Tom Saunders

What is taxonomy and why should we be concerned about its decline?

Tom — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 04:22:16 +0000

Update: A condensed version of this post is published on Newsroom.co.nz here. We may be alone. Our planet could be the only place in the universe where, over billions of years, matter became aware of itself. Despite the dazzling variety of life on Earth, all living things are united by the genetic material inside our...

How to separate BMSB from NZ stink bugs

Tom — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 20:32:15 +0000

Brown marmorated stink bug is a serious horticultural pest native to East Asia. It damages crops, infests ornamental plants, and seeks out shelter over the winter causing massive problems for homes and businesses. Fortunately we don’t have it in New Zealand yet, but in order to keep it out we need to know what it...

Better Biosecurity Conference 2018

Tom — Wed, 09 May 2018 23:32:50 +0000

I was in Wellington on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th May for the 2018 Better Border Biosecurity (B3) Conference. Everything ready for #B32018 plant border #biosecurity conference at Te Papa NZ tomorrow May 7 with 150 attendees and presentations from @MPI_NZ @PBCRC @BioHeritage_NZ @BioprotectionNZ @CEBRA_UoM @TiraWhakamataki @docgovtnz @SITplusPD @drjoluck @CSIROnews and more — B3 Director...