The DeCLASSIFIED! citizen science projects have been running for nearly three months. These projects are an opportunity to learn spiders and ferns with Te Papa’s experts, and to help us with our research.

The Ferns with Te Papa project has gathered up more than 920 observations from 59 contributors. 365 of these observations have been made since the exhibition opened.

More on the exhibition DeCLASSIFIED! Nature’s secrets exposed at Te Papa.

What ferns are recorded most often?

This gallery shows the most frequently recorded ferns amongst the observations from the last three months.

How many look familiar?

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These are all common and widespread New Zealand ferns. It is no surprise that they are being spotted often.

It is worth emphasising that records of even common species are still useful. It helps refine exactly where they occur, and adds extra evidence that they are indeed common!

I’ll post later about some of the more interesting or unusual findings.

How many species so far?

Some 91 native species have been recorded in the last three months. That’s impressive. But there are still lots more to record. New Zealand has about 200 different species of native ferns and lycophytes.

Some of the more surprising absences include:

• chain fern, Tmesipteris tannensis. More from Te Papa’s Collections Online.
• carrier tangle, Gleichenia microphylla. More from Te Papa’s Collections Online.
• much-divided filmy fern, Hymenophyllum multifidum. More from Te Papa’s Collections Online.
• whekī-ponga tree fern, Dicksonia fibrosa. More from Te Papa’s Collections Online.
• black hard fern, Blechnum nigrum. More from Te Papa’s Collections Online.

Perhaps you could search for them to add to the project.

In any case, all observations of New Zealand fern and lycophytes are welcome.

Add observations to the Ferns with Te Papa project on NatureWatch NZ.