We may have been in lockdown again recently, but one of the silver linings was that we had rain. Good steady precipitation to ease some of the impacts of a very dry summer. But despite the rainfall we have had, water restrictions are still in place in...... Read More

It was summer, Mahurangi camping at its best. We had kayaked to a favourite beach and had it to ourselves. We climbed green hills and gloried in the entire stretch of coastline down both heads, and   the harbour, Te Haupa, Motuora and Mahurangi...... Read More

Tuatara are New Zealand’s own dinosaurs of very ancient lineage. They have remained virtually unchanged since walking with other dinosaurs some 100 million years ago. They are long-lived (50-plus years) and don’t breed until they are 10 to...... Read More

Welcome to Siren, a monthly round-up of key events and issues from local emergency services. In our first report, the issues that so often affect our coast and country in summer are predominant – heavy traffic, tinder-dry vegetation and an increased...... Read More

Welcome to Siren, a monthly round-up of key events and issues from local emergency services. In our first report, the issues that so often affect our coast and country in summer are predominant – heavy traffic, tinder-dry vegetation and an increased...... Read More

A few years ago, I visited my niece’s preschool in Red Beach to talk about waste. Armed with a few pieces of rubbish, plus a jar filled with compost and wriggly worms, I entered their space wondering if anything I was about to say would get through...... Read More

It is now clear that plastic waste is ubiquitous around the planet. From the Arctic to the Antarctic, from the peaks of the Himalayas to the depths of the oceans and across almost all populated landscapes, plastic waste is evident. How do we solve this...... Read More

Imagine a bioblitz in your backyard. A bioblitz surveys the species in an area in a short space of time. It’s an intensive count of biodiversity to provide a snapshot of life. It will count fungi, mammals, plants, invertebrates and macroinvertebrates,...... Read More

There is plenty of debate about climate change and often we struggle to identify how we can make a difference, but there are tangible ways we can have an impact. Biodiversity has the power to mitigate the progress of climate change and conversely it is...... Read More

If you look up into the night sky during the Christmas period, you will see something rare – a special Christmas star. To be fair, it is not really a star, but rather what astronomers call “a conjunction of planets”. This is when two...... Read More