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The naming of cats

Fans of the musical [Cats] will know that the naming of cats is a difficult matter, and that cats have three different names. The same is...

Entomology technician Arnaud Cartier inspecting the progress of African tulip leaf trees’ natural enemies in the Invertebrate Containment Facility in Lincoln.

Natural enemies take charge in weed biocontrol

The sheer number and potential impacts of weeds in Aotearoa New Zealand are staggering. At least 1,800 plant species are naturalised, and...

The bright orange-red flowers and yellow frilly edges of the African tulip tree that is threatening to overwhelm the forests of Rarotonga.

Weed busting success in Rarotonga

There was a satisfied sigh across Rarotonga recently. Two visits by Manaaki Whenua researchers to the Pacific island had revealed that th...

Measuring the threat of wilding pines. Image: Brad White

Understanding weeds powers future research

While Aotearoa New Zealand positions itself as a global leader in battling pest species, our research teams focused on weeds understand t...

  1. Native reforestation: standing our ground

    Native reforestation on marginal agricultural land has the potential to contribute to both climate adaptation and mitigation. Native forests are known to be resilient stores of carbon and are resistant to extreme climatic events – an increasingly important component of Aotearoa New Zealand’s climate...

  2. Beyond Myrtle Rust: final meeting for a collaborative programme

    The BMR programme recently held its fifth & final AGM, celebrating all the hard work done over the past 5 years.

  3. Using animal behaviour to eliminate the last survivors and achieve predator freedom

    Why are some stoats able to evade traps and other devices intended to eliminate these invasive predators?

  4. Creating “cultural licence to operate” in pest control

    Key to making research programmes successful is ensuring we have the social and cultural licence to operate says Kairangahau Māori Mahuru Wilcox.

  5. Graphic illustrations tell rats’ tales

    Finding ways to share research so it cuts through a cluttered media environment is an ongoing challenge. Researcher Dr Jo Carpenter has embraced a growing demand for graphic illustrations to tell stories, and has turned her most recent research findings visual.

  6. Tracking vertebrate pests using landscape genomics

    The challenge in keeping an environment free of predators is to make sure any remaining populations of animals in other areas don’t reinvade. For Manaaki Whenua’s genomics researcher Dr Andrew Veale, this means making use of technology to ensure researchers understand how predators move around their...

  7. Trusting their gut

    A hygiene hypothesis that children are more vulnerable to diseases because sterile outdoor play areas lead to a lack of microbe diversity could be a similar factor in struggling Ōkārito kiwi populations.

  8. Working across knowledge systems to co-design workable outcomes

    From the outset, New Zealand’s Biological Heritage National Science Challenge has been committed to reshaping how mātauranga Māori and Western science intersect. How it has gone about this has become a study in itself.

  9. New guidelines suggested for ecosourcing seed

    When it comes to ecological restoration in Aotearoa New Zealand, obtaining plant seeds with a known local wild origin has been widely advocated and practised for the past 50 years.
    This approach, known as ecosourcing, ensures the seeds used for restoration come from nearby areas and maintain the ge...

  10. Celebrating our achievements

    Kara Scally-Irvine (iPEN impact and evaluation specialist), Ross Laurence (iPEN Chair, Maanaki Whenua) and Sue Bidrose (iPEN sponsor, AgResearch CEO and Chair of Science New Zealand).

    The Impact Planning & Evaluation Network (IPEN) includes Manaaki Whenua’s Ross Laurence (chair), Dr Daniel Milosavl...
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