Media Releases
New tool assists in the identification of parasitoid wasps
Thursday 09 May 2013
A new online tool will assist biosecurity and conservation managers identify a diverse and important group of wasps in New Zealand.
Landcare Research welcomes Government science announcement
Monday 29 Apr 2013
Landcare Research is welcoming the Government’s announcement of the creation of a science ‘hub’ at Lincoln, near Christchurch.
New research suggests gut ‘worms’ may have gone extinct alongside moa
Thursday 28 Feb 2013
New research could provide insights into co-extinction of threatened species and help improve estimates of the actual numbers of species currently at risk of extinction.
New research assists predictions for ‘mast seeding’ and predator explosions
Thursday 15 Nov 2012
New research could help predict ‘mast seeding’ in some New Zealand plants and allow land managers to prepare for likely predator explosions that follow.
Opening of new science facility boosts biosecurity and conservation
Thursday 01 Nov 2012
A new state-of-the-art plant pathogen (disease) containment facility marks a significant step forward in New Zealand’s battle against invasive weeds as well as destructive plant pathogens attacking species as diverse as kauri and kiwifruit.
Fossil bird dung shows kakapo dined on parasitic plant
Tuesday 02 Oct 2012
Fossilised bird dung from a cave in the northwest corner of New Zealand's South Island has provided new insights into the lives of two of the country’s most threatened species.
Nature Watch: I-spy with a twist
Thursday 27 Sep 2012
Are you looking for a little more enjoyment, purpose and structure for children during the upcoming school holidays?
Landcare Research joins KiwiNet commercialisation consortium
Friday 14 Sep 2012
Landcare Research has become the tenth member of the Kiwi Innovation Network (KiwiNet), a consortium of New Zealand universities and crown research institutes collaborating on research commercialisation.
Preliminary results of 2012 Garden Bird Survey
Monday 10 Sep 2012
House sparrows are again the most abundant bird species in New Zealand gardens with preliminary results of the 2012 Garden Bird Survey indicating an average of 12.3 per garden.
New tool to benefit business, biosecurity and conservation
Monday 27 Aug 2012
Business and industry as well as biosecurity and conservation will all benefit with the launch of a new web-based register of almost 100,000 plants, animals, fungi and bacteria that are significant to New Zealand.
New centre to unlock the potential of New Zealand´s vital land economy
Friday 06 Jul 2012
The launch of a new science–backed national initiative today is a big step to improving the way science is used to enhance one of the country´s most important resources – the land.
Research offers new insights into the lives of subalpine moa
Monday 02 Jul 2012
New research has cast light on the diet of moa in subalpine environments and provided clues to the changing face of New Zealand’s ecology.
New tool for identification of freshwater invertebrates
Tuesday 08 May 2012
Freshwater invertebrates (insects, crustaceans, snails, worms etc) are a useful measure of the state of our streams – but the identification and interpretation of the range of invertebrates found in any stream can be tricky.
A new guide to the Larger Moths of New Zealand
Thursday 03 May 2012
Information about an often misunderstood and overlooked creature has undergone a monumental 21st century upgrade, in a move aimed at improving public knowledge and care.
New facility for greenhouse gas research at Lincoln
Tuesday 24 Apr 2012
Landcare Research’s role as a leader in developing technologies for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions is reflected in its state–of–the–art new Greenhouse Gas Research Facility at Lincoln.
BioBlitz - finding nature in the city
Wednesday 28 Mar 2012
New Zealand’s leading biennial 24-hour ‘environmental race against time’ is just a few days away, and Aucklanders are being urged to get involved.
Gold for going green
Wednesday 07 Mar 2012
Landcare Research´s stunning exhibition at the 2012 Ellerslie International Flower Show that highlights ´green´ elements in the rebuild of earthquake damaged Christchurch has caught the attention of international judges.
Seeking public help to find paper wasps
Monday 16 Jan 2012
Scientists are seeking public help to learn more about the spread of an unwanted pest.
Lifestyle Blocks and the loss of New Zealand´s productive soils
Tuesday 20 Dec 2011
New research shows the huge increase in ´lifestyle blocks´ across New Zealand and raises wider questions over our attitude to the slow but ongoing loss of valuable, high quality and productive land.
Invasive ants not dying out, just moving on
Thursday 08 Dec 2011
A recent report that Argentine ant populations are dying out is doubtful, and potentially misleading, according to scientists from Landcare Research.
Learn about New Zealand’s Environments – new online mapping web site
Wednesday 07 Dec 2011
Following on from the successful launch earlier this year of the S–Map Online web mapping web site, researchers from Landcare Research have today unveiled a new and free online mapping tool which will make it easier for businesses, government, researchers and the public to better understand the natural environments that underpin New Zealand’s economy and society.
Landcare Research celebrates Marsden Fund success
Thursday 06 Oct 2011
Landcare Research is today celebrating the success of two scientists who are the recipients of significant grants from the Marsden Fund.
National soils data now available online
Thursday 22 Sep 2011
Researchers have unveiled a new online tool to make it easier and more effective for land managers, business, scientists and the public to better understand the soils that underpin New Zealand’s economy, land use and ecology.
New Zealand Virtual Herbarium launched
Tuesday 23 Aug 2011
The New Zealand Virtual Herbarium has been launched by the New Zealand National Herbarium Network and provides free internet access to over 700,000 records held by 11 botanical collections from Auckland to Dunedin.
Community initiatives jump following February earthquake
Tuesday 31 May 2011
The explosion in community driven communication initiatives following February’s 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch has been highlighted through research by Crown Research Institute, Landcare Research
Appointment of new Landcare Research CEO
Thursday 26 May 2011
Dr Richard Gordon has been appointed to the position of Chief Executive of Crown Research Institute, Landcare Research
Beating the beetle bug – new biocontrol agent for tradescantia
Friday 25 Mar 2011
A long–awaited project that aims to control one of New Zealand’s most widespread and problematic weeds, tradescantia (Tradescantia fluminensis also known as wandering willie), has come to fruition.
Early settlers rapidly transformed lowland forests with fire
Tuesday 14 Dec 2010
New research indicates that the speed of early forest clearance following human colonisation of the South Island of New Zealand was much faster and more intense than previously thought.
Children, Bees and the Trees for Bees project
Thursday 11 Nov 2010
Bees are the unsung heroes of the New Zealand economy and their hard work is about to come under closer scrutiny as part of a three year project to help New Zealand prevent the types of alarming losses that are happening overseas to honey bee colonies.
Pacific colonisation more recent and rapid than earlier thought
Thursday 28 Oct 2010
New research shows early human colonisation of East Polynesia was much faster and more recent than previously proposed, providing a robust new timing and sequence for the colonisation of the region.
Choosing the best methods for controlling possums and other pests
Thursday 09 Sep 2010
Choosing the best methods to control possums, rats, ferrets, stoats and feral cats has been made easier with the production of a publicly available internet–based Decision Support System or ´DSSD.