For more than five decades, Alan Mark has been a voice for conservation in New Zealand. From his call in the 1960s for the establishment of tussock-grassland reserves in the South Island high country to his involvement in the 2011–13 campaign to save the Denniston Plateau from mining, he has been a passionate and effective advocate for the preservation of areas of ecological importance. Alan’s conservation activities have paralleled – and are informed by – a distinguished academic career as a botanist and ecologist. A member of Otago University’s Botany Department from 1955 until his retirement as Professor and Head of Department in 1998, he has run and participated in numerous research projects, taught and mentored thousands of students and published 200 academic papers. In Standing My Ground, Alan describes the challenges and achievements, the frustrations and successes that have made up his remarkable life, now in its ninth decade. A revered figure in the conservation movement, rewarded for his contribution by a knighthood in 2009, he has also endured his share of criticism and insult, which he has weathered with the support of Otago University and his family. As well as providing an important record of New Zealand’s conservation battles and documenting the life of an outstanding New Zealander, Standing My Ground is an inspiring reminder of the power of individuals to make a difference.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 284

Dimensions: 150 x 230 mm

Publication Date: 04-09-2015

Barking Mad, with outstanding illustrations by Nicola L Robinson, taps into the British passion for dogs by bringing together a unique collection of extraordinary, touching and sometimes bizarre but true stories covering sporting dogs (and hounds), military mascots, eccentric companions, war heroes and Royal dogs. Many of the best and most intriguing stories, some of which date back to the early 19th Century, have been discovered in long-forgotten books and magazines, but all reflect our enduring passion for man’s best friend. Stories include everything from the Labrador that saved its master from drowning to the hound that spent years travelling unaccompanied across England by train to the pooch that carried a penny to the local bakery every day to buy its own cakes.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 208

Dimensions: 138 x 216 mm

Publication Date: 20-06-2015

The flight campaign for the American space shuttle began on April 12, 1981, with the launch of STS-1 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and ended on July 21, 2011, with wheels stop of STS-135. During the 30 years and 135 missions in between, the program experienced triumphs and tragedies, amazed the world with its orbital exploits, and was frequently the subject of admiration, condemnation, pride, and despair. This book provides a detailed overview of the history of winged spacecraft and the development of the vehicle we call the "space shuttle," and provides a technical description of the orbiter, main engines, external tank, and solid rocket boosters. Two pages are dedicated to each of the 135 missions flown by the American space shuttle, including technical data, crew names, and photos of each mission. The Challenger and Columbia accidents are discussed, along with a discussion of what NASA did to fix the flaws and continue flying. The book concludes by covering the retirement of the vehicle and the delivery of the four remaining orbiters to their final display sites.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 336

Dimensions: 217 x 279 mm

Publication Date: 27-09-2019

There is increasing enthusiasm for using native plants in gardens throughout New Zealand. This book is aimed at helping gardeners and landscaping professionals to select and care for native ground cover plants in order to create low-maintenance, good-looking and sustainable gardens. As with other forms of gardening, ground cover planting is most successful and satisfying when thoughtfully planned, with plants chosen to fit the design objectives and scale of the area to be planted. Hasty, ill-informed choices aimed solely at easy care can result in gardens that need to be removed a few years later because the area has become overgrown or the plants are unsuitable for the site. The authors show how a carefully considered use of New Zealand native plants as ground cover can reduce maintenance in gardens of all sizes while creating an aesthetically pleasing environment. They suggest suitable ground cover plants, based not only on the species but also on the continuing development of the range of hybrids and cultivars that are now available to gardeners. Accompanied by more than 100 colour photographs, these suggestions will help with your plant selection. The book also covers important topics for preparing the ground, such as: What is a ground cover plant? Designing your garden Propagating New Zealand native ground cover plants Ground preparation - weeds, cultivation and herbicides

Bind: paperback

Pages: 108

Dimensions: 210 x 250 mm

Publication Date: 20-11-2014

Herbalist to King Charles I, John Parkinson (1567–1650) was a master apothecary, herbalist and gardener. Famous in his own lifetime for his influential books, his magnum opus was published in 1640, the Theatrum Botanicum, which ran to 1,788 large pages. The sheer scope and size was perhaps to prove the book’s downfall because, while it was much revered and indeed plagiarized, it was never reprinted and now has the status of an extremely valuable rare book. Parkinson was writing at a time when Western herbalism was at its zenith, and his skills as a plantsman combined perfectly with his passion for science, observation and historical scholarship. In this editor’s selection, Julie and Matthew have printed Parkinson’s clear and lively description of a chosen plant’s ‘vertues’ or healing properties, adding their own modern commentary and a contemporary take on his almost-forgotten herbal recipes. Busy herbalists, historians and gardeners will welcome this restoration and sensitive highlighting of Parkinson’s huge lost classic.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 256

