A lethal strain of bird flu reached our shores in July, carried by an infected seagoing brown skua. The virus has devastated wildlife populations overseas; what could its arrival mean for native Aotearoa New Zealand birds and mammals? NZASE talks to Dianne Brunton, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Auckland, to find […]
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The Southern Alps are anything but frozen wastelands. West Coast glaciers teem with microscopic animals, including plump, snub-nosed tardigrades whose lineage stretches back more than 500 million years. Four newly identified species offer a rare glimpse into life at high altitude, but what will happen as their icy homes retreat? NZASE speaks with University of […]
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On a remote island 800 kilometres east of mainland New Zealand, an ancient fish unearthed minutes from the school gates of Pitt Island School became a window into evolution, environmental change, and life 55 million years ago. NZASE chats with science communicator and geologist Jenny Stein, who explains how bringing local stories into the classroom […]
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In the food-starved abyss, being a bit dim can be a remarkably effective survival strategy: “If you can be stupid, it’s far more efficient,” says deep-sea fish zoologist Dr Thom Linley. Many scavenging fish spend their lives blundering about vast sandy plains in search of decaying morsels—a lifestyle which Thom says doesn’t demand a large, […]
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NZ Scholarship exams are designed to challenge some of New Zealand’s highest-achieving secondary students beyond the demands of NCEA. Many teachers wonder whether they have the time, expertise or resources to support NZ Scholarship students effectively. In this article, an experienced Scholarship Physics teacher, a Biology teacher new to Scholarship coaching, and a recent Scholarship […]
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For more than two decades, University of Waikato Honorary Fellow Dr Alison Campbell has been helping Year 13 students prepare for one of New Zealand’s toughest science assessments: NZ Scholarship Biology. Through online workshops, resources and a nationwide community of learners, she has helped students develop a more overarching approach to learning about Biology. But […]
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Entries have opened for the NZIC Analytical Chemistry Competition to be held at the University of Waikato on 16 June 2026. First team entries close on 22 May 2026. More information | Entry form For one day, school science labs are swapped for specialised equipment at the University of Waikato, as Year 13 students race […]
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To celebrate New Zealand Music Month, we chat to two educators bringing tunes into the classroom. Musician and teacher Tom McFadden creates raps about the inner workings of science, while teacher Emily Hall uses science songs to inspire her students. It was the ’90s, and the hallways of C. K. McClatchy High School in Sacramento—where […]
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Agribusiness is shedding its reputation as simply a pathway into farming. Today, students are combining science and business to discover diverse primary-sector careers. National Agribusiness Advisor Melanie Simmons chats with NZASE writer Ceana Priest about how the $62 billion industry offers pathways students may never have considered. For Melanie Simmons, the line that clinched her […]
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Science lives in the everyday — yet sometimes it gets delivered by folks in yellow t-shirts, knee-high socks and big grins who emerge from a van crammed with unexpected objects. Since 2011, the founders of Science in a Van, Emily and Alan Worman, have made over 1,500 visits to schools, early childhood centres, museums, libraries […]
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