A love of nature is embedded deep within our concept of “New Zealand-ness”. But the rich diversity of what we describe as ‘nature’ is narrowing all the time. In a two-part investigation, Farah Hancock reports on Aotearoa’s vanishing species.
New Zealand has an abundance of endemic species found nowhere else in the world. Interwoven with our national identity, they’ve been immortalised in art and illustrations, graced currency, stamps, rugby jerseys, planes and souvenir tea towels. We’ve rested our Arcoroc coffee mugs on coasters depicting vistas wreathed in nature, and penned birthday reminders on calendars showing rocky forest streams with ribbons of water winding through them.
Research conducted on ‘New Zealandness’ by Practica in 2010 for advertising agency DraftFCB found our number one defining feature was our love of nature, which has a spiritual and soulful aspect to it. We see ourselves as inhabiting a lush, verdant country, with large tracts of parks, and flourishing flora, fauna and fungi.
But the statistics paint a different picture. Since human arrival, wildlife has suffered blow after blow. We’ve eaten away at their habitat, imported predators and weeds, failed to create laws to protect them, and now we’re turning the thermostat up on the world.
There’s a goal of zero human-induced extinctions from 2025 and beyond, but some experts are doubtful this will be met.
Without dedicated effort, other species unique to New Zealand may vanish from our wilds, only living on in the landscape paintings of Rei Hamon, or historical illustrations on coasters, tea towels and postcards for sale in souvenir shops. Others will be frozen in museum displays and scientific collections as memories of a New Zealand that once was.
* https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/in-depth-special-projects