Dimensions: 245 x 245 mm

Publication Date: 30-09-2014

After the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that shook Canterbury on 4 September 2010, the news media were quick to report, with understandable relief, that no lives had been lost. In fact, this first quake killed at least 3000 chickens, eight cows, one dog, a lemur and 150 aquarium fish, and that was only the first of a series of even more catastrophic quakes that were to follow, in which many humans and animals perished. Animals in Emergencies: Learning from the Christchurch Earthquakes provides a record of what happened to the animals during and after these quakes, and asks what we can learn from these events and our response to them. The accounts of professionals and volunteers involved in the rescue, shelter and advocacy of the city's animals post-quakes are presented in the first part of the book, and are followed by the tales of individual animals. These accounts provide an honest and compelling historical record of how Christchurch's seismic activity affected human-animal relationships in both positive and negative ways. We share our lives with a variety of companion animals, including dogs, cats,horses, fish, birds, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs and turtles, and the stories of how the Canterbury earthquakes affected these animals are absorbing, sometimes heart-breaking and often heart-warming. The book also reports on the fate of urban wildlife such as hedgehogs, eels and seabirds, in the aftermath of liquefaction and other damage caused by more than 20,000 aftershocks since the first major earthquake, and considers the particular risks to animals most vulnerable when disasters strike - those confined on farms and in laboratories. Animals in Emergencies shows the importance of human-animal relationships for healing and rebuilding damaged lives, reminding us that as our animals help us cope during times of crisis, they also depend on us. This book urges us not to overlook animals in emergencies and provides helpful and practical advice on how best to prepare for their safety and welfare should the worst happen.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 288

Dimensions: 170 x 230 mm

Publication Date: 20-11-2014

Soon after the introduction of cocksfoot to Banks Peninsula in the mid-19th century, Akaroa cocksfoot grass seed conquered the market - first in New Zealand, then in Australia, and finally in Europe. At the height of the industry, Akaroa cocksfoot was one of the most significant industries in Canterbury, with annual earnings for Banks Peninsula of more than $10 million per annum. It was responsible for the loss of almost all the Peninsula's unmillable forest. And yet, a generation or two later, the Akaroa cocksfoot seed industry has almost entirely disappeared. More than a century after the industry reached its peak, Vaughan Wood celebrates its remarkable story. The history of Akaroa cocksfoot is one that embodies many facets of Canterbury life: the farmers and harvesters, the seed merchants, and the engineering and transport firms. It was shaped by the science, politics and world-trade patterns of the time and is thus a story with more than just local interest, This fascinating narrative includes: * The history of the Akaroa cocksfoot seed industry, from the introduction of cocksfoot seed into New Zealand, through the start of its international success in the early 1880s and its peak around the turn of the 20th century, to the end of the industry in the 1950s and 1960s. * A detailed look at the industry in its heyday, following the journey taken by the seed from the growing crop to the traded commodity. * Recognition of the lasting legacy Akaroa cocksfoot has left on both the landscape and the local seed industry in New Zealand.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 148

Dimensions: 148 x 210 mm

Publication Date: 30-11-2014

Mt John University Observatory is New Zealand's only professional research observatory for optical astronomy. John Hearnshaw, a past director of the observatory, has delved into the observatory archives to write this engaging account of Mt John's fascinating history. Alan Gilmore, the recently retired observatory superintendent, has added to this with his personal recollections, having worked at the observatory for more than 34 years. Fifty years ago, in 1965, Mt John University Observatory was founded at Lake Tekapo in the Mackenzie Basin to take advantage of the favourable conditions for astronomy. Telescopes were installed, and in 1981 a lighting ordinance helped protect the site from light pollution. Astronomical research had been thriving on Mt John for 40 years when astro-tourism started to take off, largely due to the venture company Earth & Sky. Today Mt John is both a research observatory and a mecca for stargazing astro-tourists, who come to see the pristine landscape and the amazing dark night skies. It is one of the most beautiful astronomical observatories in the world, but also a place with an often turbulent history, having been rocked by personality battles, funding shortfalls, student demonstrations and on one occasion, a destructive fire. In spite of all that, its scientific work has been an outstanding success, and Mt John's research work, especially in stellar astronomy, is known and respected around the world. "Mt John - The First 50 Years: A celebration of half a century of optical astronomy at the University of Canterbury" is richly illustrated, with more than 180 figures, many of them outstanding landscape and nightscape photographs taken by the acclaimed Tekapo photographer, Fraser Gunn.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 216

Dimensions: 303 x 232 mm

Publication Date: 16-03-2015

The bee is probably the most written about species after the human race. As so many commentators through the ages have discovered, here is far more to the insect than its biology and life cycle. In Praise of Bees explores bees' place in human lives and imaginations, from cave paintings and inscribed clay tablets through to our contemporary world. This beautiful book's pages are filled with nuggets of bee science and practical beekeeping with carefully researched references to the role of these fascinating creatures in myth, religion, politics, philosophy and folklore. A rich variety of illustrations, ranging from Old Masters and scientific etchings to modern photographs appear throughout accompanied by a selection of verse, much of it the author's. The text is leavened with a dry wit, resulting in a scholarly but eminently readable exploration of bees, their complex society and their place in the world. This is especially relevant in view of concerns about their present plight and the ecological consequences.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 256

Dimensions: 180 x 260 mm

Publication Date: 30-09-2014

If your dog seems like a mission impossible, relax! This one-stop guide to understanding and curing your dog problems is here to help you on the way to owning a happy, loving dog that you will be pleased to see every morning. This latest book draws on a lifetime’s experience of solving dog difficulties – most of which Janet Menzies admits to have experienced personally at one time or another! So whether it is a simple problem of pulling on the lead, or the more complex issue of canine aggression, Psycho Dog has the solution. One stop guide to understanding and solving problems with your dog All dog owners have problems at one time or another Includes sections on aggression, bad behaviour, barking, biting, chewing, growlng, jumping up, pulling and dominance

Bind: paperback

Pages: 224

Dimensions: 189 x 246 mm

Publication Date: 28-09-2016