3-4 April 2024

Te Papa, Wellington

https://bioheritage.nz/crazy-ambitious-4/

Registrations are now open for the ‘must-attend’ landmark science conference with a difference, Crazy & Ambitious 4, championing exciting innovation, inclusive collaboration, and impactful research to protect Aotearoa’s biological heritage. Join the ‘movers and shakers’ and the best and brightest minds across the public service and private sectors, research institutes and universities, mana whenua and communities – all involved in enhancing Aotearoa’s biosecurity and protecting the natural heritage that makes New Zealand uniquely New Zealand at the two-day event in Wellington this April. 

BioHeritage National Science Challenge’s fourth (and final) conference at Te Papa in April 2024 is a science conference like no other. Showcasing new approaches, bold achievements, and empowering engagement of the last decade, the conference will ask the question: what next – how can we build on this momentum?

Past events in 2017, 2019, and 2022 have brought together representatives from over one hundred different stakeholders and organisations, including policy and management agencies, CRIs and IROs, industry and entrepreneurs, communities and NGOs, Māori and iwi, international and influential experts. The conference provides a wonderful opportunity to connect not just with key decision-makers, thought leaders, the media, sector experts and agency heads, but also with a wide range of Māori leaders, knowledge holders and researchers from across the motu, as well as world-leading researchers and early-career scientists – the implementers of innovation and our future leaders in science.

Where did the edgy conference name come from?

The conference series upholds the aspirations of the Kiwi physicist and New Zealander of the Year the late Sir Paul Callaghan, who in 2012 suggested eradicating introduced predators on mainland New Zealand could be our equivalent of the Apollo moon landing. “Let’s get rid of the lot,” he said. “It’s crazy and ambitious but I think it might be worth a shot.” We take inspiration from those words of encouragement. 

Speakers include Tame Malcolm, Department of Conservation’s Deputy Director-General Treaty Partnerships – “The mātauranga of conservation” and Estelle Pura Pera-Leask – “The Journey to Predator Free Rakiura – Te Punga o Te Waka A Maui ” – will Rakiura Stewart Island be the anchor that leads the way and holds fast to the promise of a Predator Free Aotearoa by 2050.

More information and registration links at: https://bioheritage.nz/crazy-ambitious-4/