Here's the latest variant picture for New Zealand, to early March.

NB.1.8.1 "Nimbus" is in a tight battle with XFG.* "Stratus", with both finishing at 36%.

BA.3.2.* "Cicada" fell to 6%.

#COVID19 #SARSCoV2 #NZ #XFG #Stratus
🧵

I've just returned from our three day annual Biodiversity Coast-to-Coast field trip with our second year ecology course at #LincolnUniversityNZ. We traversed NZ's South Island east to west and back again. The students surveyed birds, plants, invertebrates, and mushrooms in 10 m by 10 m plots at seven sites along the way. The students have the time to explore and document the myriad of species they find.

This is now the 12th year we've been running this field trip, at the same sites with the same survey methods. We use the data in a lab later in the course to describe and discuss the patterns and trends in biodiversity.

I now have a pile of photos to sort and upload to our course project on #iNaturalist, as do our students. Here's a quick taste of the trip (which was excellent fun).

Big thanks to Lincoln Uni. lecturers @GodsoeWilliam and @frankashwood for coming along for the first time. It was *terrific* having them there sharing their expertise with the course.

#ecology #FieldTrip #universityFieldTrip #teaching #nz

Haha, the big #NZ news:

Breaking: New racecourse to look like a penis

https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/23-03-2026/breaking-new-racecourse-to-look-like-penis

European Goldfinch

#photography #birds #nz

This short sighted government is addicted to short term thinking.

* Ferry cancellations.
* EV subsidy cancelled.
* Clean car discount cancelled.
* Public transport half price cancelled.
* Auckland light rail cancelled.
* WFH cancellation.
* Public service cuts - particularly health and IT staff.
* Infrastructure build cancellations - 18,000 construction workers gone: loss in productivity, retraining, welfare.
* 3 Waters cancelled..
* Climate change resilience fund cancelled.
* Cancelled IRD report on what net high worth people were paying in tax. Report was two weeks away from being released.
* Cancelled Onslow pumped hydro storage feasibility study and then cancelled project.
* Initiated expensive LNG terminal for big business - subsidised/paid for by consumers.
* Smokefree legistation overturned.
* Tax cuts for tobacco companies.
* Research cuts (Wellington Science City).
* First Home grants cancelled.
* Warmer Kiwi Homes cancelled.

Many of these projects already had significant funding spent on them. Some incurred further costs due to cancellation. It's notable that these are mostly long-term prevention oriented or infrastructure related with high cost benefit ratios

#NZ #NZPol