No Images? Click here Is it ever OK to throw food scraps away?Have you ever thrown a banana peel into the bushes thinking it's not really litter? How about some sandwich crust or orange peel? Litter isn't just about plastic – organic litter can affect our wildlife too. When you’re out in nature, the right thing to do is leave no trace. Pack out what you pack in. It's the Kiwi way. Why the drone rules?Did you know the Civil Aviation Authority classifies drones as aircraft? If you've got a drone, make sure you follow the rules – the reasons behind them might surprise you. Update from LouLou announces our new Deputy Director-General, People and Engagement and talks about our summer visitor campaign, work on Chatham Island, Pitt Island and in Northland, parks management insights from Australia and news about storytelling, Wild Creations and Te Arawhiti. Get involvedSummer writing competitionAre you a keen writer under 18 years old? Tell us how you treat nature, using words in any way from an essay to a poem or play. Enter before 22 February – you might win a calendar and Forest & Bird membership. VolunteerWe don't know which region you're in. Update your details to get regional content. Check out volunteer opportunities around New Zealand. NatureKākāpō breedingxxx page from Jayne Decapitated fur seals a mysterySix New Zealand fur seal/kekeno pups were found decapitated late last year. A necropsy (post-mortem) carried out on three of them has ruled out the possibility of foul play. Image: Stefan Marks © Christmas trees go rogueIntroduced pines are invasive weeds. Their seeds spread for miles and can grow almost anywhere. They take over native landscapes, killing vegetation and evicting wildlife. The timber either has no value or the value is outweighed by extraction costs. Our workFiordland kiwi diaries updateAt Shy Lake, the team have been monitoring newly transmittered kiwi to see how well the birds survive without pest control. Successful aerial predator controlTracking tunnel prints before an aerial 1080 operation in Russell Forest show (left to right) pigs, rats and possums. After the operation, the papers were clear. DOC are working with hapū and communities to keep pest numbers low and return native species to the forest. Stoat hunt underwayA potential sighting of a stoat on Great Barrier Island/Aotea has sparked an immediate response, starting with a check by Conservation Dogs. Watch the video to meet Ranger Miriam and her pest detection dog Woody. Photo of the monthJonathan Astin took this photo of a kiwi that seems to have skewered a leaf while probing the ground for food. Kiwi might be named for the shrill whistle males use to call their mates. Or perhaps the name began as kivi, the bristle-thighed curlew which early Māori settlers may have remembered from their Polynesian homeland. [Source: Te Ara] See more from DOC
Answers from last month's Kiwi way testWhen is it OK to handle a gecko? Never without a permit. When is it OK to fly a drone over public conservation land? Never without a concession. Which items can be harmlessly thrown into the bush? Nothing - pack it out. When should you tell someone your plans when you're going for a walk? Every time. Winners have been contacted by email. |