Upscaling restoration – 8 things to consider
Public conservation land is only a small proportion of the total land of New Zealand and isn’t necessarily representative of the full range of ecosystems.…
Traplordz aim to get students trapping
Traplordz is the very cool name of a very new group in the Wellington backyard trapping network. Started by three good mates, Tait Burge, Hugo…
‘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…
First rat caught is just the beginning for keen Summerland School team
“We caught our first rat yesterday,” 9-year-old Abhinav announces proudly. “We’ve got rats, mice and hedgehogs at Summerland School.” “We found that out using tracking…
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…
Kiwi are longterm residents at the Harmans’ farm
The first time that someone from Northland’s ‘Kiwi Coast’ project visited Greta and Craig Harman’s Charolais cattle farm to monitor for kiwi presence, they didn’t need…
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…
Birds, not rats rule the roost at Lynmore School
Last term Lynmore School in Rotorua took delivery of 10 rescue hens. “It was pretty cool,” says teacher Andrew Doyle. “They’re ex-battery hens. The rescuer…
Towards a Predator Free Taranaki
A large-scale predator project, the biggest of its kind in New Zealand, was launched in Taranaki today supported by more than $11 million from the…
Rat catches get people talking in Sumner
There’s a new topic of conversation doing the rounds of the beach-side cafes and neighbourhood of Sumner in Christchurch. “It’s surprising who gets very proud…
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.…
Everyday life goes ‘wild’ in Newtown
Andrew Roxburgh reckons the Newtown area of Wellington where he lives is becoming a more wild place – “and that’s pretty cool!” Andrew is a…
Rat poisons and human medicines have natural links
Like many modern-day medicines, rodenticides are often derived from natural sources. Plants may evolve toxic chemicals to protect them from grazers for example, and sometimes…
Increasing biodiversity is a priority at Craigmore Station
Every year David Bielski, manager of Craigmore Station in South Canterbury, plans to spend $50,000 of the station’s budget on fencing, planting trees and labour…
Crofton Downs is bursting with birdlife
Kelvin Hastie describes himself as a positive person. He doesn’t do negativity – and lately he’s had plenty to feel positive about. “The other day…
