20/12/2025
"W**ds are everywhere in Aotearoa New Zealand. They creep along roadsides, smother forest edges, clog waterways and hydrodams, and quietly take over harbour hillsides. Most of us just see green.
In this conversation, Professor Margaret Stanley, recently recognised as Science Communicator of the Year, helps us see what is really going on in that green backdrop. She explains what makes a plant a w**d, why only a small fraction of introduced species become invasive, and how new w**ds continue to “jump the fence” from gardens, forestry, horticulture and houseplants.
We look at problem species like banana passionfruit, ragwort, agapanthus, climbing asparagus, aquatic w**ds and more. Margaret talks through the tools we currently have, from herbicides and hand-pulling to biocontrol agents like beetles and rust fungi, and why each tool has limits.
The episode also explores how climate change will shift w**d ranges, why aquatic w**ds are so hard to manage, and how nursery choices, urban planting and cultural values shape the plants around us. Above all, it highlights the role of communities in early detection and prevention through tools like iNaturalist, local council programmes and on-the-ground volunteer mahi."
Hear the discussion: https://bioprotection.org.nz/under-the-lens-podcast-2025-ep05/
Great to hear the mention of the role of communities using tools like iNaturalist. And good to hear one of the speakers mentioning STAMP.
Episode 5: What is green blindness really hiding? We explore the growing w**d problem across Aotearoa New Zealand. Professor Margaret Stanley joins us to explain how w**ds spread, why new...
