Rnz: Our Changing World

Smoke explosions. Fire tornadoes. Burning couches. It all happens in the fire lab: a purpose-built facility where researchers can safely set stuff on fire and study how it burns, for science. New Zealand experiences 4,500 wildfires every year, with the risk ramping up due to climate change. We visit the fire lab to watch a large gorse bush go up in flames and learn how this helps us prepare for future wildfires. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.In this episode:01:54–09:39 – Watching a gorse bush burn in the fire lab10:45–12:43 – Burning couches, smoke explosions and fire tornadoes12:44–19:08 – Mini burn experiments and how research is preparing for wildfires of the future19:08–23:32 – Kate's experience as a wildland firefighter in Canada…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

How do you go about dissecting the world’s rarest whale? In December 2024, images from a concrete room in Mosgiel, just south of Dunedin, spread around the world as a team of people spent a week doing a scientific dissection on a spade-toothed whale that had washed up five months before. Claire Concannon joins them to find out what’s involved, what they have learned, and how the arrangements between local iwi and visiting scientists enabled knowledge sharing. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

For nearly 30 years, researchers have been banding black petrel fledglings before they make their maiden migration to Ecuador. Only a handful of birds have ever come back. RNZ’s In Depth reporter Kate Newton travels to Aotea-Great Barrier Island to meet the birds, and the dedicated team trying to figure out the mystery of where they go. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Each year, five Prime Minister’s Science Prizes are awarded in the most prestigious New Zealand science awards. We explore the AgResearch science that got the top recognition this year and catch up with two of the other winners. Science Communication prizewinner Professor Jemma Geoghegan talks about the hundreds of interviews she’s done about viruses, and Future Scientist prizewinner Rena Misra explains her project exploring how a plant-fungus combination could have the potential to help clean up stormwater. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Guests:Professor Jemma Geoghegan, University of OtagoRena Misra, Epsom Girls’ Grammar School in AucklandDr Linda Johnson, Endophyte Discovery Team, AgResearchIn this episode:00:06–02:05: The main science prize was awarded to a group who have discovered a way to protect pasture ryegrass from pests.02:06–02:57: The winners of the Science Teacher Prize and the MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize.02:58–19:

With its steep sides, forested slopes and heavy rainfall, Fiordland has interesting ecosystems both above and below the water. Below the surface of the inner fiords, a variety of sponges, corals, and other filter-feeding animals cling to the cliff-like reefs. Claire Concannon heads to Doubtful Sound with a research team who are habitat-mapping the fiords to better understand what’s there, and how things are changing over time. They are also investigating the resilience of its iconic black corals to local landslides and marine heatwaves. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Guests:Professor James Bell, Victoria University of WellingtonMiriam Pierotti, Victoria University of WellingtonAmber Kirk, Victoria University of Wellington Learn more:Our Changing World visited Professor James Bell at the Coastal Ecology Lab in 2023 to learn more about sponges.The 2022 marine heatwave mentioned here led to one of the largest ever recorded sponge mass blea

Cooper’s orchid is New Zealand’s rarest and most elusive, with fewer than 250 plants left in the wild. It belongs to the group of potato orchids, which grow mostly underground as tubers – except for a brief period every few years when they push out a leafless stick with a few flowers. This largely subterranean lifestyle already presents a challenge, but saving this species is even harder because, like all orchids, the Cooper’s orchid can only produce seedlings with the help of the right soil fungus. After years of lab experiments to produce in vitro seedlings, botanists are now ready to boost dwindling wild populations. Guests:Dr Carlos Lehnebach, botany curator, Te Papa TongarewaDr Karin van der Walt, conservation advisor, Ōtari Wilton’s BushJennifer Alderton-Moss, plant conservation researcher, Wellington City CouncilLearn more:Read the article that accompanies this episode: Rare orchids reintroduced into the wild.Alison Ballance talked to Carlos Lehnebach about why some orchids smell like mushrooms and how

