envirohistory NZ

Continuing with the theme explored in the previous post, the role of semi-managed nature in supporting biodiversity, this post explores how land development can sometimes lead to the enhancement – rather than the degradation – of an environment’s ability to support biodiversity. (more…)

Hot off the press today is Catherine’s article on satoyama, the semi-managed nature in rural Japan, which has been published in the latest issue of Asian Studies Review. The article is highly topical, because satoyama was a prominent theme in this year’s Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which was just held in Nagoya, Japan last month. (more…)

A mother and son outing today was a reminder that environmental history can be discovered in unexpected places. Carter and I went to Wellington this morning to check out the RailEx Model Train Show. As soon as he entered the expo room, his eyes lit up, in unison with the eyes of all the other little boys (and girls – but mainly boys) who ran excitedly from one exhibit to another. (more…)

envirohistory NZ is turning one year old tomorrow, having been launched one year ago on 15 November 2009 (see our very first news item). Yesterday, it got an early birthday present, gaining its 20,000th hit. A big THANK YOU to all our subscribers, regular visitors and occasional visitors. Without your visits, comments and input, this website would have no purpose.

Remember too, that envirohistory NZ always welcomes your contributions or ideas! You can email them in by clicking on the envelope on the right-hand side of the homepage.

Today, the Petone and Lower Hutt area is an intense conglomeration of industrial, commercial and residential buildings and infrastructure – interconnected by motorways, roads and railways – concentrated within the confines of the sea to the south and the steeply rising hills of the valley to the west and east. Within this landscape of steel, glass, concrete and asphalt, it is hard to believe that only 170 years ago, this was thickly forested floodplain and estuary, rich with teeming birdlife – including the now extinct huia, and the endangered kokako. (more…)

This post reviews the top posts of the third quarter of 2010. Our favourite Californian again proves very popular, this quarter overtaking A tale of mining, which was very topical earlier in the year. The others in the top 5 traverse a diverse range of themes: Maori horticulture, a rare inner-city oasis of ancient forest, the surprisingly recent history of whaling in New Zealand, and eels – which have figured so large both in our streams, rivers and estuaries as well as our cultural history. (more…)