Native Plants
Pa Ropata
Robert McGowan - also known as Pa Ropata - learned about the various medicinal properties of native plants by spending quality time with Whanganui Kuia Rua Henare in the 1970's. Fifty years later… Audio
Rugged farmland reverting back to bush
700 hectares of hill country on Nigel and Cathy Graham's Kaikoura farm is being retired. Income from honey and carbon credits are repacing livestock on the regenerating land. The couple have also… Audio
The Week in Detail: The music industry, rehab and crypto
The Detail podcast brings you the issues behind the news every weekday. Here's what we covered this week. Audio
Banking the seeds of our precious plants
There are 37 native plant species listed as critically endangered - can a seed bank help save them from extinction? Audio
Raising rock art awareness for future kaitiaki
On the ceiling of a limestone cave in South Canterbury, a long, elegant sea creature has been drawn. Centuries after this taniwha [supernatural being] was carefully illustrated, the artist's pigments… Audio
Restore Native
The name of beef farmer Adam Thompson's business says it all - Restore Native. Half a million native plants have left his nursery this winter. Many have gone to farmers wanting to restore gullies… Audio
Creating native topiaries with Xanthe White
Landscape gardener Xanthe White says the compact nature of topiaries can be put to good use to create space in even a small garden for natives. Audio
Honey fingerprints and plant powers
Claire learns about honey fingerprinting while Katy Gosset meets a scientist studying the anti-microbial properties of some native plants. Audio
Our Changing World - Native plant powers
How New Zealand plants might help in the fight against soil contamination. Katy Gosset meets a scientist who's studying the anti-microbial properties of our native species. Audio
The Native Dairy Farmer
Dave Swney and Alice Trevelyan have converted a tennis court on a dairy farm into a native plant nursery. They're using as much recycled material as they can. Audio
Restoring names for indigenous flora
What's in a name? Two Auckland academics have just released a report arguing for a change to naming conventions for native plants. Audio
Wading into mangrove research
Native mangroves in Aotearoa are expanding, putting them in conflict with some local communities & councils. A wade into the research about the value of mangroves & how they are managed. Audio
Free to Roam
When Richard Ashcroft was a boy he loved sailing toy boats down a stream, building huts and swinging on vines in the bush. He thinks modern day kids especially those in towns and cities have been… Audio, Gallery
Made of clay and full of history
Restoring two cob cottages at Burkes Pass has become a labour of love for retired Christchurch couple Jane and Graham Bachelor. One of cottages was built by shepherd James Keefe in 1876 and was in a… Audio, Gallery
Native Nursery Supports Local Farmers
A large nursery is flourishing in the old gardens at the back of the meeting house at Takutai o te Titi Marae at Colac Bay in Southland. It was established in 2017 by Riverton man Jade Maguire who… Audio
Reefton: a West Coast town in good spirits
Keeping it local and tapping into Reefton's rich history were two of Patsy Bass's goals when she founded the Reefton Distilling Company two years ago... Audio, Gallery
Reviving Māori plant knowledge
Our native plants were cultivated and utilised by Maori for hundreds of years. Journalist Rob Tipa has sort to fix that, writing a book containing traditional knowledge about the native plants of the… Audio
Philip Hulme: 'NZ is one of the weediest places on earth'
Introduced plant species are already taking over the New Zealand landscape, and ornamental garden plants could 'jump the fence' and get out of control too, says bioprotection specialist Philip Hulme.
…Restoring the trees above and the fungi below
Ecologists are investigating the best ways to replant native plants to restore lost forests and wetlands, and are finding out if underground fungi play a role. Audio, Gallery
'Dimorphism' - a poem by Janis Freegard
Poet Janis Freegard reads 'Dimorphism', from her poetry book The Glass Rooster, comparing divaricating plants to cushion plants. Audio