Lockdown has been lifted, but there is still plenty going on in the world of backyard microbeasts. This latest installment is a collection of miscellaneous garden beasts and some more specific information about the biology of a few of these creatures - and if you read to the end then you'll see some of my... Continue Reading →

This is the latest installment of my lockdown- induced exploration of the insects in my garden. As well as thinking about what creatures might be hiding in the garden, I've been looking at ways to attract more beneficial insects, and as a result this set of pictures includes a couple of projects. Maybe these could... Continue Reading →

- Ten years of change at Rotokare predator free sanctuary This is an edited version of a piece I wrote in 2018. The original was a science communication assignment for part of my Masters, and is about twice as long as this one. The country road narrows with every turn and I slow, hugging the... Continue Reading →

As a result of the Covid-19 lockdown I've naturally spent a lot of time at home recently, and have ended up watching the insects in the garden. I was surprised by how many different types of creatures there were in a relatively small space, and when I started thinking about other animals I have seen... Continue Reading →

How inky footprints are aiding New Zealand conservation. A tracking tunnel in position, Rotokare Scenic Reserve An edited version of this story was published 19 March 2020, in the autumn edition of 1964: mountain culture/aotearoa. New Zealand’s native species are in trouble. Thanks largely to introduced predators like stoats, rats, possums, and weasels, we now... Continue Reading →

Feeding time for eels at Pukaha/Mount Bruce First published 18 March 2020, for the autumn edition of Forest & Bird magazine. Erin Maessen gets up close and personal with our largest freshwater residents and discovers some of the threats tuna face in the wild. In oversized waders, I stumble down steps cut into the bank,... Continue Reading →

First Published March 2020, for LIVE magazine. View the original article in the Autumn edition of LIVE here. It isn’t much to look at, a few exotic trees overlooking a grassy track and slightly stagnant waterway, but Dean Park has new significance hosting five of the 1,200 traps located throughout parks, reserves, and green spaces... Continue Reading →

First Published October, 2016, in Vetscript. Every year, approximately 100 vet students graduate from Massey, ready to start work as practicing veterinarians after five years of unrelenting study. The transition into a first job means a vast change in situation and lifestyle, moving from a familiar, supported environment to one that is unknown. Just as... Continue Reading →

This is the original version of a piece I wrote in 2016 exploring mental health issues facing veterinary students. An edited version of this story was published in VetScript in September 2016 - you can view it here. It’s a familiar scene. We sit in restless quiet in a too-hot room, pens shuffling against refill... Continue Reading →

First Published September, 2016, in VetScript. This is an extract from my original piece by the same name, which can be viewed here. It’s a familiar scene. We sit in restless quiet in a too-hot room, pens shuffling against refill pads, laptop keyboards clicking, trying to keep our notes coherent, notes that all too soon... Continue Reading →