Last moth plant pods of the season!!
Our places need protection from moth pest plant pods - report these plant pods if you see them.
You may have heard of or seen the serious pest plant called moth plant around Auckland or in your neighbourhood. It’s been in the news and community organisations like us have been trying to control and remove it from our neighbourhoods with the help of volunteers.
We’re near the end of moth plant pod season which means any pods left will likely burst and spread thousands of seeds across our gardens and bush areas.
We’re trying to find any remaining moth plant pods and we’re asking you to help us by reporting any you see (see below for how to report).
Why should we care?
The moth plant vines grow up, through and over other plants entangling and smothering them. The milky white sap is an irritant and can cause a skin reaction in some people. So there are good reasons to try to rid our area of this nasty vine.
If we did nothing, most of Kaipātiki’s natural spaces would be covered in moth plant and other pest plants. So thank you to everyone who has helped previously by reporting, removing or disposing of moth plant pods.
How to report: Please look out for the large green pods. Report them using the Ecotrack app or by email to pestplants@pestfreekaipatiki.org.nz (if outside the Kaipātiki area report them to the Society Totally Against Moth Plant or Auckland Council).
Please check the links below.
📸 Phil Bendle (first image)
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
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