https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/events/norman-h-taylor-memorial-lecture-2025

Steve Wakelin is the 2025 New Zealand Society of Soil Science Norman H. Taylor Memorial award winner – in recognition of his outstanding contributions to soil science in Aotearoa.

Steve will present his lecture: “Past, present, and future of soil microbiology for New Zealand’s productive sectors: how managing soils for productivity could paradoxically benefit natural ecosystems by reducing land pressure”.

Steve is a soil microbiologist specialising in how below-ground microbial communities shape ecosystem function, soil and plant productivity, and resilience. His research combines molecular tools, ecological modelling, and field studies to understand how soil microbes respond to land use, climate, and management practices. He works for the newly formed Bioeconomy Science Institute and is based in Christchurch.

Palmerston North: 2 February 2026, 4:00 pm, Massey University, AH Lecture Block. Refreshments provided after the lecture. Please RSVP to C.W.N.Anderson@massey.ac.nz.

Crabs, lobsters, shrimp – they are Aotearoa New Zealand’s most famous crustaceans. Now meet the wider gang, from barnacles with superglue to slaters in the backyard. Explore the unique features of five marine crustaceans and take a dive into their world.

Adapted for survival in water and on dry land, the intricacies of these curious creatures are revealed by a digital microscope. Digital labels and five physical interactives extend the experience for visitors young and old.

The first scientific report of a colossal squid only came in 1925, when parts were discovered in the stomach of a sperm whale. Since then, only a few adult colossal squid have been reported, and only four have been recovered complete. Many, many other specimens are only parts recovered from the stomachs of whales, sharks and scavenging birds like the albatross.

Colossal Squid: Freaky Features! Te Ngū Tipua: Ngā Wāhanga Weriweri! centres around an interactive table displaying many different objects including the lens from an eye of the colossal squid, part of a tentacle, and a complete tiny squid; the miniature of its colossal relative. Touchable rotating models of a squid’s tentacle hook and the Colossal Squid's beak are also on display.

The exhibition also displays two documentaries which show life in the depths of the Southern Ocean, and how the most complete colossal squid ever found ended up at Te Papa.

The public will be able to continue the experience and learn beyond the exhibition with a new Te Papa Press book for children, Whiti: Colossal Squid of the Deep, and our online resources including a free downloadable colossal squid activity book.

https://events.humanitix.com/the-largest-land-animals-in-antarctica-dr-byron-adams

Antarctic Summer Science Lecture: The Largest Land Animals in Antarctica - Dr Byron Adams, Brigham Young University

Come along and learn more about Antarctic soil ecosystems and how they link to broader global questions about climate change, biodiversity, and stewardship. Antarctica emerges not as a frozen curiosity, but as a powerful natural laboratory and an early warning system for ecological change on a rapidly warming planet.
A talk for all audiences.  Everybody is welcome.

Antarctica is often imagined as a continent defined by ice, penguins, and vast emptiness. Yet in the ice-free landscapes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, one of the coldest and driest deserts on Earth, complex ecosystems persist in places that appear almost entirely lifeless.

This talk explores how and why life survives there, and what these systems can teach us about resilience, limits, and ecological change. Drawing on research from the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program, Dr. Byron Adams introduces audiences to the “charismatic megafauna” of terrestrial Antarctica. Not seals or penguins, but microscopic animals such as nematodes, tardigrades, mites, and springtails that dominate Antarctic soils and quietly control nutrient cycling, energy flow, and ecosystem functioning. 

The presentation traces how these organisms have endured extreme cold, desiccation, and repeated glacial cycles, the remarkable physiological strategies that allow them to shut down and restart life, and how long-term data now show that these communities are responding to contemporary climate change. Some species are declining, others are expanding, and the structure of entire ecosystems is beginning to shift in ways that were predicted decades ago. 

Set against the unique Antarctic context familiar to many Kiwis, this talk connects Antarctic soil ecosystems to broader global questions about climate change, biodiversity, and stewardship. Antarctica emerges not as a frozen curiosity, but as a powerful natural laboratory and an early warning system for ecological change on a rapidly warming planet.

Island Invasives 2026 is the fourth conference in the Island Invasives series started in Auckland, New Zealand in 2001.

The goal of the conference is knowledge transfer that enables accelerated uptake of eradication methodologies which will enhance biodiversity and the lives of people on islands around the world.

In February 2026 the conference returns to Auckland to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The conference continues its resolute focus on the complete eradication of invasive species of any taxa from islands or island-like bodies. Scholars and practitioners from around the world will convene to present on any aspect of this topic with their work published as peer-reviewed papers in the renowned conference proceeding series. Sponsors of the conference will have direct access to this global audience to promote their organisation and services.

Trainers, helpers, and maintainers from across Aotearoa engage with The Carpentries community in different ways but there is seldom a chance to learn from each other’s successes and challenges. This is why we host a day dedicated to networking and connection-building.

