Nature Heroes Book Resources

Here you can find up-to-date internet links and other sources of information about the people featured in New Zealand Nature Heroes, the related animals, plants or habitat, and the activities or projects. The first version of this list was printed on pages 72-75 of the book.

cover of New Zealand Nature Heroes

General Information about New Zealand Nature Heroes

New Zealanders:

Conservation stories:

Volunteer groups and opportunities: Nature Space https://www.naturespace.org.nz/groups

Identification of plants and animals: iNaturalist iNaturalist.nz/home

Safety outdoors: Adventure Smart shows how to keep safe on land and water www.adventuresmart.nz

Richard Henry, Kākāpō, Tracking and Trapping Pests

Richard Henry’s book Habits of the Flightless Birds of New Zealand: with notes on other birds by Richard Henry, Govt print 1903, can be borrowed from the National Library.

Kākāpō: https://www.doc.govt.nz/kakapo-recovery

More on building tracking tunnels and using chew cards:

Identifying footprints in tracking tunnels:

Pest Detective http://www.pestdetective.org.nz/culprits

See also NZ Tracker which focuses on identifying tracks in the sand http://nztracker.org/index.html#

Identifying bite marks on chew cards

Build a trapping tunnel: https://www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/conservation-activities/build-a-backyard-trapping-tunnel/

Perrine Moncrieff, Bird Observation, Counting Birds

Perrine Moncrieff's books and writing

  • New Zealand Birds and How to Identify Them by Perrine Moncrieff

  • “Paradise Lost" by Perrine Moncrieff (excerpts in Awa Book of Science edited by Rebecca Priestly, published by Awa Press)

Learning about birds:

Bird counts 

Recording bird sightings:

Youth organisations

Lance Richdale, Albatross and other sea birds, Protecting shore and river birds

Biography of Lance Richdale: Seabird Genius: The Story of LE Richdale, The Royal Albatross and the Yellow-Eyed Penguin by Neville Peat,

Albatross and other sea birds

Protecting shore and river birds: Nature Space lists ecological restoration groups in New Zealand https://www.naturespace.org.nz/groups

Building nest boxes:

Banded birds: https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/bird-banding/

Wildlife rescue

Betty Batham, Exploring the Rocky Shore, Survey the Shore

Betty Batham talks about the aquarium https://teara.govt.nz/en/speech/114/dr-batham-discussing-the-portobello-aquarium

Book about Portobello Marine Research Station: Southern Seas: discovering marine life at 46 South by Keith Probert, John Jillet, Sally Carson, University of Otago Press 2005 

Marine Metre Squared Project www.mm2.net.nz

Identification guides

Don Merton, Saving Tieke, Gardens for Birds

Don Merton biography Don Merton, the man who saved the black robin by Alison Balance, Reed 2007

Saving the Black Robin The Black Robin: saving the world’s most endangered bird by David Butler and Don Merton, OUP

Feeding garden birds

How to make a bird water feeder https://youtu.be/q6EitavSRNg

George Gibbs, Wētā, Monitoring Wētā

Wētā

Building wētā motels

Doing an insect census https://www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/conservation-activities/take-a-garden-insect-census/

Make a bug hotel https://www.gogardening.co.nz/in-the-garden/2-0-1045/kids-go-gardening-make-a-bug-hotel

Ingrid Visser, Orca, Contributing to Marine Mammal Research

Ingrid Visser autobiography Swimming with Orca Dr Ingrid N. Visser, Penguin 2006

Ingrid’s Orca Research Trust www.orcaresearch.org

Marine Mammal Strandings

  • Orca 0800 SEE ORCA (0800 733 6722)

  • DOC Hotline 0800 362 468

  • Project Jonah 0800 4 WHALE (0800 4 94253)

Whale rescue organisation https://www.projectjonah.org.nz

Reporting Marine mammal sightings

Identifying whales at sea https://www.environment.gov.au/marine/marine-species/cetaceans/whale-watching/identification

