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2024 News

  1. Why does the pūkeko cross the road?

    Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and sector partners contracted Manaaki Whenua to identify, assess, monitor and manage road edge effects on biodiversity. The research emphasised the vulnerability of larger native birds to roadkill due to behaviour and habitat factors.

  2. Pā harakeke a spiritual home in Lincoln

    Te Kohinga Harakeke o Aotearoa – National New Zealand Flax Collection at Lincoln is one of Manaaki Whenua’s most visited collections. People want to find out which varieties of harakeke (flax) are most suited to their projects. Weavers come from all parts of Aotearoa New Zealand to harvest leaves fo...

  3. DNA samples support biomonitoring efforts

    Leaders of Ngāti Tura – Ngāti Te Ngākau have hand-delivered DNA samples collected from various insects from their rohe to the Lincoln Molecular Lab. Once the samples are processed, they will be used to create the beginnings of a bespoke reference library that will support the iwi’s eDNA-based biomon...

  4. Parasitic wasp found while digitising collections

    A small parasitic wasp had been flying under the radar in Aotearoa New Zealand until it was caught on camera. The digitising of our nationally significant collections and databases by Manaaki Whenua researchers provided the opportunity for serendipitous discoveries, which is how a species of the Ich...

  5. Ground-breaking study reveals rich diversity of nematode species

    Manaaki Whenua nematode systematist Dr Zeng Qi Zhao and NIWA marine nematode taxonomist Dr Daniel Leduc have written a major 212-page book, The Marine Biota of Aotearoa New Zealand: Ngā Toke o Parumoana: Common free-living Nematoda of Pāuatahanui Inlet, Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour, Wellington.

  6. New DNA technologies illuminate links between genetic variation and biological invasion

    Science needs to put genomes and microbes at the centre of invasion research according to recently published studies.

  7. Research questions the New Zealand Garden Bird Survey could answer

    The New Zealand Garden Bird Survey | Te Tatauranga o ngā Manu Māra o Aotearoa has been running since 2007, engaging tens of thousands of New Zealanders, who have submitted over 70,000 surveys from across Aotearoa New Zealand. There is huge potential for this dataset to help answer important research...

  8. Lizards prosper as predators excluded

    In a study conducted in Central Otago, Manaaki Whenua researchers Sam Turner and Dr Grant Norbury looked at the impact of removing mammalian predators on local lizard populations in a predator-free sanctuary. They specifically monitored three lizard species over a period of six years. Inside the san...

  9. Natural solutions to weed control across the Pacific

    Manaaki Whenua’s Natural Enemies– Natural Solutions weed biocontrol team had a busy start to 2024. The team has visited Niue and Tuvalu and has been involved in a Kiwi-Australian collaboration in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

  10. Supporting Māori engagement in tech talks

    Stakeholder engagement is fundamental to a project’s success. Increasingly it is also a regulatory requirement. This is especially the case in weed biocontrol, where the Environmental Protection Authority requires full consultation with mana whenua groups when a proposal is lodged to bring a new bio...