Showing 1–12 of 15 results
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An Extraordinary Land: Discoveries and Mysteries from Wild New Zealand
Artist/Author: Hayden, Peter (Author), Rod Morris (Photography)$45.00 Add to cartNew Zealand is an extraordinary land. It has been called ‘the closest thing to life on another planet’ and ‘a planetary lifeboat’. The main reason behind this land’s uniqueness is that the islands have remained an isolated outpost for life in the midst of the ocean. this isolation has been a huge advantage. It has turned New Zealand into a wild laboratory where evolution could conduct experiments that led to weird and wonderful outcomes. And this uniqueness has also made New Zealand a magnet for scientists from around the world; yet many locals have no idea what’s so special about their environment. These stories will present new Zealand’s wildlife as never before. It will solve some mysteries and explode some myths with the help of those at the front line of science and conservation.
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Austral Ark: The State of Wildlife in Australia and New Zealand
Artist/Author: Stow, Adam(Editor), Norman MacLean (Editor), Gregory I Holwell (Editor)$75.00 Add to cartAustralia and New Zealand are home to a remarkable and unique assemblage of flora and fauna. Sadly though, by virtue of their long isolation, and a naïve and vulnerable biota, both countries have suffered substantial losses to biodiversity since European contact. Bringing together the contributions of leading conservation biologists, Austral Ark presents the special features and historical context of Austral biota, and explains what is being conserved and why. The threatening processes occurring worldwide are discussed, along with the unique conservation problems faced at regional level. At the same time, the book highlights many examples of conservation success resulting from the innovative solutions that have been developed to safeguard native species and habitats in both New Zealand and Australia. Austral Ark fills an important gap regarding wildlife gains and declines, and how best to take conservation forward to keep this extraordinary area of the world thriving.
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Wild Sea: A History of the Southern Ocean
Artist/Author: McCann, Joy$33.00 Add to cartUnimpeded by any landmass, the mysterious Southern Ocean flows completely around Earth from west to east between the seasonally shifting icy continent of Antarctica and the coastlines and islands of Australia, New Zealand, South America and South Africa.
Weaving together sea captains’ journals, whalers’ log books, explorers’ letters, scientific research and ancient beliefs with her own voyage of discovery, Joy McCann reveals the secrets of a little-known ocean.
Wild Sea explores a little-known ocean and its emerging importance as a barometer of planetary climate change
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Our Big Blue Backyard: New Zealand’s Oceans and Marine Reserves
Artist/Author: Hunt, Janet.$60.00 Add to cartA landmark book about New Zealand’s marine reserves that connects readers to New Zealand waters. Written by award-winning natural history writer Janet Hunt, this book examines New Zealand’s 34 marine reserves, and the need to protect and preserve our seas and foreshores in their natural state. Each chapter contains features about outstanding plants, birds, fish, mammals, invertebrates and crustaceans as well as interviews and items of interest about people associated with marine conservation such as divers, underwater camera operators and marine biologists. From New Zealand’s most distant marine reserves (the Kermadecs and the Auckland Islands) to the Poor Knights, and from the five reserves of the Hauraki Marine Park to the ten reserves of Fiordland, this book also covers New Zealand’s marine animals and their unique environments. It’s a fascinating tale, with stories of conger eels prowl for sleeping fish, mass gatherings of fish, tropical turtles, the snatch-and-grab habits of gannets and much much more. Based on a six-episode television series made by Natural History New Zealand and which is to be screened on TVNZ in late 2014 but it goes much further than the six episodes go. This entertaining, beautiful and engaging book about our little-known backyard oceans, the place where the world’s largest marine predators and weirdest fish live, covers a wide variety of life from the sub-tropical seas to the sub-Antarctic oceans. It makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the sometimes contested waters that surround us.
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Wild Dunedin: the natural history of New Zealand’s wildlife capital.
Artist/Author: Peat, Neville and Brian Patrick.$45.00 Add to cartHome to an amazing range of habitats and landscapes, Dunedin city and its environs boasts a great diversity of plants, animals, birds, insects and geological features. From the ocean, with its albatrosses and penguins, to the high alpine zone of inland ranges, this book introduces a magnificent natural environment. This brand-new fully revised edition of Wild Dunedin includes new and updated information and stunning new images, including a look at the new jewel in Dunedin’s natural history crown, Orokonui Ecosanctuary. A must-read for visitors and Otago residents alike.
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New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity, Volume Three: Kingdoms Bacteria, Protozoa, Chromista, Plantae, Fungi
Artist/Author: Gordon, Dennis P., editor.$90.00 Add to cartThis volume is the third in the trilogy that provides a review and inventory of New Zealand’s entire living and fossil biodiversity – an international effort involving more than 220 New Zealand and overseas specialists and the most comprehensive of its kind in the world. Together, the three volumes list every one of the almost 55,000 known species of New Zealand’s animals, plants, fungi, and micro-organisms. These volumes are affiliated with Species 2000, an international scientific project with the long-term goal of enumerating all described species on Earth into one seamless list – the Catalogue of Life, a kind of online biological telephone directory. To date, only New Zealand has compiled a checklist of its entire living and fossil biota. Approximately 52% of this country’s species are endemic – found only in New Zealand’s freshwater, marine, and land environments. We have a responsibility to the global community to preserve this unique heritage or taonga. But further than that, all of our species – including many of the naturalised aliens included in the survey – are important to New Zealand’s economy, ecology and well-being.