Kākahi are a keystone species in lake and river ecosystems, keeping the water clean by filtering one litre of water every hour. These native mussels once blanketed lakebeds across Auckland – but recent surveys found an alarming decline and disappearance across many lakes. A team of scientists and divers have mounted a rescue mission for one of the last remaining kākahi populations, trying to keep the mussels safe from invasive fish through all the steps of their complicated – and fascinating – life cycle. Guests:Madison Jones, Senior Healthy Waters Specialist, Auckland CouncilBelinda Studholme, Senior Biosecurity Advisor – Freshwater, Auckland CouncilEbi Hussain, Submerged Environmental and Aotearoa LakesAndrew Simpson, Global DiveLearn more:Read the article that accompanies this episode: A rescue mission saving rare freshwater mussels.Meet the bullies – the native freshwater fish that host the kākahi in their parasitic stage – in this 2023 episode recorded by Claire at Zealandia, where the fish have been tra

Claire Concannon spoke to RNZ's climate correspondent Eloise Gibson for the last episode of the Voice of the Sea Ice series. Listen to the full interview between Eloise and Claire in which they talk about the Paris Agreement, New Zealand's international climate commitments, and what we can do as individuals. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Guests:Eloise Gibson, RNZ climate correspondentLearn more:Read Eloise’s recent analysis about New Zealand’s international climate targets, or New Zealand's glacier loss. Eloise has also recently fact checked Winston Peters on climate accord, reported on our 2035 Paris Agreement target and delved into the recent uptake of solar demand in New Zealand.The Climate Action Tracker website keeps tabs on the targets and pledges of different countries and monitors whether they are on track to keep the world below 2 oC of warming (compared to pre-industrial temperatures).Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz f

Human-induced climate change is impacting Earth’s global systems, including ice melt in Antarctica. What is the world doing to combat it? Signed in 2016, the Paris Agreement is the current global plan to tackle it. Countries pledge different emission reduction targets and then produce their workings and homework about how they are going about it. Where does New Zealand fit in? Are we doing our bit as a nation? And should we be bothering with individual actions or is that simply a bait-and-switch tactic by those who want to delay real change?Guests:Eloise Gibson, RNZ climate correspondentDr Jess Berentson-Saw, Director of Narrative Research and Strategy, The Workshop Learn more:Read the article that accompanies this episode: Is New Zealand doing its bit in combating climate change?Read Eloise’s recent analysis about New Zealand’s international climate targets, or listen to this episode of The Detail.Eloise has also recently fact checked Winston Peters on climate accord, reported on our 2035 Paris Agreement tar

In February 2025, the world hit a new low for global sea ice extent. Arctic sea ice has been declining for several decades now, but Antarctic sea ice had been holding steady, until recently. With low summer sea ice extents for four years in a row, it appears that Earth’s warming has kicked Antarctic sea ice into a new regime. Claire Concannon speaks to scientists to understand what this means for Antarctica, what this means for us, and how they feel about it.Guests:Dr Natalie Robinson, NIWA Dr Jacqui Stuart, Victoria University of WellingtonDr Greg Leonard, University of OtagoDr Daniel Price, University of Canterbury and Kea AerospaceDr Inga Smith, University of Otago Dr Michelle LaRue, University of CanterburyLearn more:Read about the recent State of the Global Climate Report.The world’s biggest iceberg recently ran aground, but to get up close and personal, listen to the Voice of the Iceberg miniseries.The world is also experiencing ice loss from its glaciers. New Zealand’s glaciers have shrunk by 29% since

Penguins that return to the ice in the middle of winter to lay their eggs. Seals that use cracks in the ice to keep their pups safe. And fish that have antifreeze proteins to survive in the icy cold waters... Antarctic life is tough, and full of surprises. Scientists are keen to piece together the Antarctic food web puzzle to better understand the interconnections, and to enable smart conservation decisions. Guests:Arek Aspinwall, University of CanterburyDr Michelle LaRue, University of CanterburyProfessor Steve Wing, University of OtagoLearn more:Meet other seals and penguins with Peregrin Hyde on his journey to South Georgia Island as part of an Inspiring Explorers expedition.In ‘Best Journey in the World’ from the Voices from Antarctica series, Alison Ballance travelled to Cape Crozier with a team from NIWA studying the emperor penguins.This series was made with travel support from the Antarctica New Zealand Community Engagement Programme. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode b

