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Soil ecosystems
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Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao

Explore our New Zealand science education resources

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Featured resources

Human impacts on marine environments

Article

Human impacts on marine environments

Throughout human existence we have relied on the oceans – for food, as a waste dump, for recreation, for economic ...

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Map of New Zealand' from space surrounded ocean

Article

Public Research Organisations

Aotearoa New Zealand’s public science institutes have merged into new entities. Check out their purposes and take a dip into ...

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Inhibiting nitrous oxide emissions

Article

Inhibiting nitrous oxide emissions

Dr Selai Letica, Kairangahau Matua with Bioeconomy Science Institute (formerly AgResearch) has concerns about the nitrous oxide emissions that contribute ...

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Monarch butterflies

Article

Monarch butterflies

New Zealand’s most identifiable butterfly is the monarch (Danaus plexippus). Originally from North America, it's found in many places around ...

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global map with coloured UV intensity data

Article

New Zealand skin cancer statistics

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in New Zealand. New skin cancers total about 97,000 per year, compared to ...

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Do you see what I see?

Article

Do you see what I see?

In this activity, students are asked to view some optical illusions and critique what they see.

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Popular topics

Macro close up of a water splash.

Topic

Water

Close up of Kuta, traditional weaving

Topic

Mātauranga Māori

Illustration of the human digestive system.

Topic

Human body

Tūī (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) with red flax flowers

Topic

Conservation

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Popular concepts

Cell diagram showing mitochondria.

Concept

Cells

A basking common skink on a rock in captivity.

Concept

Habitat

A cutaway tulip flower.

Concept

Pollination

Oven Gas burner with purple/blue flames.

Concept

Energy

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Latest resources

Map of New Zealand' from space surrounded ocean

Article

Public Research Organisations

Aotearoa New Zealand’s public science institutes have merged into new entities. Check out their purposes and take a dip into science history.

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Adding fish oil to food

Article

Adding fish oil to food

Discover how food technologists at the Riddet Institute are adding large amounts of fish oil to foods without affecting their ...

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New Zealand butterfly origins

Article

New Zealand butterfly origins

Butterflies make very poor fossils. They have no bones or other solid matter that can be preserved. Therefore, unlike other ...

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Peter Buck studying Paratene Ngata making an eel basket.

Article

Mātauranga Māori and science

Mātauranga Māori is a modern term for the combined knowledge of Polynesian ancestors and the experiences of Māori living in ...

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The water cycle – timeline

Article

The water cycle – timeline

In the future, water may be our most valuable commodity. Understanding the water cycle – the continuous movement of water ...

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groups of people at beach sunbathing on the sand and frolicking in the surf

Teacher PLD

You, me and UV – unit plan

The hole in the ozone layer is a problem for all New Zealanders because it allows greater levels of potentially ...

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Upcoming events

auckland

Monarch Butterfly release at Auckland Botanic Gardens

22 Feb 2026

Come along and witness hundreds of monarch butterflies take flight. This free, family-friendly event, held in partnership with Franklin Farms ...

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otago, canterbury, southland, nelson, marlborough, west Coast

Life Behind The Lens with Doug Allan

24 Feb 2026 - 16 Mar 2026

Doug Allan, the award-winning cameraman whose TV credits include Blue Planet, Planet Earth and Frozen Planet, is touring New Zealand's ...

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otago

Urban sea lions and their guardians

24 Feb 2026

Previously wiped out from the mainland, pakake/New Zealand sea lions have been breeding on Otago and Southland shores for over ...

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View all events

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