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2021 News

  1. Glowing fungi and new rust species among Fungal Foray finds

    Unusual bioluminescent fungi and a new rust species were among the highlights for mycologists at this year’s Fungal Foray held on Rakiura / Stewart Island recently.

  2. Trans-Tasman collaboration unlocks genetic secrets behind myrtle rust

    In a trans-Tasman collaboration, scientists have sequenced the genome of [Austropuccinia psidii], the fungus responsible for the disease myrtle rust, and produced the world’s largest assembled fungal genome.

  3. Building community connections to protect bats in the Piako

    A group of around 25 farmers, Piako residents, land managers and conservation experts explored ways to protect the threatened long-tailed bats in the region at a recent event organised by the Piako Catchment Forum and sponsored by Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research.

  4. Deep ecological research funded for nationally significant Māori rock art sites

    A new research project helping with the ecological restoration of nationally significant Māori rock art sites has received funding.

  5. Taxonomist appreciation day

    It's Taxonomist Appreciation Day today - a day when we say “thank you” for all of the hard work done by taxonomists around the world.

  6. A new short video series focusing on the reconnection of rangatahi with their taiao

    Reconnecting Taitokerau rangatahi and tamariki with their taiao and Te Rarawa’s ancient ngāhere – the Au Warawara forest is the focus of a new short video series now being released.

  7. Fake clues: using misinformation about odour to protect rare bird species

    Mammalian predators rely primarily on smell as their main cue, enabling them to detect food from a distance. Smell is – usually – a reliable strategy for food location.

  8. For peat’s sake!

    The Waikato Region has about 90,000 ha of peatlands – around 40% of New Zealand’s peat resource – formed over the past 10–14,000 years from the slow accumulation (in mm per year) of peat derived from wetland vegetation under saturated conditions.

  9. Progress in soil health – a new framework for policy development

    Further progress has been made to understand soil health by using a wider focus on values and well-being, along with an in-depth understanding of Te Ao Māori (Māori worldview) concepts of soil health.

  10. S-map Online: next-gen updates to national soil data

    S-map Online provides the best available soil resource data for New Zealand and, in doing so, underpins the government’s roadmap for the food and fibres sector, Fit for a Better World.