What’s it like to live and work on the frozen ocean? A team of researchers is camping out on the sea ice to investigate the small critters that live on the bottom of the ice, and among the sloshy platelet ice layer just below it. From microalgae to krill, these tiny organisms hold up the big complex food web of Antarctica. Scientists are keen to understand these communities, and how they might shift as the sea ice cycle changes. Guests:Dr Natalie Robinson, NIWA Dr Jacqui Stuart, Victoria University of WellingtonDr Greg Leonard, University of OtagoLizzy Skelton, University of CanterburyDr Aimee van der Reis, University of AucklandSalvatore Campanile, Victoria University of WellingtonLearn more:Read the article that accompanies this episode: What lives in Antarctic sea ice?Dr Natalie Robinson spoke to The Detail in 2023 about the unprecedented sea ice conditions of that yearAlison Ballance's Voices from Antarctica series from 2020 explores what it’s like to live and work in Antarctica.This series was

Step out on the sea ice just outside New Zealand’s Scott Base with researchers studying the physics of its annual cycle. Each year a massive patch of ocean around Antarctica freezes and then melts again come summer – Antarctica’s heartbeat. In winter, the ice effectively more than doubles the size of this already massive continent, and it plays a huge role in controlling our planet’s climate.Guests:Dr Inga Smith, University of Otago Antonia Radlwimmer, University of OtagoProfessor Wolfgang Rack, University of Canterbury Learn more:Read the article that accompanies this episode, Monitoring and measuring Antarctica's heartbeat.Listen to Physics on Ice from 2021 with Emeritus Professor Pat Langhorne and Dr Inga Smith.Alison Ballance's Voices from Antarctica series from 2020 explores what it’s like to live and work in Antarctica.This series was made with travel support from the Antarctica New Zealand Community Engagement Programme. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode

Welcome to Antarctica - a land of ice, extremes, and ambition. From historic expeditions to modern day science projects, Antarctic exploration is a unique, and dangerous, experience. We meet one researcher involved in an epic journey across the largest ice shelf in Antarctica, mapping a safe route through a crevassed landscape for others to follow. Plus, we learn about the different types of ice found in this vast, frozen landscape. Guests:Dr Daniel Price, University of Canterbury and Kea AerospaceNgā Taonga Sound and Vision archival audioLearn more:Read the article that accompanies this episode.Daniel did the route-finding for the SWAIS2C project. Veronika Meduna flew out to the camp in the 2023/2024 season to report on their activities.Daniel has spoken to Morning Report about Kea Aerospace’s work developing a solar-powered aircraftHear about other ongoing research in Antarctica from the latest research season, including investigating new methane seeps, and giant glass sponges.Learn more about living, and w

Using acoustic tags and a network of receivers attached to the seafloor, researchers are tracking the movements of sevengill sharks in Fiordland. They want to understand how these apex predators adjust to changing ocean temperatures, particularly during marine heat waves. Plus, an international collaboration involving a high-tech German research vessel is exploring New Zealand’s deep-sea realm.Guests:Eva Ramey, PhD candidate, Victoria University of Wellington Dr Alice Rogers, Victoria University of Wellington Coastal Ecology Lab Dr Kareen Schnabel, NIWA Professor André Freiwald, Senckenberg am Meer Research Institute Dr Cornel de Ronde, GNSLearn more:Read the accompanying article. Listen to this 2016 episode about the Great white sharks of Australia and New Zealand.RNZ journalist Kate Green also hopped aboard the RV Sonne to find out about its technology and capabilities.This is not the first time the RV Sonne has been in New Zealand waters, one previous expedition also involved investigations of underwater v

