Find out how we can protect our smallest insects
The big question when it comes to protecting our native insects is how to track them? Many of them are barely big enough to spot let alone carry a tracking device, but research from the University of Canterbury might have found the answer in harmonic radar. The project is led by Associate Professor Steve Pawson, he joined Jesse to explain how it could work.
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RNZ News
11 hours ago
- RNZ News
Mātauranga Māori science fair applies traditional thinking to modern-day problems
William Anaru said Te Arawa Lakes Trust always intended to expand the fair beyond Rotorua. Photo: Supplied/Cornell Tukiri A Rotorua-based science fair engaging tamariki in mātauranga Māori is expanding its registrations to the entire country for the first time. Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair is run by Te Arawa Lakes Trust and, this year, it will be held from 23-25 July at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre. Te Arawa Lakes Trust environment manager William Anaru (Te Arawa) said the fair began as an idea five years ago to engage more tamariki around Rotorua in science. "The science fair wasn't just aimed at your traditional western science model, we also incorporated mātauranga Māori, sustainable design, we've got an art component and, this year, we are looking at climate resilience." Since it began, the fair has grown significantly, with a huge variety of projects, from exhibits on rongoā Māori to a camera used to identify invasive catfish, he said. "Last year, the winner of the science fair, their team actually put in an exhibition that looked at whether or not Hinemoa could hear the flute of Tutanekai, when the sound was going across the lake, so the level of things that kids are testing these days is pretty remarkable." The team determined that, yes, [ Hinemoa could have heard Tutanekai's koauau] (flute) across the waters of Rotorua, although Anaru said, these days, there was a lot more background noise. "It's not just baking soda volcanoes - there's quite a lot of variety," he said. Anaru said Te Arawa Lakes Trust had always intended to expand the fair beyond Rotorua. This year, students as far afield as Fielding, Tokoroa, Auckland and Whangārei had entered. "We just want to continue to grow it and grow it and grow it, because some of the ideas that these kids have, they are pretty awesome to hear. "It's all about providing a platform for them to showcase their ideas and show it to an audience that is open to soaking up some of that stuff." Mātauranga Māori has assisted larger projects in the Rotorua, such as uwhi - a large harakeke mat that was used to suppress invasive weeds on the lake beds, he said. "There are definitely things that our ancestors - not just the ancestors of Māori, but from around the world - there's ideas that have been shared for thousands of years between different groups. "There's elements of all those ideas that input into modern science, as well as mātauranga, so I do think there are solutions for everything that we've got facing us." Anaru said people just had to be open and willing to adopt some of those ideas, and that was why they wanted to give children from around the North Island a platform to showcase their ideas. Whangamarino School principal Rehua Mihaka (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Rongomai) said they have been involved with the fair for the last two years. Last year, projects among the school students focussed on the water quality of Lake Rotoiti, which was right on the school's doorstep. "This was really good for our tuākana [older class] to actually monitor the mauri - or the life of our waters - how clean it was, how polluted it was and gauge what can we do as kaitiaki to fix te mauri o te wai." At this stage, Mihaka said having a hands-on experience might not mean a lot to the kids, but one day, they might look back, and realise the connection between water quality and health. "Ko te kōrero ka hoatu au ki ngā tamariki, ki te ora te wai ka ora te whenua, ka pērā hoki ki te ora te whenua ka ora te wai, ki te ora te wai me te whenua ka ora te tangata. "It's all about us giving back to our taiao [environment] and those are the sorts of teachings we want our tamariki to come away with." The fair definitely improves the tamariki's understanding of the western sciences, as well as mātauranga Māori, he said. When the kids see mātauranga Māori and western science being treated equally, they get very excited. "Ka tino harikoa ngā tamariki ki te kite i te tauritetanga o ngā mātauranga Māori ki tō ngā mātauranga pūtaiao. "They actually do get excited, when they find those findings within their studies." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
14 hours ago
- RNZ News
Lost satellite cost NZ extra $3m because of delays
Artist rendering of MethaneSat. Photo: Supplied / Environmental Defence Fund A satellite that has been lost in space cost taxpayers $32 million, $3m more than originally planned, because of delays. The extra cost was to staff a mission control that will now never be used to drive the satellite. Leading scientists say too few questions were asked before deciding to invest in the mission, and red flags were missed. However New Zealand Space Agency and scientists who worked on the mission say New Zealand has gained valuable experience. The Space Agency, which sits inside the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE), says multiple delays to the satellite's launch meant University of Auckland needed more money to keep employing staff at its mission control centre. The agency says $26m of the total was spent on New Zealand-based organisations. Delays to the launch pushed out the date when the university was meant to take over the mission control. The handover was then delayed another six months when the satellite was handed back to its manufacturer to work on unspecified problems. The handover was finally due to happen in late June, when the satellite was lost. The final cost to the government included $6m to the MethaneSAT organisation for flight software and other items, $12m to Rocket Lab for scoping and establishing the mission control, which it ran for the first year after launch, $6m to the University of Auckland to operate the mission control centre after Rocket Lab handed it over, and $6m to Earth Sciences NZ (formerly NIWA) for a science programme to measure farming's emissions methane from space. The final $2m was for MBIE to manage the programme. Earth Sciences NZ says the agricultural science programme already has a wealth of data and will continue as planned. The lead scientist for MethaneSAT says there's very little chance the satellite will be recovered. The mission is a collaboration with the US-based Environmental Defense Fund. Its chief scientist and MethaneSAT mission lead Dr Steven Hamburg said they did not know what caused the satellite to lose power and become unresponsive on 20 June. "There's a very small chance, we were able to observe it by using another satellite to look at it and it does not currently have power. We are working it, we continue to work it, but we have to be realistic the probability of recovery is diminishing." Hamburg said a group was investigating the cause. RNZ has been asking about problems with the satellite since September and was previously told its issues were "teething problems" . Hamburg said the MethaneSAT had been transparent, and the Space Agency said the mission had kept people as informed "as possible." However University of Auckland physics professor Richard Easther said the space craft carrying the methane detector "seems to have had fairly persistent and deep-seated problems, pretty much from launch." He said for most of the year it had been in orbit, it was not functioning properly. Associate Professor Nicholas Rattenbury of the Department of Physics at University of Auckland said he sympathised with those involved in the mission, but the question needed to be asked of whether New Zealand should have taken a closer look "under the hood" before investing in MethaneSAT. Dr Rattenbury questioned who was asking questions on behalf of taxpayers about the mission design, satellite construction and testing before the government committed the money. He said the science sector had "very limited resources" to spend. Space Minister Judith Collins has declined to comment on the loss or whether the public had been adequately informed during the mission. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
14 hours ago
- RNZ News
Find out how we can protect our smallest insects
science environment about 1 hour ago The big question when it comes to protecting our native insects is how to track them? Many of them are barely big enough to spot let alone carry a tracking device, but research from the University of Canterbury might have found the answer in harmonic radar. The project is led by Associate Professor Steve Pawson, he joined Jesse to explain how it could work.
