Wellington 30 August 2023: The Wellington city population of a rare native bird has doubled this week, with Wellington ecosanctuary Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne welcoming a new pair of takahē on 28 August 2023.

Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne are welcoming two new takahē (Bendigo and Waitaa) on 28 August 2023, bringing the Zealandia takahē population up to 4!

Zealandia member and wildlife photographer Holly Neill has a bit of a passion for wildlife in her backyard. So much so, she's built her own lizard garden so she can interact with them at home!

Read about how she created her little lizard haven, Mokomoko Manor, and how you can start one at home too.

At Zealandia we aim to inspire change in how people live with nature in cities globally. Our research collaborations seek to discover how we can design urban developments and landscapes to embrace, not exclude nature. This approach will improve outcomes for nature, and people.

One of the big challenges in predator control is the balance between catching the critters that you’re aiming for, while excluding the species that you don’t want to catch.

From July 17-26, you may hear chainsaws in the valley. This is due to work happening on Valley View track to remove 30 exotic trees. This work is part of our next phase of restoration in the valley which includes removal of the exotic canopy.

Aotearoa New Zealand's native ika/fish are quiet and cryptic, and their struggles often goes unnoticed. In New Zealand we have over 50 species of native freshwater fish and over 70% of them are threatened or at risk. Some key reasons for this are pollution, loss of habitat or the challenges these fish face simply to move between habitats.

This blog explores some of those issues and what we can do to help out our freshwater friends. 

Research into what makes people want to take part in different nature-based activities improves our ability to design projects that will engage large numbers of participants from diverse backgrounds. This is important to ensure that projects benefit from sufficient engagement to make them effective, as well as ensuring that projects are generally accessible and appealing. Research from Zealandia's Centre for People and Nature published in the journal People and Nature, examined how different backyard conservation activities appeal to different sorts of people in Aotearoa New Zealand, and what motivates participation.

Vibrant, unique manu/bird song greets me every time I step out my front door and is a hallmark of home. Whenever I am out of Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington, it is one of the things I miss the most. Freya Bacon-Bootham shares her favourite soundtrack and the things birdsong can tell us about biodiversity.

From Friday 12 May, a freshwater fish species (toitoi) will start being released at Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne to make the Wellington ecosanctuary their new home.

This is the first time toitoi have been translocated in modern times and is likely the first freshwater fish translocation that has been done within Aotearoa New Zealand for restoration reasons.