One of the fun things about working in an ecology department at a university is being surrounded by people who are *really, really good* at finding interesting critters.

On Thursday we took our annual first year ecology course field trip to Ōtamahua/Quail Island. That's a reserve in the middle of Lyttelton Harbour, where the pest mammals (except mice) have been removed and lots of trees have been planted. It was a great day.

Here's entomology Masters student George Gibbs, a genius at finding insects, with one of a pair of mating stick insects that he found.

And, here's Jennifer Gillette, our talented herpetologist, with two native geckos she found. (Don't pick up geckos. Jennifer has training and a permit from the Department of Conservation to handle these.)

#LincolnUniversityNZ #nature #insects #geckos #NZ #CanterburyNZ #QuailIsland #Ōtamahua

_The Evening Post_, 23 April 1925:
         NEW ZEALAND LEPERS
   TO BE TRANSFERRED TO FIJI.
                        ——
 Some time ago it was announced that an arrangement had been arrived at with the #Fiji Government for the concentration of all lepers from British colonies in the Pacific at the Mokagai leper station, Fiji.
  On Quail Island, #Lyttelton Harbour, there are nine lepers consisting of four Maoris, two Chinese, and three Europeans.
  The Minister of Health (the Hon. Sir Maui Pomare) stated to-day that it had been decided to close the Quail Island station and transfer the lepers from there within the next two or three months. The cost of their maintenance at Fiji would be borne by the New Zealand Government. All the patients had consented to go to Fiji.
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19250423.2.68

#OnThisDay #OTD #PapersPast #Leprosy #Lepers #Leprosaria #QuailIsland #Canterbury #NewZealand