Underground giant glows in the dark but is rarely seen
Aucklanders, next time you go for a walk in the forest, spare a thought for what might be living just below your feet. For instance,…
Blue Mountains study shows 1080 effective – even for hedgehogs, mice
In the past there’s been some uncertainty over the effectiveness of large-scale aerial 1080 operations to control mice and little is known about its effect…
Native bats may have fern dispersal role
University of Auckland researchers, James Brock and Kathleen Collier, have discovered yet another reason why we really should appreciate our native bat species. It seems…
Dave Edwards aims to make Sentinel possum traps more user friendly
Traps need a powerful spring mechanism to kill humanely and that can make them difficult and a bit daunting to set, especially traps designed for…
Catching feral cats on camera
Feral cats are nocturnal, elusive creatures and can cover a lot of ground. They can range up to 6 kilometres, making monitoring difficult. So how…
Ancient totara dune forest becomes new Southland reserve
In the far south of the South Island, in Otatara, Southland, there is a totara dune forest where ancient trees bend and twist and brace…
Study compares beetle and wētā responses to mammal eradication
Wētā are one of our most studied insects and are regarded as ‘bioindicators’ of the health of forest ecosystems. So when introduced predators – including…
No easy answers, but eradication efforts ongoing for Resolution Island
When the Resolution Island Stoat Eradication Programme began in Dusky Sound, Fiordland in 2008 no-one said it would be easy and, 12 years later there…
Putting the case for using Māori bird names
Should we be making a greater effort to use Māori bird names in science communication and environmental reporting – promoting their wider everyday use in…
World’s most expensive feather symbolises huia’s fate
How much would you pay for a feather? In 2024 a single huia tail feather sold at auction for NZ$46,521 – making it the world’s…
Uncovering the secret life of urban mangroves
What do we know about New Zealand’s mangroves? Not nearly as much as we know about our forests and many other habitats. Their changing tidal…
Farm biodiversity map highlights falcons, kākahi and glowworms
Mark and Felicity Brough have created a biodiversity map of their sheep and beef farm at Paerua near Waitomo, in the central King Country. It…
Biodiversity and farming – achieving win-win outcomes
‘Rules stifle innovation,’ say researchers looking at how we can achieve win-win outcomes for pastoral farming and biodiversity conservation in New Zealand. “To obtain win-win…
Little bird has bend in beak
It hasn’t got the huge international fanbase of the kākāpō, the show-stopper song of a tūī, bellbird or kōkako or the national icon status of…
Little penguin breeding success includes ‘triple brooding’
Little penguins in Kaikōura have been doing their bit to try and keep species numbers buoyant – with multiple nesting per breeding season and some…
