People and Nature

DSC_2852 Seven year old Grace (foreground) and nine year old Rahwa, meet 21 year old Sirocco the kakapo, in the forest at an eco-sanctuary. Photographed at Orokonui Eco-sanctuary for Predator Free 2050 Ltd *

DSC_8101578 Caversham peripatus (Peripatoides 'Dunedin') Dunedin art teacher Kerry Mackay encourages children at Macandrew Bay School to think creatively, when making their own colourful 'peripatus' out of wool. Otago Peninsula *

DSC_8101425 Brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) trapping. Possums are a significant threat to forest remnants, and native wildlife on Otago Peninsula. Winter is the best time to trap them. OPBG Operations Manager Bruce Kyle and dog Puku, head back downhill after visiting a macrocarpa shelter belt, always a popular haunt for possums in winter. Possums are a significant threat to native forests and our native wildlife. Photographed on Otago Peninsula's Harbour Cone block for OPBG *

DSC_962 Haast tokoeka (Apteryx australis australis) Peter Hayden holds a 4 month old juvenile tokoeka captured for weighing as part of captive monitoring program, while Rahwa Steel looks on. Photographed at Orokonui Eco-sanctuary for Predator Free 2050 Ltd *

11001-08613 Northern Royal albatross (Diomedea sanfordi) in the early morning light, Taiaroa Head DoC ranger Lyndon Perriman, and Colin Facer weigh Toroa, the 500th chick hatched at the colony. Photographed at Taiaroa Head Albatross Colony, for Smithsonian Magazine *

DSC_7461 Northland brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli). Illustrator Heather Hunt shares her children's book 'Kiwi-the real story' with Hayley, a young fan from Urquats Bay, Whangarei Heads *

11011-45007 North West Nelson scenery. A caver just inside the entrance to Honeycomb Cave *

11001-85021 Sooty shearwater (Puffinus griseus) 'muttonbirds' gathered by birder Marty McColgan. Big South Cape Island *

DSC_0326 Fiordland scenery. DOC Biodiversity Ranger Megan Willans checks for translocated rock wren on the summit of Secretary Island, at the mouth of Doubtful Sound, January 2009. Secretary Island, Fiordland National Park *

DSC_0336 Fiordland scenery. DOC Biodiversity Ranger Kerri-Anne Edge surveys for translocated rock wren on the summit of Secretary Island, at the mouth of Doubtful Sound, January 2009. Secretary Island, Fiordland National Park *

11001-71011 Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) 'Hoki' a five year old female kakapo reared on Maud Island, greets her 'minder' Gideon Climo in the forest in 1997 shortly before she was transfered to Codfish Island *

DSC_7403 Northland brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli). Todd Hamilton, Project Manager for Backyard Kiwi, listens out for birds emerging at sundown, in the hills above Whangarei Harbour. Distinctive road signs warn that kiwi are now more likely to been seen crossing country roads at night up here, than introduced possums *

DSC_2753 Buff weka (Gallirallus australis hectori) 30 Buff weka were translocated from Chatham Islands, back in 2001 and released on small islands in Lake Wanaka. Here a seven year old male weka closely examines a human visitor to his territory. Photographed above Lake Wanaka, for Predator Free 2050 Ltd. *

DSC_1425 Stoat (Mustela erminea) trapping. Monitoring and maintaining extensive stoat trapping networks over rugged terrain is particularly time-consuming and expensive. Small 'celium nodes' attached to the sides of wooden trap boxes, and communicating through solar powered 'celium hubs' may allow future wildlife managers to automatically monitor trapping success from the office. This wireless sensor network is being developed by Simon Croft of ‘Encounter Solutions’. Photographed above Thompson Sound, Fiordland for Predator Free 2050 Ltd *

IMG_0158 Central lesser short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata rhyacobia) NHNZ Producer Peter Hayden reviews infra-red video footage of bats pollinating Dactylanthus for the documentary 'Ghosts of Gondwana' *

DSC_7112 Sea urchin, or kina (Evechinus chloroticus) are important kaimoana species to Māori. The roe of kina developes in spring and is valued by many New Zealanders, for its delicate, smooth buttery taste. Otago Peninsula *

11011-45123 North West Nelson scenery. A lone caver stands beside the stream at one of many entrances to Honeycombe Cave *

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11002-06309 Brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) a four month old orphan joey hand-raised as a pet. Dunedin *

DSC_0862 Large turret snails, or korire (Maoricolpus roseus) shells used as 'turrets' decorating a sand castle. Smaills Beach, Otago Peninsula *

DSC_954 Haast tokoeka (Apteryx australis australis) Peter Hayden holds a 4 month old juvenile tokoeka captured for weighing as part of captive monitoring program, while Rahwa and Grace Steel look on. Photographed at Orokonui Eco-sanctuary for Predator Free 2050 Ltd *

DSC_1600 Shortfin eel, or 'silverbelly' (Anguilla australis) eels being packed for export at an eel processing plant *

11003-14214 Jewelled gecko (Naultinus gemmeus) youngster perched on Rachel's nose *