At Carpentry Connect events you can expect:

• An energizing update from the global Carpentries team
• Networking, games and icebreakers geared towards deepening community connections
• Open discussions on topics of interest (eg. how to maintain learner momentum after a running a Carpentries workshop, how to co-deliver Carpentries workshops, etc…)
• …and more!

Island Invasives 2026 is the fourth conference in the Island Invasives series started in Auckland, New Zealand in 2001.

The goal of the conference is knowledge transfer that enables accelerated uptake of eradication methodologies which will enhance biodiversity and the lives of people on islands around the world.

In February 2026 the conference returns to Auckland to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The conference continues its resolute focus on the complete eradication of invasive species of any taxa from islands or island-like bodies. Scholars and practitioners from around the world will convene to present on any aspect of this topic with their work published as peer-reviewed papers in the renowned conference proceeding series. Sponsors of the conference will have direct access to this global audience to promote their organisation and services.

The inaugural International  Biology of Deer Production Conference was held in Ōtepoti Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand in 1983. We believe 2026 is a great time to bring back, the now Deer Biology Congress, to the South Pacific after considerable change in the Aotearoa New Zealand and the global deer scene. AgResearch New Zealand and Deer Industry New Zealand are pleased to be the hosts of IDBC2026, being held at the University of Otago Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka.

We have chosen the theme of “Your Deer Here” to highlight the unique and unusual situation that cervids and people managing them experience in New Zealand. The New Zealand environment has lead to scientists and managers making a range of innovations and research that we believe will be of interest to the international deer biology community.

More info here 

Island Invasives 2026 is the fourth conference in the Island Invasives series started in Auckland, New Zealand in 2001.

The goal of the conference is knowledge transfer that enables accelerated uptake of eradication methodologies which will enhance biodiversity and the lives of people on islands around the world.

In February 2026 the conference returns to Auckland to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The conference continues its resolute focus on the complete eradication of invasive species of any taxa from islands or island-like bodies. Scholars and practitioners from around the world will convene to present on any aspect of this topic with their work published as peer-reviewed papers in the renowned conference proceeding series. Sponsors of the conference will have direct access to this global audience to promote their organisation and services.

The inaugural International  Biology of Deer Production Conference was held in Ōtepoti Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand in 1983. We believe 2026 is a great time to bring back, the now Deer Biology Congress, to the South Pacific after considerable change in the Aotearoa New Zealand and the global deer scene. AgResearch New Zealand and Deer Industry New Zealand are pleased to be the hosts of IDBC2026, being held at the University of Otago Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka.

We have chosen the theme of “Your Deer Here” to highlight the unique and unusual situation that cervids and people managing them experience in New Zealand. The New Zealand environment has lead to scientists and managers making a range of innovations and research that we believe will be of interest to the international deer biology community.

More info here 

Come along to the Cawthron Women in Science Talks held in collaboration with Nelson Science Society.

Celebrate the International Women and Girls in Science Day with this free event and hear from five inspiring wāhine about their journey into science and their incredible science mahi.

• Kati Doehring, Freshwater Ecologist at Cawthron Institute
• Jordan Elvy, Shellfish Aquaculture Research Assistant at Cawthron Institute
• Ulla von Ammon, Marine Biosecurity/Molecular Surveillance Scientist at Cawthron Institute
• Maren Wellenreuther, Science Group Leader at the Bioeconomy Science Institute and Professor at Auckland University
• Kay Booth, Executive Director of Hapai Public | Institute of Public Professionals Aotearoa NZ

Island Invasives 2026 is the fourth conference in the Island Invasives series started in Auckland, New Zealand in 2001.

The goal of the conference is knowledge transfer that enables accelerated uptake of eradication methodologies which will enhance biodiversity and the lives of people on islands around the world.

In February 2026 the conference returns to Auckland to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The conference continues its resolute focus on the complete eradication of invasive species of any taxa from islands or island-like bodies. Scholars and practitioners from around the world will convene to present on any aspect of this topic with their work published as peer-reviewed papers in the renowned conference proceeding series. Sponsors of the conference will have direct access to this global audience to promote their organisation and services.

The inaugural International  Biology of Deer Production Conference was held in Ōtepoti Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand in 1983. We believe 2026 is a great time to bring back, the now Deer Biology Congress, to the South Pacific after considerable change in the Aotearoa New Zealand and the global deer scene. AgResearch New Zealand and Deer Industry New Zealand are pleased to be the hosts of IDBC2026, being held at the University of Otago Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka.

We have chosen the theme of “Your Deer Here” to highlight the unique and unusual situation that cervids and people managing them experience in New Zealand. The New Zealand environment has lead to scientists and managers making a range of innovations and research that we believe will be of interest to the international deer biology community.

More info here