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Meeting Mushrooms in the Wild: 12 NZ species

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Vermilion waxcap/ Hygrocybe miniata
For most of us, mushrooms are the most familiar type of fungi, but not all fungi produce mushrooms. Of the estimated 5 million species of fungi, about 14,000 produce mushrooms. New Zealand has a fascinating mix of native, endemic and introduced fungi. With a bit of practice, patience, and a sharp eye, these species are only a foray away.

Not another COVID eviction story – contested spaces in Christchurch Central City

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Tarāpuka adult and nestling at the Armagh St. colony, 2019. Quintessential Christchurch: rubble and road cones
Since 2019, a colony of Tarāpuka|black-billed gulls  – not only critically endangered, but the most endangered gulls in the world -  have taken up...

Botany of the bizarre: the biology of the world’s strangest parasitic plant

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Flower of Rafflesia schadenbergiana, third largest flower in the World
The strange parasitic plant genus Rafflesia faces a number of conservation challenges, including habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation. Learning more about these rare species is a crucial step in informing the conservation management of Rafflesia.

New Zealand’s native conifers

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Mixed podocarp forest, Pureora
One of my favourite groups of New Zealand plants are our native conifers. Most people don’t realise that we have 21 described species and...

A celebration of spiders

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Hypoblemum male
Happy Arachtober, the month of spiders! Dr Fiona Cross, or "Doctor Spider", introduces us to some cute jumping spiders commonly found in New Zealand.

What crawls beneath the surface?

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Invertebrate life in New Zealand’s rivers and streams We all know about the kiwi and the kākāpō, but what iconic species are lurking beneath the surface...

Surviving on the edge: why do penguins matter anyway?

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Emperor penguins in Antarctica
Emperor penguins depend on sea ice for their survival. Arek Aspinwall describes the impact of global warming on this sensitive Antarctic habitat.

CAREX: a collaborative approach to waterway rehabilitation

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riparian planting
Currently, there is considerable interest around the impacts that agriculture is having on water quality. Nationwide the focus has been on highlighting the issues but little attention...

The seals of Antarctica – a Twitter story

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Public science communication is fundamental to science today. I believe that as scientists we have a duty to communicate our research to the public....

A good news story for World Ocean Day: The Ross Sea region MPA

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The Southern Ocean south of the Antarctic Polar Front is managed by an international agreement analogous to the Antarctic Treaty, the Convention for the Conservation...
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