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
Native wildlife
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
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
Time to rethink the weka’s bad-boy image
Weka don’t tend to be the first bird chosen for reintroduction in recovering habitats. Their destructive and predatory tendencies make them controversial residents in restoration projects and they’ve even been removed from some sanctuary islands to make life safer for other native birds. But new … [Read more...] about Time to rethink the weka’s bad-boy image
‘Our Land’ statistics paint a stark picture
Statistics are a whole lot more than just a bunch of numbers. They can tell a story. They can paint a picture – and sometimes that picture just isn’t pretty. Take for instance, some of the statistics revealed in ‘Our Land 2018’, a report jointly prepared by the Ministry for the Environment and Stats … [Read more...] about ‘Our Land’ statistics paint a stark picture
Stoats and mice top rockwren predator list
In research just published in international ornithology journal Ibis, Department of Conservation scientist Kerry Anne Weston, Colin O’Donnell, Paul van Dam-Bates and Joanne Monks investigated the impact of introduced mammalian predators in our little-studied alpine region. Their study revealed … [Read more...] about Stoats and mice top rockwren predator list
Seed-spreading role of lizards investigated
We’ve a lot still to learn about our lizards. In some of the remoter parts of Aotearoa/New Zealand, new species of skinks and geckos are being discovered even today and the role of our reptiles in the wellbeing of the wider ecosystem has not been widely investigated. A recent article by Debra M. … [Read more...] about Seed-spreading role of lizards investigated
Poor fliers reluctant to cross water
Passerines are songbirds which can perch. More than half of all bird species are passerines and many of those found in Aotearoa/New Zealand are unique. Some, such as the South Island saddleback, South Island robin and mohua also have a few other attributes in common: they’re rare, very vulnerable to … [Read more...] about Poor fliers reluctant to cross water
No sanctuary option for terns
Not every species can be saved by moving it to a predator free island. It has helped the black robin - but it won’t help the black-fronted tern. Islands simply don’t have the habitat that the terns need to breed. Black-fronted terns have a small, declining population and are classified as … [Read more...] about No sanctuary option for terns