It was great to hear late last month that the Ministers of Conservation and Fisheries are planning to establish an advisory committee to assist with the implementation of the Sea Change Marine Spatial Plan for Te Moananui-o-Toi (Hauraki Gulf). Several...... Read More

Pine trees are weeds when they are in the wrong place. According to an estimate made last year by the National Wildling Conifer Control Programme, weed pines could cover 20 percent of New Zealand’s landmass by 2030. Just a few million dollars a...... Read More

It’s the curse of living on the rural edge of New Zealand’s biggest, and growing, city. Big companies, Government and major infrastructure providers look for bare land with good transport links so they can site regionally significant, large-scale...... Read More

The annual planting at Shakespear has finally been completed with some 18000 seedlings now enhancing the large slip below the lookout (apart from those which provided a snack for the sheep who slipped in there briefly). The weather disrupted the planting...... Read More

Summer is nearly upon us and many of you will be heading to Tāwharanui Regional Park to enjoy the great weather and fantastic environment. However, how many of you will venture past the stunning long white sands of the main beach at Anchor Bay? ...... Read More

Hauturu-o-Toi (Little Barrier Island) has proved to be a haven for native reptiles as well as birds, plants and insects. There are eight species of skink and five species of gecko and tuatara. Hauturu has the most reptile species of any offshore island....... Read More

Previous columns will have prepared you for summer gardening. Soil nutrients should be in place, mulch has been sourced, pests have been identified and now the warm climate, sunshine and long summer days should be perfect for sun-loving tomatoes, beans,...... Read More

Auckland Council is considering areas for self-contained freedom camping under a bylaw review. Come summer, campgrounds will be full, beaches will be busy and a mix of grey nomads (retiree campervanners) and flexible travellers will be on the road enjoying...... Read More

When I was living in Wellington, on the lower slopes of Mt Kaukau, our two cats would often be found playing with half dead lizards, inside or outside. I just didn’t know that we were contributing to the decimation of the local native skink population....... Read More

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a workshop run by Sanctuaries of New Zealand. This is an annual national event hosted at a different location each year.  This year it was at Hamilton Gardens. I’ve been to plenty of conferences in...... Read More