37Jun 8, 2015
Driving from Christchurch to Ashburton I was struck by the sheer number of cows and irrigators all solidly packed into paddocks. The long bridges and sprawling rivers reminded me of being told as a youngster to hold my breath as we crossed the longest of them. As I turned inland from Ashburton towards Mt Somers, I again held my breath as […]
38May 28, 2015
On Friday, in his post-budget speech to the trans-Tasman business lunch, the Prime Minister told his audience that there would be “no changes to sections 6 and 7 of the RMA as planned”, because government can’t get support. “The probability of us getting our partners to agree to substantial change are very low,” he said. […]
39May 14, 2015
Many people think of hedgehogs as the cute, harmless creatures they see in British children’s story books. But in New Zealand, they’re known pests that are lethal to native wildlife. Last night, on Campbell Live, we met the founders of Hedgehog Rescue New Zealand. They take in sick or injured hedgehogs and rehabilitate them before returning them to the wild. The […]
40May 14, 2015
In September last year, the Frog Lab group at the Department of Zoology (University of Otago) had the privilege of hosting the Kiwi Conservation Club for part of the day. We wanted to help them learn more about New Zealand’s very own rare native frogs and get up close with some that we have in captivity. At […]
41May 13, 2015
Our new book, Vanishing Nature, has a lot to say about biodiversity loss in New Zealand and plenty of potential solutions to this ongoing and increasingly dire situation. New Zealand’s natural heritage is globally important, underpins our economy and society and makes up so much of our national identity. So why has it been slowly sliding […]
42May 7, 2015
All eyes are now on Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith, wondering what he’ll do with his long-awaited review of Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms. It’s a good time time for a quick update on what’s been happening and a few more things that you can do to help. A week ago our environment lawyer Sally Gepp took a […]
43Apr 9, 2015
I got a text from my mate Robbie, “Wanna come down Rakiura-Stewart Island and check some traps?” I’d never been to the ‘Third Island’, and had heard enough raves about backyard kākā and beaches chocka with kiwi to make my answer obvious. This bird nerd was raring for a range in Rakiura. Robbie is one of […]
44Mar 20, 2015
At midday last Thursday, after three-and-a-half days high in the arms of an old Kauri tree, Forest & Bird member Michael Tavares descended to cheers and applause from the crowd. Michael’s feat beyond doubt raised the media profile and contributed to a successful outcome, after a two-year battle through the formal process to save the […]
45Mar 19, 2015
Forest & Bird owns a number of important reserves around the country. One of these is Te Rere Reserve – a 70 hectare block of regenerating native forest located near the southernmost point of the South Island. It is home to about 70 yellow-eyed penguins – the rarest penguin in the world. Every summer for thousands of years, these penguins […]