What's On at Zealandia

At Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne, we recommend planting native trees and shrubs, rather than putting out sugar water feeders or fruit and nuts to attract birds to your gardens. Here are a few reasons why...

New Zealand’s only fully parasitic plant has been successfully germinated at the Lions Ōtari Native Plant Conservation Laboratory in Wellington. The milestone germination was of rare seeds gifted from Ngāti Rereahu in the first translocation to involve all six Greater Wellington iwi.

Introducing hangehange (Geniostoma ligustrifolium) – this small, pale flower may seem all too easy to miss… but not for our native flies, who happen to be very attracted to pale green! 

Have you ever noticed how kōtukutuku - our native tree fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata) - produces flowers of two different colours? This is because it colour-codes its petals to allow for maximum pollination efficiency.

Alfie here! Today I’m chatting to Eleanor Burton about bird friendly native plants, and especially our native fuchsia. Eleanor is in charge of the collections database at Otari, and is also an arborist, botanist, and botanical illustrator.

Alfie here, and today I’m talking about another bird-friendly plant in Wellington, and interviewing long time Zealandia volunteer guide, and conservationist, Des Smith.  I flew up to meet him in his garden in Ngaio, in a bush-lined street, full of native trees.  Here’s the transcript, from my ‘Stoatskine’ reporter’s notebook.

Alfie here, and this week, I’m interviewing Matu Booth, Conservation Officer in the valley, and a recently elected member of the Karori Sanctuary Guardians. I want to find out which plant he recommends for attracting birds in to Wellington gardens.

Alfie: I’m inspired by Kerry Charles’ research on how planting for birds makes Wellingtonians happy, so I’m asking some of my favourite locals about which plants they’d recommend for Wellington gardens. First up, Joakim Liman, an award-winning Zealandia volunteer and the dedicated and enthusiastic manager of the volunteer Te Motu Kairangi – Miramar Ecological Restoration group, which is restoring the Miramar peninsula to its former glory.