A warm welcome, exciting news and interesting stories.
Ngā Pī Ka Rere spotlight: Alan King-Hunt works with a wide net and an open mind
Meet Alan King-Hunt (Ngāti Hauā), an early career researcher at Te Kawa a Māui – School of Māori Studies at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. He is currently working on two projects, one with BioHeritage and one with Predator Free 2050.
Publishing news: Lessons learned from complicated seeds
A recent paper published in Plants outlines the seed storage physiology of Lophomyrtus and Neomyrtus, two threatened Myrtaceae genera endemic to New Zealand. Spoiler alert: rōhutu (Lophomyrtus obcordata) is less sensitive to storage methods than ramarama (Lophomyrtus bullata) and Neomyrtus pedunculata remains a mystery.
Collective action for the Ōpāwaho River
Ed Challies (University of Canterbury) and Miria Goodwin (Ōpāwaho Heathcote River Network) are interested in the rich tapestries of environmental care in Aotearoa, and are exploring these fabrics in their Pathways to Ecosystem Regeneration project. Ed and Miria discussed the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River Network, and the challenges and rewards of collective action with BioHeritage writer Kerry Donovan Brown.
Fours students, seven weeks and several intriguing insights
Ocean Mercier (Ngāti Porou) hosted four third-year students from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts through Novel Tools and Strategies – Invertabrates and Te Kawa a Māui – School of Māori Studies at Victoria University of Wellington. In just seven weeks, the students (Rafaela Kanli, Lily MacDonald, Liam Hemmerling and Joey Horowitz) completed a project to understand social perspectives of gene-based pest control in Aotearoa.
New project explores the social and scientific complexity of starting a DNA library for Aotearoa
BioHeritage is funding a new 18-month project, with the goal to deliver a white paper to government that provides an investment case for developing a national DNA reference library, founded upon Te Tiriti Governance. Manpreet Dhami, project co-lead and Senior Researcher in Biocontrol & Molecular Ecology at Manaaki Whenua, spoke with us about the inspiration for the project and what the team hopes to accomplish.
Ngā Pī Ka Rere spotlight: Tracey Godfery, a facilitator for change
Tracey Godfery (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Hikairo, Ngāti Maru) is a PhD student at the University of Auckland supported by BioHeritage programmes Risk Assessment & Ecosystem Impacts and He Tangata, He Taiao, He Ōhanga: a values-based biosecurity risk assessment framework for Aotearoa. She’ll be facilitating a biosecurity decision making framework that addresses both cultural and scientific complexity.
Uncovering pests in Te Aitanga Pepeke
What insights can whakataukī offer us into the nature of insect pests and pest control in Aotearoa? A team of Māori academics delved into te ao Māori with “pestiness” on their minds. BioHeritage writer Kerry Donovan Brown spoke to Hōhā Riha: Pest Insect Control in Māori Tradition co-author Alan King-Hunt, discussing some of the team’s discoveries, including a surprising defender of historic kūmara plantations . . .
February newsletter
Details about the Kaurilands Summit, maire tawake propagation, grant recipients and more.