About

Species Aotearoa is a representative group of scientists from institutes holding natural history collections and conducting systematic and taxonomic research. It was established following the Royal Society Te Apārangi’s review of taxonomic collections with the aims of: 

• providing an interface between the taxonomy and systematics community and key end-users – nationally and globally,

• coordinating and developing the responses for Aotearoa to the goals outlined in the National Taxonomic Collections in New Zealand (2015) and Decadal Plan (2018),

• working with the sector and stakeholders to show the importance of taxonomy and biosystematics and its relevance to science, society, government and industry.

Membership

A Steering Group has been formed to represent the different institutions that hold collections, as well as spanning organismal expertise. It is composed of members who were nominated by fellow systematists and collection managers in New Zealand, as well as members of Te Tira Whakamātaki Māori Biosecurity Network. The current members of the Steering Group are: 

• Aroha Mead, Te Tira Whakamātaki Maori Biosecurity Network

• Clinton Duffy, Auckland War Memorial Museum

• Cor Vink, Lincoln University

• Geoff Ridley, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

• Jennifer Tate, Massey University

• Kareen Schnabel, NIWA Taihoro Nukurangi

• Leon Perrie, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

• Philip Edgar (interim Chair), Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Activities

Since the formation of the group in 2017, Species Aotearoa has contributed to several high-level documents. This includes providing:

• New Zealand perspectives to Discovering Biodiversity A decadal plan for taxonomy and biosystematics in Australia and New Zealand 2018–2027, a roadmap for the development of the sector across our region,

• taxonomic perspectives for Biosecurity 2025,

• responses to the State of Biodiversity, and the MBIE review of collections.

A workshop of 31 participants in 2017 identified a number of themes and issues across the biosystematic and taxonomic collections community. Our work programme addresses key issues through the formation of Working Groups that each focus on defined topics. These Working Groups will be composed of participants nominated by from the wider sector and community. Calls for participation will be made via this website and the email list.