmland biodiversity
Urban reintroductions – going wild in city spaces
Suburban gardens, city parks, reserves and thoughtfully planted urban spaces can mean that our cities are surprisingly diverse in plants and habitats. But so far reintroductions of native species have been restricted to islands, fenced sanctuaries and remote habitats. If there’s a sanctuary … [Read more...] about Urban reintroductions – going wild in city spaces
How a tusked, carnivorous weta was saved
The research happened a decade ago now – this paper was published back in 2008 – but how many people have even heard of the large, carnivorous Mercury Island tusked weta (Motuweta isolata), let alone the extraordinary story of its step back from the cliff-face of extinction? Despite its large … [Read more...] about How a tusked, carnivorous weta was saved
Weasels studied during Maruia masting event
You don’t hear so much about weasels. Their New Zealand distribution is patchy and their bigger mustelid relatives tend to dominate the mammal predator stories. But when there was a mast year in 2014, weasels as well as stoats turned up in the beech forests of Nelson’s Maruia Valley to feast on the … [Read more...] about Weasels studied during Maruia masting event
Researchers study new ways to stop bait going mouldy
It’s not quite a sugar-coated pill, but the principle is similar – a nice flavoured coating that not only encourages rodents to take the bait, but also protects the toxic cereal bait within from deteriorating over time and going mouldy. Norway rats, in particular, have been found to avoid mouldy … [Read more...] about Researchers study new ways to stop bait going mouldy
Lessons learned in combating mice on Quail Island
Canterbury’s Quail Island Ecological Restoration Trust has been working with Department of Conservation staff and researchers from Lincoln and other universities to eradicate introduced mammals from the island and document their processes, successes and learning outcomes in an article recently … [Read more...] about Lessons learned in combating mice on Quail Island
Identifying the success stories in conservation
Conservation articles can be full of doom and gloom and struggle. But what about the success stories out there? An article just published online in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand looks at 7 conservation success stories from the last 30 years. But first of all, how do you … [Read more...] about Identifying the success stories in conservation
Tūhoe share memories of how their forests used to be
Researchers from Landcare Research and Tūhoe Tuawhenua Trust recently worked together to look at community-based monitoring by Māori to assess forest health. They talked with 55 forest users from the Tuawhenua tribal group, carrying out 80 interviews in both Māori and English, over a period of 10 … [Read more...] about Tūhoe share memories of how their forests used to be