VOLUNTEER

Explorers, shipwrecks, coastwatchers and lost gold - birds of the Auckland Islands. Nature Talks is back. These evening talks, held on the third Tuesday of every second month, focus on topics related to New Zealand’s environment, natural history, and their conservation. Fortunately, only one of this year’s scheduled talks was lost during the April–May Covid-19 lockdown. This month’s speaker is Dr Colin Miskelly, Curator of Vertebrates at Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of New Zealand, who will talk about the birds of the Auckland Islands, a topic on which he is the world’s expert.

His talk, entitled Explorers, shipwrecks, coast watchers and lost gold – the ornithology of the Auckland Islands, examines the history of discovery and research on the birds of the Auckland Islands (Maukahuka/Motu Maha). These are the largest of the five groups of islands making up New Zealand’s subAntarctic territory, one of the IUCN’s World Heritage Sites. Until this year, there had been no comprehensive account of the birds recorded on these islands, despite the presence of several species found only there, at least one of which is now sadly extinct.

To correct this, Dr Miskelly examined more than 23,000 accounts of birds found from 1807 to the present in the letters, diaries, notes and reports of early explorers, shipwrecked sailors, sporadic settlers, coast-watchers, researchers, and others who have visited these islands. Three-quarters of these records had never previously been published. He identified at least 45 breeding species and a further 77 seasonal migrants, vagrant or failed colonisers.

This synthesis and the historical background of the material examined was published recently in the book Lost Gold – Ornithology of the subantarctic Auckland Islands (produced by Te Papa Press in conjunction with Ornithological Society of New Zealand), and forms the core of this talk.

The talk will be given in the Davis Lecture Theatre, Whanganui

Regional Museum, on Tuesday, June 16, starting at 7.30 pm. All the required protocols for protecting attendees against Covid-19 will be adhered to, including asking visitors to sign-in so that they can be tracked and traced, if necessary. Entry is free although a gold-coin koha is always welcome from those who can afford it.

Nature Talks, organised by three local environmental groups in conjunction with the Whanganui Regional Museum — Birds New Zealand (Whanganui Region), the Wanganui Museum Botanical Group, and the Whanganui branch of Forest & Bird — are held on the third Tuesday of every second month.

Volunteer Whanganui supports 105 not-for-profit organisations with volunteers. Here are some positions that are available:

■ Foodbank Worker

■ Indoor Bowls/ Bocce Coach

■ Health Shuttle Companion

■ General Grounds Handyman

■ Volunteer Whanganui Raffle Sellers

■ General Grounds Handyman

■ Control Tower Cab Host

■ Meals on Wheels Driver

■ School Sailing Co-ordinator

■ Smartphones/ Tablets Tutor

■ Bookshop Assistant

■ Tandem Bike Pilot Rider

■ Ground Maintenance Worker

■ Driver

■ Visiting Older People

■ Library Assistant

■ General Handy Person

■ Gardener

■ Crisis Line Operators

■ Wanganui Community Patrol

■ Sports Coaches

■ Communications Administrators

■ Tram Conductors/ Motorman

■ Recreation Support Assistant

■ Craft Room Group Assistant

■ Health Shuttle Driver

■ Horse Groomer & Handler

■ Op Shop Assistants & Drivers

If you are interested in any of these Volunteer positions please come and see us.

Room 106, 60 Ridgway St, Community House, Wanganui

Opening hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm. Ph (06) 3479430

whanganuivolunteercentre@xtra. co.nz

Auckland Island Snipe, one of several species of New Zealand snipe, is found on three of New Zealand sub-Antarctic island groups. Three of the six New Zealand snipe species are extinct, primarily due to predation by introduced mammals; the others are now confined to predator-free islands. Dr Miskelly is the world authority on this species. Picture / Dr Colin Miskelly