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…
Greymouth course builds a passion for conservation work
Friday is a big day for 13 students at Greymouth High School – and not just because it’s the last school day before the weekend.…
Kingfisher cashes in on bird feeder
Feeding backyard birds is popular in New Zealand – one recent study revealed up to half of us feed the birds in our gardens. It’s…
Kea demonstrate their maths skills
Kea are known to be smart and the more we learn about them, the smarter we realise they are. But did you know kea can…
Fenced in felines – keeping cats and wildlife safe
Barbara Clarke’s cats, Sammy and Smudge enjoy a fantastic view over the Pukawa bush reserve from their favourite sunspot on the deck. But because they’re…
Kaitiakitanga and urban restoration
How might traditional concepts and values of kaitiakitanga be included more holistically in urban restoration projects? Authors Erana Walker, Priscilla Wehi, Nicola Nelson, Jacqueline Beggs…
97-year-old comes to aid of Moeraki penguins
While others may have been more idle than usual during the recent COVID-19 Lockdown, 97-year-old Peter Whitehead was busy in his workshop building trapboxes to…
Otago researchers look at uptake of wildlife gardening
Home gardens collectively make up a big chunk of the total green space in our cities, which means they have huge potential to support urban…
Lockdown project reveals abundance of backyard birds
Have you got a resident fantail that hangs out in your garden? Are you sure there’s just the one? When Auckland University’s Dr James Russell…
