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Innovation stories
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Innovation 2020
Innovation 2021
Innovation 2022
Innovation 2023
Using genomics data to unlock precision pest control
10 October 2022
Pest control of invasive mammalian species – rats, mice, stoats, possums, and the rest – is a key priority for Aotearoa New Zealand to prevent further decline of our iconic, endangered native species, and to support the Predator Free 2050 initiative. One limitation of current vertebrate toxins for p...
Innovation story
Restoring biodiversity, beating invasive species
Pest control
Natural enemy for invasive African tulip tree arrives in the Kingdom of Tonga
10 October 2022
The African tulip tree is considered one of the 100 worst alien invasive species in the world and one of the top 30 terrestrial invasive plants.
Innovation story
Restoring biodiversity, beating invasive species
Weeds
International development
Swapping time for space to track the impact of climate change on soil microbes
10 October 2022
To test the effects of climate change on species at any scale is difficult. Scientists can’t manufacture realistic global warming in a test tube or in a lab over a few hours, or a few days. As a result, a big challenge for climate change researchers has always been how to best record potential shift...
Innovation story
Action on climate change
Future drought could drain primary sector profit
10 October 2022
Research published in August 2021 by the Deep South Challenge and Manaaki Whenua, with the support of Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, has found that more intense future drought is likely to lead to drops in farm profit.
Innovation story
Action on climate change
He huringa āhuarangi, he huringa ao: a changing climate, a changing world
10 October 2022
In October 2021, Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga and Manaaki Whenua released a report offering new guidance for Te Ao Māori on climate change adaptation and mitigation. He huringa āhuarangi, he huringa ao: a changing climate, a changing world was produced by a multidisciplinary Māori research team working ...
Innovation story
Action on climate change
Iwi & Māori partners
Mātauranga Māori
Building Te Ao Māori thinking into science knowledge systems
10 October 2022
Indigenous knowledge systems and approaches hold a significant share in the well-being of the planet.
Innovation story
Mātauranga Māori
People and environment
Predator modelling applied to study of COVID-19 health equity
10 October 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has been disruptive of many science activities over the past 2 years. Fieldwork, conferences, hui, workshops – much work has had to be rescheduled or moved online. However, scientists are lateral thinkers. The pandemic has also brought new and wide-ranging opportunities to appl...
Innovation story
People and environment
Building social licence to operate
10 October 2022
Social licence to operate is an essential ingredient in successful applied research, and is sought after by groups and organisations wishing to bring about environmental change. For example, if Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ)’s ambitious predator-free goals are to be realised, SLO will need to be built ...
Innovation story
People and environment
Modelling the nation’s COVID-19 response
10 October 2022
Recognising the need for robust ways to measure the effectiveness of contact tracing in reducing the spread of COVID-19, a team of researchers, including Manaaki Whenua’s Dr Rachelle Binny and Dr Audrey Lustig, applied their wildlife disease modelling knowledge to develop a model to investigate the ...
Innovation story
People and environment
COVID
Prepare to arrive as guests: being manuhiri in the production of knowledge
10 October 2022
New research led by Senior Researcher Dr Alison Greenaway has focused on how non-indigenous scientists embrace the geographical, cultural, and social places they find themselves as manuhiri (guests). The researchers discuss the need for non- Indigenous researchers ‘to prepare to arrive as guests’ in...
Innovation story
People and environment
Iwi & Māori partners
Updates and investment boost our national soils mapping capabilities
1 December 2021
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.
Innovation story
Land
Soil
A new soil pH map for New Zealand
1 December 2021
Soil pH indicates the relative acidity or alkalinity of a soil, and significantly influences various soil functions, soil quality and fertility. Considered a ‘master variable’ in soil science, pH affects soil in almost every way – its physical structure, patterns of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus ...
Innovation story
Land
Soil
Monitoring paddock-scale changes in land-use – from space
1 December 2021
For over a decade, scientists at Manaaki Whenua have been developing and improving methods to map agricultural land-use and crop type using satellite imagery. This work is vital to the setting and assessment of environmental plans, as it enables land-use changes and their likely consequences to be m...
Innovation story
Land
How one thing leads to another – building long and deep relationships in effective land management
1 December 2021
Manaaki Taiao is a rōpū (group) made up of Manaaki Whenua Kairangahau Māori (Māori researchers) working on Māori-led research projects within a range of science portfolios.
Innovation story
Land
Iwi & Māori partners
Mātauranga Māori
Reconstructing long-term climate change
1 December 2021
Long-term palaeoecological and climate reconstructions provide baseline information to show how species and ecosystems have responded to climate change and human activities in the past. These palaeo-archives are increasingly being used to help inform conservation management plans and policies, incre...
Innovation story
Environment
Action on climate change
Our contribution to environmental reporting for Aotearoa New Zealand – the story so far
1 December 2021
Since 2015, research organisations across New Zealand have contributed to a growing national cache of environmental reporting data under the 2015 Environmental Reporting Act, which brought into existence the requirement for cyclic national environmental ‘domain’ reports. This means the Ministry for ...
Innovation story
Land
Environment
Regenerative agriculture – what does it mean for New Zealand?
1 December 2021
Regenerative agriculture has been proposed as a solution for some of New Zealand’s most acute challenges. Advocates suggest it can improve the health of our waterways, reduce topsoil loss, offer resilience to drought, add value to primary exports, and improve the pervasive well-being crisis among ru...
Innovation story
Land
Technology tracking tōrea
1 December 2021
Designing conservation management strategies to protect native manu is especially challenging for mobile species, which range widely across
New Zealand and face multiple threats in different places and at different times. Researchers face additional technical challenges in building
knowledge of wher...
Innovation story
birds
Biodiversity
Restoring New Zealand birdscapes
1 December 2021
Manaaki Whenua researchers are combining ambitious field-based research and computer modelling to derive evidence-based conservation management strategies that agencies, ecosanctuaries and farmers can all use to help native birds thrive, in montane native forests, on farms, and in coastal harbours a...
Innovation story
birds
Biodiversity
Turning the next page on predator control in New Zealand
1 December 2021
The story, so far, is well-known. Introductions of small mammals to New Zealand have caused catastrophic losses of indigenous biota owing to
predation, browsing, and competition for shared resources. Our deeply endemic bird species, highly adapted to New Zealand’s pre-predator
environments, are part...
Innovation story
Biosecurity
Biodiversity
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