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Mōrena e hoa - good morning my friend.
January always take some adjusting to, as we ease from one year to the next. Even though nothing really changes, it still feels like a period of acclimatisation.
As we come to the end of this period (can you believe that February is just around the corner?) I thought I’d share the top posts from 2023 with you. If you are a new reader, it’s a chance to catch up on some things you may have missed - and for my wonderful long-time readers it’s a bit of a refresh.🌿
The wonder that is the basket fungus (and the whole kingdom of fungi, really) takes out top spot. I wasn’t sure how featuring a fungus in the Weekly Wildlife would go down but was pleased to see you were just as intrigued as I by this strange little organism.
This is a write up from a memorable trip that I took with my local Camera Club, to the local conservation area (and now a site in the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark). It was a cloudy day, but it gave me the opportunity to photograph the beautiful copper butterflies we are so lucky to have.
Since discovering the little orange gems that we call our copper butterflies, or pepe para riki, I have become a big fan of pōhuehue (muehlenbeckia). It’s the plant that pepe para riki caterpillars eat, so it’s essential to their survival. Definitely one to add to your wildlife-friendly garden!
I still feel so incredibly lucky to be able to see penguins in the wild. As well as seeing the kororā (blue penguins) on tours, I have seen the hoiho (yellow-eyed penguins) at local reserves, Tavora and Kātiki. Both have penguin-friendly practices and are free to visit.
And just squeezing in to the top five is my latest post, on this coastal hebe plant. You may also remember one of my very first posts was on the hebe which is, in my opinion, a terribly underrated plant for pollinators, with a variety suitable for any garden.
Happy reading & all the best for 2024,
Zenobia💜
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