ScienceNZ - The Value of Science Discovery

The town of Kawerau in the Eastern Bay of Plenty (EBoP) is unique. It boasts the world’s largest application of geothermal energy for industrial use, and provides the ideal environment and support for companies pursuing a sustainable way of operating.

“Kia mau ki te whenua, hei oranga mo te iwi” – “Hold onto the land as sustenance for our people”, is the vision statement of Rotomā No. 1 Incorporation (Rotomā). The incorporation manages over 1,200 hectares of forest surrounding Lake Rotomā on behalf of more than 2,000 shareholders that whakapapa (have family connections) to it.

Biosecurity officials receive over 10,000 reports of suspected new pests and diseases in New Zealand every year.

In a world first, the Scion Forest Genetics Team in collaboration with Massey University has completed a draft assembly of the radiata pine genome. At 25 billion base pairs, the radiata pine genome is eight times the size of the human genome, and its sheer size was a substantial challenge to researchers.

“Collectively, the 14-16 000 small- and medium-scale forest growers are the largest forest owning group in New Zealand – but when it comes to measurement they don’t have easy access to the benefits provided by research outputs, and the economies of scale that come with larger plantations,” says Jonathan Dash, remote sensing scientist at Scion.

Wood is the world’s most used renewable resource. We rely on it for building materials, heating sources, musical instruments, modes of transport, clothes and packaging. But, are the full benefits of wood being realised?

One of the challenges I was told I would face when I started at Scion was that despite being the third largest export revenue earner forestry was never talked about by government ministers.

Mclea is is the only New Zealander who will this week attend meetings organised by the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development as a special advisor.

All of ESR’s laboratories are open for business as usual until 12 noon on Friday 22 December and will reopen 8am on Wednesday 03 January 2018.

A new book has just been published that updates the geology of New Zealand and our offshore islands mapped at a scale of one to one million. It updates and replaces earlier publications at the same scale.

After racing badgers to wasp nests last year, and losing half the time, I decided to schedule this year’s collecting trip a few weeks earlier in the year, starting in late northern hemisphere summer. I started the trip in Leuven, Belgium, where I teamed up with colleagues at KU Leuven who specialise in the evolution of sociality in bees, wasps and ants.

Four seasons with a little bit of everything. It started with the bummer summer… then came the fires, rain, flooding and a very weird November. But it’s all in a year of weather as NIWA wraps up the seasonal highlights.

Agronomist Shane Maley from Plant & Food Research has been named this year's Researcher of the Year by the Foundation for Arable Research.

Over 100 professionals from 40 different countries have agreed that sustainable wood value chains are relevant for all 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Explore forest science this summer at a new, fun and family friendly exhibition installed by Scion at Rainbow Springs Nature Park in Rotorua.

The international building design industry is in the midst of a wood revolution according to Scion’s Sustainable Architect Andrea Stocchero.

Alexia Hilbertidou is an outstanding Eureka! finalist and winner of the Treasury Scholarship. Science New Zealand sponsors the Eureka! Sir Paul Callaghan Awards and the regional and national finals for 2017 are coming up. www.eureka.org.nz

The annual horticultural statistics booklet, Fresh Facts is out now. Horticultural products now generate $5.1 billion in export revenues. Copies of the booklet series, dating back to 1999, as well as the new Fresh Facts app are available.

Well done to the 2017 Winner of the ACC Workplace Safety Award - NIWA New Zealand.

NIWA crews spend a lot of time out on the water, but there has not been a serious injury on the big boats in years.

Rotorua iwi Ngāti Whakaue have been working with Scion scientists to deliver a unique educational project that merges our science and innovation with traditional Māori knowledge.