People with ADHD often fidget more than those without. Why might this be? Does it help them focus? Or distract them further? An Auckland Bioengineering Institute researcher has teamed up with the Mātai Medical Institute in Gisborne to investigate this using advanced MRI techniques. And at Waikereru ecosanctuary, local birds are being enlisted in a trial to help speed up the regeneration of native bush.Guests:Professor Justin Fernandez, Auckland Bioengineering InstituteDr Gil Newburn, Mātai Medical Institute Professor Dame Anne Salmond, Waikereru EcosanctuaryLearn more:Read the accompanying articles: Recruiting the birds to bring back the bush and Why fidgeting might be a good idea.In 2017 Alison Ballance did a story about The 1769 Gardenwhere she spoke to the garden designer, curator and local botany expert.To learn about the Mātai Medical Institute, listen to The advances in MRI coming out of Gisborne from November 2024.The Mātai Medical Institute is also involved in research into recovery post meth addictio

The Eastern Whio Link project has been working to restore the whio or blue duck population in the rivers of the Waioeka Gorge. Sam Gibson, aka Sam the Trap Man, explains why he thinks the project has been so successful, and what he loves about these scrappy little ducks. Then, Professor Matthew Stott speaks to Claire Concannon about the complexities working on an active volcano in Antarctica, and what they hope to learn from the microbes they find there.Guests:Sam Gisbon, Eastern Whio LinkProfessor Matthew Stott, University of CanterburyLearn more:Read and see more photos in the accompanying articles: Searching for extreme life and Trapping to help wild whio.Head on to the slopes of Mount Erebus, and into an ice cave with Alison Ballance and Craig Cary in this 2011 episode. Matthew Stott also works with heat-loving microbes in Rotorua, including some that appear to have broken the ‘rule of thumb’ and are only found in New Zealand.Sam the Trap Man has also shared some yarns about bush life with RNZ’s Saturday

All around New Zealand, people are trying to make things just a little bit better for their communities. The 22 Environment Centres, or Hubs, found throughout the country aim to help with this. Claire Concannon visits the Tairāwhiti Environment Centre to learn about their three pou of waste minimisation, education, and biodiversity, and about the environmental projects they support. She also meets their close neighbours – Gizzy Kai Rescue – who are looking to balance the scales of local food waste and food scarcity. Guests:Steph Temple, Hub Coordinator, Tairāwhiti Environment CentreSam Rowland, Manager, Tairāwhiti Environment CentreLauren Beatty, Gizzy Kai RescueDr Sarah Boyle, Wai Connections TairāwhitiLearn more:Visit the websites of Tairāwhiti Environment Centre, Gizzy Kai Rescue, the Every Bite programme, the Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance, and Wai Connections.Learn about other food rescue programmes around the country, including in Hawke’s Bay and Porirua.Another conservation project in Tairāwhiti is aime

Trapping is hard mahi, especially on rugged terrain thick with vegetation. If you need to check a trap frequently to clear it and refresh the lure, the kilometres of bush bashing quickly add up. Plus, in areas where kea are found, trap options are limited by concerns for these curious and intelligent parrots. A team in Queenstown are investigating if the latest ‘smart’ traps – equipped with cameras, AI-powered to recognise specific targets, and networked so they can communicate and be operated remotely – might be the answer.Guests:Paul Kavanagh, project director, Southern Lakes SanctuaryPhillip Green, field and technical advisor, Southern Lakes SanctuaryLearn more:Country Life tagged along with the Halo project, part of Predator Free Dunedin, who are also trialling networked AI traps just north of the city.One of the Southern Lakes Sanctuary hubs at Makaroraisfocused on trapping to protect mohua, and they are trialling an AI method to identifyindividual birds by their song.In the Catlins, a team are battling

The summer science series continues with an episode from RNZ podcast Country Life. From a block of gorse-infected scrubland on Banks Peninsula, renowned botanist Hugh Wilson has spent half a lifetime growing Hinewai Reserve into a 1600-hectare paradise of regenerated native forest by leaving nature to it. Cosmo Kentish-Barnes visits to learn more.The Country Life podcast takes you all over the motu to hear the extraordinary stories of every day rural New Zealand. Hosted and produced by Sally Round, Cosmo Kentish-Barnes, Duncan Smith and Gianina SchwaneckeListen to more Country Life episodes.Guest:Hugh Wilson, botanistSign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details