‘Islands of despair’
Date: Wednesday 18 March 2020, 5:30pm to 6:30pm
Cost: Free. Koha from non-members appreciated.
Location: Taiwhanga Kahau — Auditorium, National Library Wellington. Entrance on Aitken Street.
Part of the Friends of the Turnbull Public Programme — 2020 series
Sub-Antarctic voyagers Derek Lightbourne and Shona Riddell will take you on a fascinating journey to the wild sub-Antartic islands recalling the struggles of would-be settlers and shipwrecked castaways.
New Zealand’s fragile yet fearsome sub-Antartic
Fragile yet fearsome, New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic islands are home to otherworldly plants and wildlife. They have also seen two centuries’ worth of human triumphs and tragedies.
Would-be settlers and shipwrecked castaways
Three-time sub-Antarctic voyager Derek Lightbourne will take you on a fascinating journey to these wild islands via a slideshow that recalls the struggles of would-be settlers and shipwrecked castaways.
A personal perspective of a voyage south
Next, Wellington author Shona Riddell who was also on a 2016 voyage south, will share from a personal perspective. Shona was subsequently able to access the archives of the Alexander Turnbull Library in researching her latest book ‘Trial of Strength, adventures and misadventures of the wild and remote Subantarctic islands’.
She was able to obtain unpublished manuscripts and papers, including her great-great-grandmother Harriett Cripps’ 1852 certificate of baptism on the Auckland Island, as well as written accounts of life during the same era along with historical images of NZ’s sub-Antarctic islands.
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!
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Imagine a new smart TV, your next getaway or furniture for your new home. With more money staying in your pocket, it’s yours to spend!
Discover the lifestyle that awaits.
*Participating villages only, Terms and conditions apply.
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