Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
Driving innovation in New Zealand's management of terrestrial biodiversity and land resources.
Dating the early colonisation of Aotearoa/New Zealand
Centuries old rat–gnawed seed cases from native trees and rat bones are offering fascinating new insights into the early colonisation of Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Carbon dating shows it is now almost certain that the first Maori settlers arrived in New Zealand sometime about 1280 AD.
This contradicts the findings of a 1996 study that reported radio–carbon dating rat bones being 2000 years old.
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Media releases
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Embracing nature in a redeveloped Christchurch
Our 'Transitions' exhibition garden at the Ellerslie Show showcases some possibilities - including pocket parks, living walls, green roofs and natural water treatment. It shows how we can intergrate people, nature and functionality, and restore some of the plants and wildlife that have been lost. Follow Landcare Research
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Christchurch's residents have expressed a strong desire for a greener central city. 
Science in Focus - Pest Control Technologies
The Pest Control Technologies Team focuses on providing improved pest management through new and improved management strategies, tools and techniques – ranging from biological control to traps and toxins. The key pest targets are possums, rodents, stoats, ferrets and invertebrates (wasps, ants).
The team is comprised of 22 staff with expertise in wildlife pest ecology, impact assessment, trap design and testing, animal welfare, toxicology, bait development, immunology, virology, reproductive biology, modelling, and decision support systems. This expertise is complemented by research links with a range of international centres with similar interests (e.g. National Wildlife Research Center, USA; Central Science Laboratories, UK) and overseas universities (e.g. University of Vienna, University of Newcastle).
Research is undertaken for central government (e.g. Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, Department of Conservation, Biosecurity New Zealand), local government (e.g. Northland Regional Council, Horizons Regional Council), national agencies (e.g. Animal Health Board), international agencies (e.g. Tasmanian Department of Primary Industry, The Nature Conservancy), and private companies.
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