Written for the advanced high-school and tertiary-level reader, these volumes are also intended to be a kind of ‘Cooks Tour’ of the kingdoms and phyla of life that will, it is hoped, provide an appreciation of the wondrous diversity of nature. Volume one [31469] and volume two [32943]. -
Collins Field Guide to New Zealand Wildlife
Artist/Author: Lindsey, Terence and Rod Morris.$40.00 Add to cartFirst published in 2000, the Collins Field Guide to New Zealand Wildlife quickly became a classic of its kind. Familiar to both national and international travellers keen to identify the birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, freshwater fish and invertebrates commonly encountered in this country, its combination of authoritative yet clear and precise textual descriptions and stunning photographs proved an instant winner. Now this classic field guide has been updated and extended to make it even more useful to travellers with an interest in natural history and ecology. Retaining its useful glovebox-friendly format, the significantly expanded text will also include the latest research findings and changes in classification and nomenclature that have occurred since the original publication, along with new photographs where appropriate. Including both native and introduced species, each entry succinctly describes both habits and habitats, distribution, classification, breeding patterns, food and recognition tips to assist amateur identification. A wonderful addition to any natural history collection.
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New Zealand inventory of biodiversity, volume two: Kingdom Animalia: Chaetognatha, Ecdysozoa, Ichnofossils.
Artist/Author: Gordon, Dennis P., editor.$90.00 Add to cartThis volume is the second of three that provide a complete review and inventory of New Zealand’s entire living and fossil biodiversity. Volume 2 deals with the major branch of the animal kingdom known as Ecdysozoa (moulting animals), which includes arachnids, centipedes and millipedes, crustaceans and insects. It also includes the enigmatic phylum Chaetognatha (arrow worms) and concludes with a chapter on the fossil traces – ichnofossils – of ancient animal activities.
All three volumes are affiliated with Species 2000, an international scientific project with the long-term goal of enumerating all known species on Earth into one seamless list – the Catalogue of Life, a kind of online biological telephone directory. To date, only New Zealand has compiled a checklist of its entire biota. Approximately 52% of this country’s species are endemic – found only in New Zealand’s freshwater, marine, and land environments. We have a responsibility to the global community to preserve this unique heritage or taonga. But further than that, all of our species – including many of the naturalised aliens included in the survey – are important to New Zealand’s economy, ecology and well-being.
Written for the advanced high-school and tertiary-level reader, these volumes are intended to be a kind of ‘Cooks Tour’ of the kingdoms and phyla of life that will, it is hoped, provide an appreciation of the wondrous diversity of nature. This series is the result of an international effort involving more than 220 New Zealand and overseas specialists and the most comprehensive of its kind in the world. Volume one [31469] and volume three [34438].
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Chatham Islands: heritage and conservation.
Artist/Author: Miskelly, Colin.$40.00 Add to cartThis much anticipated revised and expanded edition describes the Chatham Islands, with particular emphasis on their geology, flora, fauna, habitats, and extinct and endangered species – both on the land and in the sea. It gives an introduction to the history of the islands and a guide to the many reserves and covenants that have been set up to protect and conserve the islands’ heritage. Profusely illustrated with an outstanding selection of colour photos, artwork and maps, as well as historical photographs.
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A continent on the move: New Zealand geoscience into the 21st Century.
Artist/Author: Graham, Ian.$60.00 Add to cartAdrift in the South Pacific Ocean, separated from the rest of the world by vast distances and blessed with some of the most varied and spectacular natural landscapes on Earth, New Zealand is rather special. Generations of geoscientists have developed an increasing understanding of what makes New Zealand geologically unique and why. Highlights of this research, including many discoveries of global significance, are presented in this book. It explains what makes New Zealand tick geologically, and illustrates the ways that geoscience research can make New Zealand a better place in which to live.
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A checklist to New Zealand birds, frogs, reptiles, mammals and butterflies.
Artist/Author: Wilson, Kerry-Jayne.$16.00 Add to cartThis pocket checklist includes all the species of birds, frogs, reptiles, mammals and butterflies that currently have wild populations in New Zealand, plus vagrant species that have been reliably recorded here during the last 25 years. It will enable birdwatchers and naturalists to keep records of the species they see during field excursions in New Zealand.
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Great Barrier Island.
Artist/Author: Armitage, Don.$40.00 Add to cartThis book describes Great Barrier Island’s, New Zealand, history and natural features, including flora, fauna, habitats and endangered species, both terrestrial and marine.
