The Brilliance of Birds by Skye Wishart; Edin Whitehead

$55.00 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

Who knew that the morepork, our only surviving native owl, can turn its head 270 degrees? Or that the bar-tailed godwit triples its body weight before undertaking an epic and continuous migration of 11,000 kilometres? Or that the New Zealand dabchick has an in-built buoyancy system, able to trap or deco mpress air within its feathers? Or that the tui has two voiceboxes, enabling it to duet with itself, and one producing sounds too high-frequency for humans to hear? Zany, off-kilter, wondrous and wild, The Brilliance of Birds gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of New Zealand's feathered friends. ...Show more

Fight for the Forests: The Pivotal Campaigns That Saved New Zealand's Native Forests by Paul Bensemann

$69.99 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History | Reading Level: near fine

The remarkable and inspring story of how New Zealand's native forests were saved between 1960 and 2000. The greatest success stories of the modern environmental movement in New Zealand were the public campaigns to save our native forests, beginning in the 1960s with the battle to stop Lake Manapouri bei ng drowned. By 2000, all the significant lowland forest in South Westland had become part of a World Heritage Area, the beech forests of the West Coast had largely been protected, Paparoa National Park had been established, the magnificent podocarp forests of Pureora and Whirinaki in the central North Island had been saved from the chainsaw, and many other smaller areas of forest had been included into the conservation estate. Fight for the Forest tells this remarkable story, how a group of young activists became aware of government plans to mill vast areas of West Coast beech forest, and began campaigning to halt this. From small beginnings, a much larger movement grew, mainly centred around the work of the Native Forests Action Council, whose young, committed and extremely capable conservationists tapped into huge public support and changed the course of environmental history in this country. Mainly based on interviews with key players, author Paul Bensemann has recorded a largely untold but significant and inspiring history, one that reminds us that change for good is always possible. ...Show more

Birdstories: A History of the Birds of New Zealand by Geoff Norman

$69.99 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History | Reading Level: very good

A fascinating, in-depth account of New Zealand's birds, which spans their discovery, their place in both Pakeha and Maori worlds, their survival and conservation, and the illustrations and art they have inspired. In 1872, the first instalments of Walter Buller's A History of the Birds of New Zealand ap peared. When completed, this became a landmark publishing event that described the place of New Zealand's birds in the Maori world, the first encounters Europeans had with our birds, the arguments over their classification, and provided a snapshot of their status at the time. Through Buller's books, the rest of the world got to know about New Zealand's unusual and distinctive birds, and New Zealanders, too, began to appreciate them. Geoff Norman's Birdstories carries Buller's publishing legacy through to the present day. He covers a range of our bird families and individual species, and provides an up-to-date picture of how these birds are regarded by both Maori and Pakeha, the backstory of their discovery, and their current conservation status. Extensively illustrated with historic illustrations and contemporary artwork, this is a beautiful, comprehensive publication that will help New Zealanders realise what a taonga we have in our birds. ...Show more

The Hunters : The Precarious Lives of New Zealand's Birds of Prey by Debbie Stewart

$50.00 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

From an extinct giant eagle and an owl that sounded like the devil, to the morepork we hear calling at night, the falcon that appears on our $20 note and the hawks we see swooping on the grisly remains of dead critters on the road, this book takes a close look at these fascinating birds and the people w ho are working to keep the species that are still with us safe. Filled with facts and great stories of rescued birds being nursed back to health, this book also has many amazing close-up photographs. Find out about the ancient art of falconry, how damaged feathers critical for flying can be replaced with temporary ones, how you can help an injured bird, and how birds can be released back into the wild. ...Show more

The Vulgar Wasp: The Story of a Ruthless Invader and Ingenious Predator by Phil Lester

$30.00 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

They're ranked one of the world's worst invasive species. They're often described as pure evil. People use petrol bombs, flamethrowers and shotguns on them in acts of vengeance. Wasps are feared and hated by many of us, with good reason - they sting. For anyone who is allergic to their venom, a sting ca n mean a trip to hospital; for a very unlucky few, it can mean death. Wasps also place massive pressure on New Zealand's biodiversity, especially on native birds, plants and insects, including our much-loved honey bees. They cause huge economic losses, estimated at more than $100 million each year. Native to Europe, Vespula vulgaris, the common wasp, has been inadvertently transported around the globe - usually travelling quietly, unseen, sleeping in people's cargo. Today in New Zealand, the highest known wasp densities have up to 40 nests per hectare. Though we know them as pests, wasps are amazingly efficient predators with some exceptionally smart behaviours. Vespula vulgaris excels as both a hunter and an invader. Some people find them pretty tasty too. In this book, entomologist Phil Lester describes the many fascinating and lesser-known sides of the common wasp. He asks: how can we manage wasps? Can we ever learn to live with them? What can they teach us about the challenges we face for pest control? With warmth, wit and intelligence, The Vulgar Wasp tells the story of the common wasp and its impact on us and our biodiversity. ...Show more

