Of the world’s 22 species of albatross, nearly half can be found in Aotearoa. These include the wandering or snowy albatross (Diomedea exulans). Its wingspan of...
He mea whakahirahira te manu ki te iwi Māori, he uri whakaheke nā Tāne Mahuta he mana nui tōna i te tirohanga mātairangi a te māori...
The association of birds as the children of Tāne Mahuta reflects their importance in Māori cosmology and their integral role in the natural world. They were...
Join Greta Dromgool and guest Giselle Clarkson in this recorded professional learning session which introduces the practice of observology. Giselle Clarkson is a New Zealand author...
This Connected article, written and illustrated by Adele Jackson, looks at the discovery that fish and eels are using Wellington’s stormwater system as access between streams...
This Connected article takes a Pacific worldview and describes how the people of the Cook Islands have attempted to manage and protect their marine resources with...
Dolphins are often seen around the coast of Aotearoa New Zealand, but only two species – Hector’s and Māui – are endemic. Similarities and differences It...
Pollinators are insects that visit flowers to drink nectar or feed on pollen. During this process, they get covered in pollen grains and then transport the...
New Zealand bats are fully protected by the Wildlife Act 1953, and their habitats are also protected by the Resource Management Act 1991. There are a...
Although invisible to the naked eye, marine microbes drift continually in our ocean systems, quietly consuming up to 50% of the Earth’s CO2 through photosynthesis and...
Imagine being able to smell your dinner from the other side of a sports field. Insects do this with the pair of antennae on their heads....
We know that some animals make amazing long-distance journeys called migrations. This article explores some of the technology scientists use to track the animals and their...
We know that cats are natural hunters, but what does the data tell us about cats and their prey – and how do we know if...
Instant Wild is an initiative by the Zoological Society of London. Photos or videos of animals are recorded using hidden cameras in a range of worldwide...
The kererū (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae), also called kūkū, kūkupa, wood pigeon or simply New Zealand pigeon, is endemic and one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most valuable assets...
In this activity, students research an earthworm of their choice before completing a social media profile for their earthworm. The activity fosters students’ literacy skills, and...
Moths are members of the order Lepidoptera, but these mostly nocturnal creatures are often in the shadow of the brighter, day-flying butterflies. New Zealand has fewer...
Moths make up the third most diverse insect group in New Zealand, and their day/night habits are also diverse. While most moths are nocturnal (active at...
Moths, along with butterflies, are part of the order Lepidoptera (from the Greek for scaled wings). Over 90% of New Zealand’s Lepidoptera species are endemic, found...
There are two families of wētā in New Zealand. The Anostostomatidae are wētā we often associate with heavy bodies, spiky legs and curved tusks – the...
He nui noa atu te manga i te wai noa iho – he oruoru, he hōpua, he kahuwai papatahi, he tāheke, he hīrere, he wai rōnaki,...
In this activity, students can test their knowledge of freshwater fish online or in a paper-based quiz. The quiz can be used as an introductory tool...
Our freshwater native fish like to keep their cool. They’re used to shaded waterways lined with dense vegetation because over 80% of New Zealand was once...
Riffles, pools, reaches, rapids, waterfalls, glides, eddies, meanders, overhangs and undercuts – there’s more to a stream than just water. Streams are smaller water bodies, characterised...
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