Rules for behaviour around Marine Mammals https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/marine-mammals/sharing-our-coasts-with-marine-mammals/

Miriam Ritchie, Conservation Dogs, Leave No Trace

Watch Miriam and Woody on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19NBYCdOl_U

Conservation Dogs Programme

Dog Training

Leave no Trace Organisation including training and resources https://www.leavenotrace.org.nz

Visiting Pest Free Islands http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/know-before-you-go/visiting-pest-free-islands/

Kauri Dieback https://www.kauridieback.co.nz

Didymo http://www.mpi.govt.nz/travel-and-recreation/outdoor-activities/check-clean-dry/

Pātaka Moore & Caleb Royal, Stream restoration, Looking after our waterways

Maori and the Environment Kaitiaki ed Rachel Selby, Pātaka Moore, Malcolm Mulholland, Huia Press 

Local project listings See http://www.naturespace.org.nz for over 400 community projects.

Freshwater and Estuaries, ID guides and fact sheets

Water quality LAWA (Land Air Water Aotearoa) www.lawa.org.nz

Didymo http://www.mpi.govt.nz/travel-and-recreation/outdoor-activities/check-clean-dry/

Fish passage and fish videos

What shouldn’t be in stormwater drains

Catherine Kirby, Exploring the world of epiphytes and vines, Making seed balls

Catherines’ Field Guide Field Guide to New Zealand’s Epiphytes, Vines & Mistletoes by Catherine Kirby, 2016

The New Zealand Tree Project

Collecting Seeds for Propagation

Making Seed balls http://www.maararoa.org.nz/pdfs/Human-Birds-200912.pdf

Epiphyte survey http://www.nzepiphytenetwork.org/nz-epiphyte-survey-programme.html

Nicola Toki, Caring for Lizards, Creating a lizard habitat

Nicola’s books and TV programmes

Threatened Species Ambassador https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/threatened-species-ambassador/

Which lizards are found in different regions https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/reptiles-and-frogs/lizards/common-lizard-species/

Attracting Lizards to your Garden https://www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/conservation-activities/attract-lizards-to-your-garden/

New Zealand Herpetological Society https://www.reptiles.org.nz

Anthony Behrens, Wilding pines and other weeds, Getting rid of pest plants

Anthony’s You Tube video of the Palmy Pine Pulling Posse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCqo68tQCfU

Te Araroa:  New Zealand’s Trail https://www.teararoa.org.nz

Anthony and Fiona have blogged about their Te Araroa experience and Spine of the Fish journey https://www.whiowhio.nz/blog.html

Local weedbusting groups https://www.naturespace.org.nz/groups

Weed ID and Weed busting tips

Reporting wilding pine infestations https://wildpines.linz.govt.nz/portal/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=107dc24b6a784d2a810ee664fa0a3036

Wilding conifers http://www.wildingconifers.org.nz

Jordan Aria Housiaux, Understanding sharks, Kaitiaki of our Oceans

Information about sharks

Beach clean up organisation

Other litter projects

  • KCC Waste Warriors an award scheme developed by young people for young people - take action to deal with litter in your home and community.

  • Keep New Zealand Beautiful volunteer to keep your school and community beautiful and free from litter

Project Hotspot Taranaki https://www.hotspot.org.nz/project-achievements-3/plastic-shotgun-wads/

Project Jonah https://www.projectjonah.org.nz

Ideas for Reducing Plastic Our Seas Our Future http://osof.org/portfolio/plastic-free-nz/

Rangatahi, Advocating for Nature

Brandon Intermediate Enviro Team

George Hobson

Riley Hathaway

Speaking up for nature

‘Psychology for a Better World: working with people to save the planet” Youtube video from Niki Harre, with examples of how being positive helps make change https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zExibEV_PY

Writing persuasive letters https://vln.school.nz/groupcms/view/845343/persuasive-writing

Keeping safe online https://www.netsafe.org.nz/staying-safe-online/