🌿 Can satellite imagery help us detect the impact of an invasive moth on forest vegetation? This started as the final exercise for a Google Earth Engine course I took last summer: "Google Earth Engin...

Every fortnight since 9 July 2008 (with a few exceptions), I have run this 10.1 km route through the suburbs of southwestern Ōtautahi-Christchurch. That's between Centennial Park (Pioneer Stadium) in the southeast and the Wigram Retention Basin (site of the annual A&P; show) in the northwest. From the start I counted all native forest birds and butterflies and wild mammals, and quickly ramped up to all birds and an assortment of other taxa. In celebration of the 18th birthday of the survey route, here's an animation that shows all of the korimako (NZ bellbirds) I've seen and heard (and mapped*) on the first 18 years of my runs. Korimako were sparse in the early years and I now observe them on most runs. They remain largely restricted to the areas of native tree plantings and the few residential gardens with mature bird-nectar trees in flower (especially kōwhai, banksia, and eucalyptus). * I started out doing this on pen-and-paper before transitioning to my iPhone. There are a few early observations (about 10) that are not on the map here (yet). I started mapping the positions of individual birds in 2009. The dots are coloured by year, from blue in 2009 to red in 2026.

Get out into your garden, count the birds, and build a build a picture of the state of our environment by taking part in the NZ Garden Bird Survey.

Volunteer monitors reported a sharp decline in river herring visual counts this season, with roughly half the 2025 totals observed and about 2,000 fewer fish recorded overall; the committee plans to submit QA‑checked data to state biologists and consult Wampanoag contacts.

The rise and fall of bird populations tells us how they, and by extension their habitats, are doing. Birds reflect our impact on the environment, tell us where conservation action is working, and show us where we need to focus more effort.

The division proposed introducing 50 white sturgeon (6–12 in.) to Grantsville and Hobs reservoirs under a catch‑and‑release rule as an experiment to diversify fisheries in small reservoirs. Staff plans monitoring, angler self‑reporting and mitigation to prevent escapement; maturation would take decades and harvest will remain closed while monitored.