It’s a big, bad world out there and it is nice to find something that adds to our protection.This can range from vaccines against viruses, to seatbelts in cars, to laws against causing physical harm. As a naked ape we are not especially intimidating on our own and we often seek out tools to make us safer. “With both hands he held the elven-blade point upwards …; and so Shelob, with the driving force of her own cruel will, with strength greater than any warrior’s hand, thrust herself upon a bitter spike. Deep, deep it pricked, as Sam was crushed slowly to the ground. No such anguish had Shelob ..read more

In popular media New Zealand is often portrayed as a ‘Lost World’. From Middle-earth to Narnia, from Skull Island to Mythic Greece, New Zealand has often stood in for a director’s idea of a mysterious place that time forgot. This started in the 1960s with In search of the Castaways, a cheesy Disney live action film. I’ve even done this myself in an article on New Zealand’s biological history and how the Lost World might be a useful theme with which to explore why we see such a special biodiversity here. A lost world? One way to make a place look ancient in a movie is to drape everything in mos ..read more

Darwin took the best part of 20 years to publish his ideas on natural selection. There has been a lot of speculation as to why he took so long. We here at the Sandwalk have some ideas…. Although bicycles, as we know them, were still a decade or two off, in the early 1850s there were various forms of velocipedes with experimental modes for generating movement. Darwin may have come across some. Presumably, if bikes had been around at this time he would have been a mountain-biker, going off the beaten tracks to investigate bits of natural history. The Sandwalk, where Darwin liked to amble and po ..read more

Christmas is just around the corner and for many this means that it is time to head to the sea. Beach holidays have long been a tradition for kiwi summers. I was no different while growing up and through my adult life. We spent a lot of time at the little beach village of Kaka Point, at the far northern end of the Catlins, in South Otago. Not a lot deterred us from hitting the waves. The weather could be a little iffy and the water a little cool but that didn’t matter. You might have a to share the surf with a few other hardy swimmers and the occasional seal but it was bliss. But now I find th ..read more

High in the treetops of a lush forest, a group of native birds gathered together, their vibrant feathers glinting in the dappled sunlight. Excited chirps and melodic trills filled the air as they engaged in a lively conversation. Their voices carried the hopes and dreams of a restored ecosystem. Koru, a charismatic Tūī with iridescent feathers, fluttered his wings and cleared his throat. “Have you all heard the latest? The Humans are determined to make New Zealand predator-free by 2050!” The cheeky Kākāriki, a lively parakeet, interjected. “Can we truly reclaim our forests from the claws and j ..read more

Imagine the Canterbury Plains blanketed in tall trees interwoven with small hardwoods. This beautiful, unique landscape is then singed into dry grassland with the arrival of Māori. Continue to imagine European settlers introduce weedy exotics that infest the landscapes, once again modifying the region. Now, picture the current landscape – a monotonous cover of dairy farms. Which of these images would you think is best for our native and endemic species? Prior to humans or today? (Think from an insect’s perspective) The plains have been a dynamic landscape ever since humans stepped foot in our ..read more

Invasive species are a major concern for ecosystems worldwide, causing significant disruptions to native flora and fauna. Some mammals can have particularly devastating effects on local ecosystems due to their predatory nature. In the Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, a recent study titled “Niche Partitioning in a Guild of Invasive Mammalian Predators” sheds light on the dynamics of invasive mammalian predators and their impact on the region’s native biodiversity. I’ll walk you through the key discoveries and explain why they hold immense importance in our understanding of niche pa ..read more

Life in the soil can be a tricky business for plants and microbes. Nutrients are a limited commodity for some, and competitors may swindle and cheat to gain the upper hand. Strategic partnerships are highly sought after enabling exchange of one commodity for another within elaborate networks. In a tough economy, well-connected networks promote resilience, sharing of ideas and opportunity to those participating in mutual exchange. However, an efficient network should be an intentional one. Making simple connections is one thing, but choosing the right friends and trade partners is another ..read more

Let’s say you want to know what animal species are present in a forest. You could walk along line transects and record the species visually observed. You could set up trail cameras to take pictures of passing animals for as long as there is enough space in the memory card and battery life in the cameras. You can use the acoustic survey method to study bats, birds, frogs, and even some monkey species, as they can be distinguished based on their sounds and calls. Depending on the size of your study area, making a list of the animal species present might take a several hours to several months bec ..read more

“Yes, why not!! Hi! I am Boysenberry. I will tell you the whole story, how I fight this destructive fungus. Before delving into the subject, I just want to tell you a little bit more about me.” Boysenberries Photo by simplyAutumn 2009 from Flickr I am a rich source of micronutrients and have great health benefits. My origin was in California, USA and I was introduced to New Zealand in the early 1940s. New Zealand has become a major producer and exporter of my fruits. The fruits are produced on the second-year canes ‘floricanes‘, whereas the first-year canes that only possess leaves known as ‘p ..read more