Discover Nature in Aotearoa
New Zealand

Through my books about nature …

… thousands of children, teens and their families are inspired to explore and discover the natural world around them. My books are a starting point for curious kids and their families. Find more tips for young nature heroes here. And more nature inspiration in my blog.

  • Cover of Mia and Leo Go Wild

    Mia & Leo Go Wild

    Join a family’s first tramping adventure. Illustrated by Gavin Mouldey and created with the support of the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council.

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  • Cover of New Zealand Nature Heroes

    New Zealand Nature Heroes

    Inspiration & activities for young conservationists

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  • Cover of Animals of Aotearoa

    Animals of Aotearoa

    Explore and discover New Zealand’s wildlife. Illustrated by Ned Barraud.

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  • Cover of At the Beach

    At the Beach

    Explore and discover the New Zealand seashore. Illustrated by Ned Barraud.

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  • Cover of In the Garden

    In the Garden

    Explore and discover the New Zealand backyard. Illustrated by Ned Barraud.

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  • Cover of In the Bush

    In the Bush

    Explore and discover New Zealand’s native forests. Illustrated by Ned Barraud.

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  • Cover of Under the Ocean

    Under the Ocean

    Explore and discover New Zealand’s sea life. Illustrated by Ned Barraud.

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  • Cover of Up the River

    Up the River

    Explore and discover New Zealand’s rivers, lakes and wetlands. Illustrated by Ned Barraud.

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  • Cover of From Moa to Dinosaurs

    From Moa to Dinosaurs

    Explore and discover ancient New Zealand. Illustrated by Ned Barraud.

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  • Cover of Whose Beak is This?

    Whose Beak is This?

    Illustrated by Fraser Williamson. Out of print, however some stock is still available in bookstores. Check BookHub for stores with stock. Borrow it from your local library.

    Teachers' Notes
  • Cover of Whose Home is This?

    Whose Home is This?

    Illustrated by Fraser Williamson. Out of print. Borrow it from your local library.

    Teachers' Notes
  • Cover of Whose Feet are These?

    Whose Feet are These?

    Illustrated by Fraser Williamson. Out of print, but still in your local library. Check BookHub for book stores that still have stock.

    Read-aloud online

Workshops & Schools

  • Book a school visit through Writers in Schools.

  • Contact me for Library or Bookshop events.

  • See ideas for Parents and Educators.

  • Subscribe to my newsletter for ideas and inspiration.

Photo of Gillian Candler running workshop with students at Pataka Museum
Gillian Candler reading to children at Crofton Downs School
“Ruma Takahē (yr5/6) really enjoyed Gillian’s visit. She hooked us all in with her stories about what inspires her writing. We especially enjoyed hearing about her encounters with little blue penguins and the details about how to spot their tracks. Great to have a local author come and make the writing process real for kids and for them to imagine their potential futures as writers or in other related careers.”
— Rachel Hall, teacher Paremata School 
Photo of signage about Penguins at Pukerua Bay Beach
Excerpt of Nature Hunt list

Resources for Young Nature Heroes

  • Discover ways to take action and be a Nature Hero.

  • Download free PDF nature activities.

  • Learn more about Nature in Aotearoa New Zealand.

  • Get tips for Parents and Educators.

Explore and Discover Nature

Follow along with me as I explore and discover nature in Aotearoa New Zealand

  • My blog includes stories about taking action for nature, nature activities for kids and intriguing facts about our unique wildlife

  • I share what I see when I’m out and about in nature on Instagram @DiscoverNatureNZ

  • Some of my most interesting observations I upload to iNaturalist to learn more about them and to share with scientists

  • Subscribe to my occasional newsletter for updates including book news.

I was visited by a pair of red admiral butterflies. They alighted on the leaves near me and I swear the first one had a good look at me. What an amazing face it has! They stayed with me for awhile. Earlier they, or another pair, were sipping nectar f
Stars of pikiarero glistening in swathes. November is a great time to visit Mana Island. Clematis forsteri vines are in flower, hanging like stars in and over the regenerating bush. #nzvines #nzclematis #clematisforsteri #sanctuaryislands #gomanai
More slime mould photos #nzslimemould #slimemoulds #naturenerd
Chocolate tube slime mould, photos taken an hour apart. In the crook of a Coprosma lucida tree, the small patches of pink stood out as unusual, an hour later so much darker that people were marvelling that I’d been able to spot this. #nzslimemo
Rain turns a fallen feather into treasure Takahe or pukeko? #nzbirds #nzfeathers #islandsanctuary
Tenacity. Leather leaf ferns on the historic woolshed sheep yards at Mana Island. #nzferns #oldfenceposts #rewilding #manaislandnz
Nature all around. Copper butterfly on Mana Island #nzbutterflies #manaislandnz #predatorfreeisland #midweektrampers #nzwildlife #naturenerd
Beautiful, large, but dead, purple rock crab found on the shore during our litter survey. Never seen one this large on the coast before but then live ones would be hiding. Fascinating to see how the legs and body are streamlined for hiding in crevice
Putting my best foot forward volunteering with @sustainablecoastlines . Very happy to be the recipient of a comfortable pair of @keen_nz boots, who support Sustainable Coastlines in their important work. The Terradora boots are perfect for negotiatin
Let there be decay Fallen branches and leaves Let there be spiders And leave old webs be So have the birds Enough to build nests I watched pīwakawaka removing strips of fibre from this rotten tree and returning with them to the nest they were buil
Harakeke flax - the tūī are big fans, returning regularly tic check for nectar #nzflax #phormium tenax #inthegarden
The pinks in this paua caught my eye. #paua #atthebeach #nzcoast #pinkshell
Clematis forsteri ( I think). A pretty native vine. Clematis paniculata has large white flowers and usually starts flowering here in early September. In contrast C. forsteri has smaller creamy to yellow flowers and flowers in October. #nzflora #clema
A riot of greenhood orchids by the track. #tutukiwi #pterostylis #nzorchids #midweektrampers
Makomako wineberry #nztrees
Spring sunlight #astelia #nzflora #inthegarden
iNaturalist NZ
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