Birdstories
New Zealand birds – their discovery, their place in both Pākehā and Māori worlds, their survival and conservation, and the illustrations and art they have inspired.
Wednesday 12th June
Te Ahumairangi, Ground Floor, National Library of New Zealand.
12.10 – 1pm
Free
In 1873, Walter Buller’s A History of the Birds of New Zealand introduced our extraordinary birds to the world, and in doing so led many New Zealanders to appreciate them for the first time. This talk draws on Geoff Norman’s book Birdstories, which builds on that legacy, describing the birds’ origins and discoveries, their place in Māori and Pākehā culture. He also looks at changing attitudes and strategies to ensure their conservation and survival, and illustrates his account with how they have been depicted throughout the centuries - the earliest moa hunters’ rock drawings, the watercolours of Cook’s draftsmen, the 19th century ‘fine bird book’ lithography, and the work of our contemporary artists.
Geoff Norman was born in Wellington and has a background in science and environmental studies. He has been involved in publishing for over 30 years, designing, typesetting and producing books.
His first book, Buller’s Birds of New Zealand: the complete work of J G Keulemans, was published in 2012. It was the New Zealand Herald’s Book of the Year in 2012 and a finalist in the 2013 NZ Post Book Awards. BIrdstories, published in 2019, was shortlisted for the Okham New Zealand Book awards.
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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37.6% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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62.4% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Age Concern are looking for Volunteers in the Northern Suburbs
Our Companion Walking Service provides one-to-one assistance for people who find walking on their own difficult or could you make a difference by being a regular weekly visitor to someone in your area.
We have a particular need for volunteers in the Northern Suburbs, please consider volunteering as we have seniors waiting for a companion.
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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