Five things worth reading
Five great stories & resources for the wildlife gardener
It's been a busy couple of weeks - so busy that Saturday came and went without me realising it was Saturday!
Working through my calendar images, Saturday’s post would have been about the kekeno, or New Zealand fur seal. But instead of cramming together a post at the last minute, I thought I’d share some wildlife gardening resources, newsletters, and success stories with you as a mid-week special.
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So, in no particular order, here are some nature-y things I’ve enjoyed lately:
1. B5: Burnside Brings Back the Boulder Butterfly🦋
I first came across this project in the Moths & Butterflies NZ magazine several issues ago. Students at Burnside Primary School in Ōtautahi/Christchurch took it upon themselves to create habitat for the endangered boulder copper butterfly. Once found in abundance throughout the region, it’s been in rapid decline over recent years.1
It was heartening to see what one small group of determined individuals could do, and gives me hope and encouragement in my own efforts at home.
2. The Turnstone
Melanie Newfield a Wellington-based writer and researcher who shares in-depth articles about nature and climate change. When reading
, I can’t help but become absorbed in her words, and she is thorough in her research. My favourite recent piece from Melanie is A tale of two forests, comparing our old-growth ngāhere (forest) with a plantation pine forest. It’s an article that echoes my own feelings and is well worth a read.While she writes from a New Zealand context,
is currently in Kenya and bringing a different perspective into her environmental journalism.3. Dragonfly Garden Project
Did you know we have 15 species of damselflies and dragonflies here in Aotearoa? About half of them are endemic, so they are super important for us to look after.
I came across this video, from The Wildlife Garden Project in the UK, and it reminded me that we’ll soon be coming into dragonfly season. As dragonflies can spend up to four years as larvae under water before emerging, they need to have areas of undisturbed water for more than one season (and now that I’ve learned this, it explains why it took four years for us to see dragonflies in our garden!). Check out the video below or, if you’d like a New Zealand perspective, Zealandia Ecosanctuary have a detailed guide.
4. Identify That Bird
While visiting Invercargill and Bluff I came across some manu (birds) I was unfamiliar with. Most of my bird identification skills don’t go much further than the manu who visit my garden so I tend to get stuck on seabirds and new places.
I used the New Zealand Birds Identify that bird tool to work out that the birds below are kawau tikitiki (spotted shag) and tara (white-fronted tern), both native species. It’s a great tool, especially when you don’t know where to begin with identification.
5. Moths & Butterflies of New Zealand
As some of you know, I’m on the board for the Moths & Butterflies NZ Trust (MBNZT) but I’ve been a subscriber for years and have learned so much from secretary Jacqui Knight’s weekly newsletters. Last week she shared the work that graduating students from AUT are doing to help raise awareness for our endemic kahukura (NZ red admiral butterfly).
As well as teaching us more about our pūrerehua (butterflies), Jacqui often includes news about plant sales and giveaways - it’s always a joy to receive the MBNZT newsletter on Fridays.
Have fun browsing these resources - and I’ll “see” you at the usual time on Saturday, to introduce you to our fabulous fur seals.
Zenobia
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https://www.burnsideprimary.school.nz/our-curriculum/science/boulder-copper-butterfly/
Many thanks for the NZ Birds Online reminder. It's an uber-useful tool.
Thanks for the tip about Melanie Newfield’s journalism. If you know of any other kiwis writing about nature on here, I’d love to know.