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Making moth identification guides

Names are important. They identify who we are and where we come from. But sometimes, names don’t tell the whole story. For example, the Oxford Dictionary defines ‘moth’ as an insect with two ...

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ARTICLE

Insects and forest ecosystems

Our native forests – ngahere – have complex ecosystems. Within the wider ecosystems are smaller ecosystems, such as the one formed around honeydew. Honeydew is a sweet, sticky substance produced ...

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ARTICLE

Using moths to make science cool

Adventure is engaging in an unusual or daring experience. Discovery is the act of finding or learning something for the first time. Adventure and discovery are both pretty exciting prospects – so ...

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ACTIVITY

Pollinator counts – insects and flowers

Pollinators are insects that visit flowers to drink nectar or feed on pollen. During this process, they get covered in pollen grains and then transport the pollen from one plant to another ...

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ACTIVITY

Frogs for the future?

Frogs for the future? is a ready-to-use cross curricular teaching resource. It uses the Ministry of Education’s 2019 Connected article Kimihia Kermit by Philippa Werry. Rights: Crown 2019 Frog ...

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ACTIVITY

Establishing butterfly transects

In this activity, students set up and walk a transect to observe and record butterfly sightings. They act as citizen scientists to monitor changes in the local environment. Modify this activity ...

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CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT

Big Butterfly Count

This New Zealand-based citizen science project collects data about butterflies in our gardens, schools, parks and farms – any location in the country or on the outer islands. This annual event – ...

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CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT

iNaturalist

iNaturalist logs hundreds of thousands of photos of flora, fauna and fungi. There are even sound recordings too. Each is described and geo located. iNaturalist is used by citizens and scientists ...

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CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT

The Pieris Project

This project involves the pesky Pieris rapae (better known as the white butterfly or white cabbage butterfly), which is very common in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is believed to have originated in ...

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TEACHER PLD

Teachers using the Hub – Butterflies and citizen science ...

In this online PD session recorded on 30 July 2015, primary school teacher Angela Schipper describes how she used the Butterflies resources from the Science Learning Hub in the classroom. In ...

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TEACHER PLD

A butterfly story in a primary classroom

The New Zealand Curriculum has a strong focus on ensuring that all students have the skills and knowledge to participate in public debates and decision-making processes as critical, active ...

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TEACHER PLD

Earthworms (upper primary) – unit plan

To most of us, one earthworm resembles another. Although earthworms do have common characteristics, species differ widely in their size, skin colour and in the roles they play in the soil ...

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VIDEO

Naming organisms

Dr Peter Buchanan and Dr Robert Hoare, of Landcare Research NZ Ltd, introduce the classification system that scientists use to identify and name organisms.

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VIDEO

The moth identification guide

Find out why and how the Ahi Pepe MothNet project created the Puka Whakamārama o Te Pepe Nui – Beginners’ Guide to Macro Moths. Dr Barbara Anderson from Ahi Pepe MothNet, Dr Robert Hoare from ...

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VIDEO

Honeydew: The Food of the Ngahere

Our native forests – ngahere – have complex ecosystems. These ecosystems are under threat from introduced wasp species. In this episode of Project Mātauranga, Associate Professor Jacqueline Beggs ...

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SLIDESHOW

New Zealand native butterflies – slideshow

Use this Aotearoa New Zealand native butterflies slideshow to learn more about native butterfly habits and behaviour, then go butterfly hunting! Use the Slideshow menu for further options ...

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SLIDESHOW

New Zealand butterfly families – slideshow

Most of New Zealand's butterflies belong to the Nymphalidae and Lycaenidae families. Use the Slideshow menu for further options, including view full screen, and go here for the download option.

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SLIDESHOW

Common New Zealand earthworms – slideshow

Learn more about introduced and native earthworms in Aotearoa New Zealand. Use the Slideshow menu for further options, including view full screen, and go here for the download option.

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