Plants

Today we have an episode from the ABC series Pacific Scientific.  

The series travels across the Pacific to meet researchers tackling different problems – from climate change to protecting baby… Audio

Our Changing World goes in search of one of Aotearoa’s rarest plants – the stunning kakabeak, or ngutukākā. 

Its clusters of bright red blooms, each shaped like a parrot’s beak, make it a popular… Audio

A New Zealand plant biologist has come up with a laser that can kill targeted weeds using artificial intelligence. Audio

Should we intervene to prevent hybridisation between an endangered species and its common relative? In this week's summer science episode, two students from the Department of Science Communication at… Audio

In Aotearoa we talk a lot about mammalian predators attacking our native wildlife, but other insidious pests are quietly taking over – weedy plants. Tackling these weeds using chemical and mechanical… Audio

Claire Concannon learns about the recruitment of, and research into, biocontrol agents to help in the battle against weeds. Audio

Science commentator Dr Allan Blackman joins Kathryn to talk about a breakthrough in our understanding of olfaction, how stressed plants "cry" and the discovery of birds with neurotoxin-laden feathers… Audio

Jungle Warfare by Ellen Rykers: Auckland is the weediest city in the world - but its citizens are fighting back. Audio

Urban issues commentator Bill McKay joins Kathryn to talk about what recent weather events might mean for city planning into the future. Which parts of the infrastructure network held up well and… Audio

We're in the car with Herb Christophers who has just retired from the Department of Conservation after a 30-year career. Herb is a walking encyclopaedia on everything you need to know about our native… Audio

Blogger and author Liz Carlson's got a new book out all about houseplants and design. She talks to Jesse about keeping plants alive and how to be clever where you place them in the house. Audio, Gallery

It's spectacularly spiky and delivers a painful or even deadly sting. Why are a team of conservationists growing and planting up Orokonui Ecosanctuary near Dunedin with more and more native tree… Audio

If we continue at our current rate, we won't have enough of many crops to feed the planet. We need to increase the yield ASAP. But genetic modification and chemical sprays can be slow, expensive, and… Audio

Could there be poison growing in your backyard right now? Toxicologist Dr Leo Schep is no stranger to poisonous plants after spending nearly two decades at the National Poison Centre. Audio

Dr Jason Low is an Associate Professor in Psychology at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington, talks to Wallace about what plant blindness is and why we need to know about it. Audio

Thanks to the curious mind of seven-year-old Eden Fearnside, Kiwis are learning about an invasive pest commonly mistaken for toetoe. Eden and her mother Julia recently wrote the article Pesky Pampas!… Audio

Claire Concannon meets with some of the people working to protect New Zealand's naturally rare ecosytems and the endangered plants found within them. Audio

Claire Concannon meets some of the people working to protect the biodiversity in a reserve on limestone soil in the Waitaki valley - one of Aotearoa’s naturally rare ecosytems. Audio