SPCA Happy Christmas Yarn
Meet Ralph! This sweet boy spent months in SPCA care waiting for a forever family, and just ahead of Christmas, his dream came true.
His new dad Roger shares how Ralph is settling in.
"On day one of our adoption trial, we drove home together and Ralph held my hand the whole trip home (how cute!).
That evening as we were heading to bed after sniffing everything in the house, he leapt onto our bed, burrowed under our blankets and dozed off. We hadn’t even turned off the lights! From that moment, we knew this was meant to be.
He is a sweetheart, he has opinions, he loves to cuddle on the couch, he likes rides, he likes walks, he likes our other dog, Bandos. Ralph may be deaf but that does not stop him from living his best life. We love Ralph and we wouldn’t change him for the world. He’s also well-loved by his new aunties, uncles, grandparents and great grandparents!
We are sorry that Ralph took a bit longer to find his new forever home but are happy that he found it with us."
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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