bioaccumulation

Did you know that 80% of marine litter globally starts life on land? Mizuiku Upstream Battle is a citizen science programme run by Keep New Zealand...

Backyard Battle is a citizen science programme run by Keep New Zealand Beautiful. It gets students, teachers, volunteers and other citizen scientists out collecting litter at...

Insects are vital for our ecosystems, but sometimes there are places where we don’t want them – destroying our gardens, eating our food crops and trees,...

Antibiotic medicines have been an important development for human health, and they’re credited with improving the average human lifespan. While important for human and animal health,...

We use chemicals every day, and they’re all around us. We know different chemicals come in different forms and that they will behave differently in different...

Did you know there are over 30,000 chemicals approved for use across Aotearoa New Zealand? Who approves and regulates the use of these chemicals? How do...

There are over 150,000 substances approved for use in Aotearoa New Zealand that contain an estimated 30,000 chemicals. We use chemicals on a daily basis –...

Very tiny phytoplankton cells (a type of microscopic algae) can produce potent toxins. Although the toxin produced by one phytoplankton cell is pretty minimal, it can...

This Connected article looks at the aftermath of the 2011 environmental disaster caused when the MV Rena struck Astrolabe Reef, off the Tauranga coast. Since then,...

This unit plan shows how teacher Dianne Christenson used the online citizen science (OCS) project The Plastic Tide as part of a year 2–4 unit to...

Teacher Dianne Christenson incorporated the online citizen science (OCS) project The Plastic Tide as part of a year 2–4 unit on sustainability. Here, she reflects on...

Mercury – named after a Roman god known for speed and agility – is a chemical element that has fascinated humans for thousands of years. Mercury...

Microplastics are very small plastic particles generally less than 5 mm in size. There are significant levels of microplastics polluting the ocean, freshwater and land, and...

Microplastics are very small plastic particles generally less than 5 mm in size. Some people also distinguish microplastics from even smaller plastics, termed nanoplastics, that are...

Climate change is one of the world’s big issues. It is also a big topic to tackle in the classroom. The Hub’s planning pathways interactive suggests...

The first human to ever visit the Ross Sea might have been Ui-te-Rangiora, who travelled there from Rarotonga in the 7th century. The first New Zealander...

In this activity, students become aware of the importance of estuaries. They identify some possible impacts on estuaries and possible actions that can be taken to...

Estuaries are extremely valuable. They: are nurseries – breeding grounds for fish and birds maintain the health of coastal fisheries and waters are a buffer between...

In the past, many New Zealanders have not understood the value of estuaries. Many European settlers initially viewed estuaries as unproductive wastelands. Land was reclaimed for...

People like to live near estuaries. In pre-European times, estuaries were favourite places for Māori to gather – particularly to harvest and enjoy kaimoana. Today, there...

Estuaries have a life cycle. They form, they age as they infill with sediment and they transform to other environments, such as freshwater marshes. They are...

As New Zealanders looking to the future, we are faced with many opportunities – and challenges. These include improving the health of all our people, advancing...

Mana whenua of the Ihumātao Tucked in between Manukau Harbour and Auckland International Airport is the small papakāinga Ihumātao. The papakāinga is Auckland’s oldest settlement –...

In October 2011, the Greek container ship MV Rena ran aground on Ōtāiti, also known as the Astrolabe Reef, off the coast of Tauranga. The oil...