Pat Miller has been walking Northland’s beaches, looking for treasure, for more than half a century. In September last year he made his most notable discovery yet – a new bird record for New Zealand. Most New Zealand bird enthusiasts have never heard of Jouanin’s petrel. Those who knew ofRead more
The iNaturalist City Nature Challenge is an annual citizen science event where cities worldwide compete to record the most observations and species, and to have the greatest number of participants over a four-day period. Science Researcher Lara Shepherd highlights some of the interesting discoveries made during the challenge, in whatRead more
Te Papa Botany Curator Heidi Meudt has published a new comprehensive study on the pollen of southern hemisphere forget-me-nots (Myosotis, Boraginaceae). The new study is the third and final publication detailing the morphology of forget-me-not pollen using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The first two studies, published in 2016 and 2020,Read more
Te Papa’s scientists recently received raingear and tents for their research trips through Macpac’s Fund for Good. As Curator Fishes Thom Linley says, “Working in remote locations near, and often on, the water means we are always at the mercy of the elements. Weather conditions can change rapidly, and becomingRead more
Invertebrate curator Julia Kasper talks about one of her favourite books from the 50s by Harald Stümpke, a former German curator of the museum of the Darwin Institute of Hy-yi-yi, Mairuwili: The Snouters: Form and Life of the Rhinogrades (original: Bau und Leben der Rhinogradentia). A fantastic discovery and aRead more
April Fool’s Day isn’t just for prank‑loving humans – nature has its own little jokesters. But unlike our April Fool’s pranks, their tricks aren’t just for laughs, it’s a matter of survival. Lara Shepherd and Phil Sirvid introduce some amazing critters that use clever costumes, ranging from clear contenders forRead more
Knowing where species occur and how common they are is key for conservation management. Last year, Te Papa botanists Lara Shepherd and Leon Perrie were part of an expert panel that assessed the conservation status of every indigenous vascular plant species in the Greater Wellington region – over 1000 inRead more
March 14 was International Save a Spider Day, and this year, we’ve taken a closer look at an iconic group of New Zealand spiders – the tunnelwebs. Not only were these spiders the inspiration for the design of Shelob in Peter Jackson’s Return of the King, but their family isRead more
For a few days in mid-January, Curator Botany Heidi Meudt was part of a team that conducted a survey of Myosotis umbrosa, a plant with the same threat status as the kākāpō: Threatened – Nationally Critical. The team spent three days in the Rock and Pillar Range in Otago to getRead more
Humanities technician Cassandra Bahr has been working in the Collected Archives at Te Papa, cataloguing and rehousing papers from people connected to Te Papa’s collecting areas. Here, she highlights the archives of scientific illustrator and orchid specialist Bruce Irwin (1921–2012). James Bruce Irwin was born in Whanganui in 1921. AsRead more
Te Papa’s orchid specialist Carlos Lehnebach and research technician Jennifer Alderton-Moss from the Lions Ōtari Plant Conservation Lab are celebrating a major breakthrough after the threatened swamp greenhood orchid blooms for the first time in cultivation, marking a significant milestone for conservation and recovery efforts. The swamp greenhood orchid (PterostylisRead more
Bug of the Year was created to celebrate the spectacular and often overlooked invertebrates of New Zealand. Backed by Te Papa, Collection Technician Invertebrates Shaun Thomson talks about one of this year’s nominees – a tiny fly with a jewel-like shimmer and a life cycle that borders on the unbelievable.Read more
In the public sphere, the more ‘flashy’ parts of palaeontology tend to get all the press – excavating fossils in exotic locations and publishing new scientific discoveries. But equally important is how the fossils are cared for, so they are available for research and display, both now and long into the future.Read more
Earlier this year, Te Waipounamu iwi Kāi Tahu invited a group of its iwi members to join with Archaeology students from Otago University to take part in their first hands-on dig in Moeraki. Te Papa Host and Assistant Visitor Services Manager Robbie Titchener was on that dig and shares some of the experiences here. Read more
Curator Botany Leon Perrie was recently part of a panel that, for the first time, assessed the conservation status of all the mosses in Aotearoa New Zealand. Here, he introduces a few species you can report if you see them when you’re next mingling with moss. There are about 500Read more
