The kiwi, New Zealand's national emblem, is a flightless bird with hair-like feathers and a long, slender bill which it uses to pull worms and insects out of the ground. Found only in New Zealand, it is active at night in the wilderness areas of the country. New Zealanders often refer to themselves as Kiwis, and the term is also used as a short form for the famous kiwifruit. On the stock exchange, the New Zealand Dollar is also referred to as 'the kiwi'.
New Zealand (NZ) is a biodiversity hotspot with a large number of endemic species - 1865 plants, 63 bird species, 47 skinks/geckos, 2 tuataras, 2 bats, and 4 amphibians and a large number of invertebrates, fish, and marine species.
NZ is known as “clean and green” but faces many environmental challenges to retain its unique natural heritage. Since Maori first stepped onto the land nearly 800 years ago, and after European colonization over 200 years ago, humans have dramatically impacted NZ and many remaining species are in danger of going extinct.
Not unlike many places around the world, developed urban and rural properties are situated near or in habitats that sustain native plant and animal communities. Conserving and restoring biodiversity in highly-modified environments is a struggle, and the focus of this course is to expose students to how “kiwis” have tackled this problem.
Students
*Learn about ways to conserve, manage and restore natural habitat and to promote biodiversity in urban and rural environments
*Examine the relationship among planners/policymakers, developers and the public and their roles in conserving biodiversity
*Explore the unique flora and fauna of NZ
