Guest Author • Jun 30, 2021 •
Jamie McAulay, Department of Conservation It’s just before midday and starting to drizzle as stoat trapper Ana Richards pulls a rotting stoat carcass from a DOC trap and scoops it into a plastic container, dripping. She’s 4 days into a 6 day trapping trip through Fiordland’s wild Murchison Mountains. From this rugged spur, the stinky … Read More
Guest Author • Oct 26, 2018 •
Andrea Byrom Predictably, the public debate about the pest control toxin 1080 has ramped up a notch in recent weeks and months. I say predictably, because it is no surprise to anyone involved in conservation that pest control methods – whatever they might be – are controversial. Such controversy is a global phenomenon, often with polarised debates. Why does such … Read More
Guest Author • Sep 05, 2018 •
Neil Gemmell New Zealand stunned the world in 2016 announcing a goal to eradicate mammalian predators by 2050. The key targets are possums, rats and stoats; species that cause enormous damage to our flora and fauna and in some cases are an economic burden to our productive sectors. As all of these species were introduced to New Zealand from elsewhere … Read More
Brendan Moyle • Jun 12, 2018 •
One thing I like about returning to NZ from places like China, is being around nature again. We live in one of the few parts of the world, and certainly the developed world, where wildlife is sometimes not just at our doorsteps, but also inside as well. Urban Forests Some of this is down to our urban forests. Our urban … Read More
Public Health Expert • Nov 07, 2016 •
Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Mary McIntyre, Dr Osman D Mansoor, Dr Paul Blaschke, Prof Michael Baker The eradication of some introduced pests such as rats, stoats and possums in New Zealand, seems increasingly feasible with a new national 2050 goal and action at the city level eg, Wellington. The primary benefits will be to native birds and enhanced biodiversity, … Read More
John Kerr • Jul 26, 2016 •
The New Zealand Government has just unveiled ‘the world’s most ambitious conservation project’: eliminating introduced predators such as rats, possums and stoats by 2050. But is it a realistic goal? The Prime Minister John Key announced the target yesterday , starting off with with a new $28 million joint venture, Predator Free New Zealand Limited, which will sponsor community partnerships and pest … Read More
Marie Brown • Mar 11, 2016 •
Community conservation is a real jewel in the crown of New Zealand’s conservation effort. Many thousands of kiwis fight for kiwis every weekend: trapping, weeding, building tracks, running tours and building community links to nature. Community groups, iwi organisations, private sector inputs, the philanthropic sector and landowners toil admirably. But this won’t save biodiversity. Community … Read More
Brendan Moyle • Apr 29, 2015 •
We are fortunate to be in a place that, for an urban garden, has a lot of indigenous diversity. There are geckos in the trees, there are skinks on the ground. Keruru (wood-pigeons) and tuis visit regularly for food and rest. Moreporks (ruru) are also vocal in the night, having divided the area into what it seems to be, home … Read More
Peter Kerr • Mar 18, 2014 •
Any business that gets itself into a financial position to employ others is, by default, doing OK. If that operation starts with a completely new product, to survive long enough to (at least) thrive, is even better. So it is … Continue reading → … Read More