An initiative trialled at Tāwharanui Regional Park in 2018/19 was so successful that the troops have rallied again to increase visitors’ understanding and awareness of all that surrounds them. TOSSI members love the great outdoors so much that...... Read More

Octopuses are relatives of shellfish and snails that lost their shells. They compensate for the absence of body armour by being strong, intelligent and able to become invisible against almost any background. In fact, no other animal has the level of...... Read More

In St Matthew’s gospel, we are told about the bright Star of Bethlehem which led the wise men to the birthplace of Jesus where they left three gifts. This imagery has become one of the most recognisable features of Christmas around the world. The...... Read More

How you care for your soil, and grow the plants in your garden, has a flow on effect that is becoming recognised more and more as having a wider impact. It is vital that you treat your garden, or farm, as an ecosystem if you don’t want to damage...... Read More

The Tāwharanui Open Sanctuary Society (TOSSI) works in partnership with the Auckland Council. Among much other activity, we expend a lot of effort to protect the sanctuary from pests such as rats, stoats and possums. With TOSSI’s help, many species...... Read More

Aucklanders throw away a third more rubbish than normal over Christmas and the summer holidays – most of that waste is recyclables like glass, cans and plastics. Meanwhile, our young people have been demanding climate action, now. Reducing your...... Read More

The first bicycle was the Draisine, invented by German Baron Von Drais in 1817 although there is unproven speculation that students of Leonardo da Vinci conceptualised prototypes as far back as 1500 AD. Drais’ ‘velocepede’ bicycle was...... Read More

At this time of year, we can go out and enjoy exploring the evening sky without the chill of winter. Even those who prefer to go to bed early can enjoy seeing a few interesting things in the early evening sky. If we go out at around 8.30pm, we find...... Read More

The Hauraki Gulf (Tikapa Moana) is known in the birding community as the seabird capital of the world, as it is home to so many species. It is not surprising to discover the importance of Te Hauturu-o-Toi to many of these seabirds, standing as it does...... Read More

In October, I attended the World Whale Conference in tropical Hervey Bay in Queensland, Australia. The conference was organised by the World Cetacean Alliance, which has the noble vision for “a world where cetaceans (whales and dolphins) are only...... Read More