The Meaning of Trees: The History and Use of New Zealand's Native Plants by Robert Vennell

$55.00 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

A guide and gift book in equal measure, this treasure of a book pays homage to New Zealand's native plant species. The Meaning of Trees tells the story of plants and people in Aotearoa New Zealand. Beautifully illustrated with botanical drawings, paintings and photographs, it shows us how a globally un ique flora has been used for food, medicine, shelter, spirituality and science. From Jurassic giants to botanical oddballs - these are our wonderful native and endemic plants, in an exquisite hardback edition. ...Show more

Totara: A Natural and Cultural History by Philip Simpson

$75.00 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

The 'mighty totara' is one of our most extraordinary trees. Among the biggest and oldest trees in the New Zealand forest, the heart of Maori carving and culture, trailing no. 8 wire as fence posts on settler farms, clambered up in the Pureora protests of the 1980's: the story of New Zealand can be told through totara. Simpson tells that story like nobody else could. In words and pictures, through waka and leaves, farmers and carvers, he takes us deep inside the trees: their botany and evolution, their role in Maori life and lore, their uses by Pakeha, and their current status in our environment and culture. By doing so, Simpson illuminates the natural world and the story of Maori and Pakeha in this country. Our largest trees, the kauri Tane Mahutu and the totara Pouakani, are both thought to be around 1000 years old. They were here before we humans were and their relatives will probably be here when we are gone. Totara has been central to life in this country for thousands of years. This book tells a great tree's story, and that is our story too. ...Show more

Native Birds of New Zealand by David Hallett

$49.99 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

Native Birds of New Zealand is a photographic book of New Zealand native birds that will appeal to the casual bird-watcher as well as the ornithologist. Many books in the past have been aimed at the serious ornithologist, with illustrations designed to show distinct feather patterns but not to create an image that is also pleasing to the eye. The photographs in this book have been taken by David Hallett, one of New Zealand's leading wildlife photographers, who captures the beauty of New Zealand's native birds in their natural environment, from the subtropical north to the Sub-Antarctic Islands, and from the oceans to the alpine meadows of the Southern Alps. The text is kept short and avoids the in-depth academic material found in some of the very good reference books on the market. It does include all the interesting facts that set our native birds apart, presented in a short, concise format that makes the book ideal for browsing. With the advent of digital photography, many more birders are now equipping themselves with cameras as well as binoculars when they go into the field, creating an increasing awareness of wildlife photography. This trend, combined with the affection New Zealanders have for their native birds, makes Native Birds of New Zealand a book that will have widespread appeal. ...Show more

The Fishes of New Zealand poster by Te Papa Press

$24.99 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

Reminiscent of the iconic New Zealand fish'n'chip shop poster, this new poster from Te Papa Press features a selection of 222 fishes from the landmark 4-volume publication The Fishes of New Zealand. Designed to appeal to fishing enthusiasts and lovers of Kiwiana, the poster includes favourites such as t he sunfish and sharks, commercial species such as orange roughy and snapper, the ubiquitous spotty, as well as the blobfish, bearded angler and many more curious and unusual fishes that call New Zealand's marine environments home. ...Show more

The Kiwi: An Endangered New Zealand Icon by Matt Elliott

$39.99 NZD

Category: NZ Natural History

The Kiwi: Endangered New Zealand Icon is about our historical fascination with a unique national icon - the kiwi - and the extraordinary efforts being made to save it from extinction.

New Zealand Flowers and Berries by Murdoch Riley

$12.99 NZD

Category: Field Guides

Birds NZ: Beauty like No Other - 2nd edition by Paul Gibson

$69.99 NZD

Category: Field Guides

This new book is uniquely different from anything else on the market and has been fully updated and expanded for 2018. It is no ordinary book, comprising 320 pages of absolute beauty. An extremely appealing book for everyone. Over 300 birds are detailed, there are 700 photographs, and 50 pages of inform ation on subjects like migration, feathers, eggs, flyways, bird photography etc. ...Show more