The paper conservation section of the Conservation and Object Support team at Te Papa was pleased to host Liisi Hakala, from Helsinki’s Metropolia University in Finland, for a three month internship from March to June this year. Liisi is about to enter her final year of a four-year bachelor’s degreeRead more

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Torquay palm (cabbage tree; Cordyline australis) planted along the Torquay waterfront. Photo credit: Lara Shepherd.

New Zealand plants have a long history of cultivation overseas. In the UK one of the most well known New Zealand plants is the ‘Torquay palm’, which we know as the cabbage tree (Cordyline australis). Cabbage trees, which botanically-speaking are not palms, were first grown in the UK in theRead more

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As Te Papa hosts we get to see, interact and work with some amazing things. Since I started 4 years ago I have been immersed in the final 24 hours of Pompeii, spent my days with works by some of the great European masters, been surrounded by the intricate tapaRead more

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Underside of a rustyback frond showing the orange-brown hairs that give this fern its name. Photo credit: Lara Shepherd.

Whilst recently holidaying in Bristol in the UK I was amazed at the abundance and variety of ferns growing on the stone walls around the city. The spleenwort or Asplenium ferns seem to be the most common ferns of this habitat. This genus also occurs in New Zealand and includesRead more

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I don’t actually work here. Well, I am doing work here, but for free. I’m currently half-way through a PGDip in Museum and Heritage Studies and as part of that, I get to do a placement. Just like how teachers do placements at schools, I’m doing one at a museum.Read more

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My first introduction to Bill Culbert’s work at the Biennale was deeply moving. It was the official blessing, led by Creative New Zealand’s Manager, Māori Arts Funding, Haniko Te Kurapa. As we walked through the exhibition, his prayers reverberated around the space, almost seeping into the works and the surroundingRead more

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Sounding out Andy Warhol Tēnā koutou, ko Amos Mann āhau, a newly arrived Web & Multimedia Producer here at Te Papa Tongarewa. I’m a big fan of Andy Warhol and it was very exciting to arrive at Te Papa the same week he did. Te Papa’s Warhol: Immortal exhibition isRead more

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I’m just back from the 2013 conference of the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, where I presented a talk about weedy native plants. The programme of talks included updates on the conservation status of New Zealand’s plants, and the new system being implemented by the Department of Conservation to prioritiseRead more

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