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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield
@melanienewfield.bsky.social
2.8K followers 3.6K following 770 posts
Science and environment writer and communicator. Loves to talk about risk. Obsessed with plants and hopes to one day see every species of eucalypt. I make the science behind important issues accessible here: https://theturnstone.substack.com
theturnstone.substack.com
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 1d
It’s a while since I’ve shared any #sciart, so here’s a recent piece to accompany my article on the North Island kōkako. I’ve also included a piece from a year ago when I first started drawing to illustrate my articles.
A head portrait of a grey bird with a curved beak, black mask and blue wattles, with four sketches surrounding the portrait showing the bird in different poses. A diagram showing the host range of influenza A with very basic drawings of a duck, horse, human, pig and chicken. Plus influenza B with just a human coughing.
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 4d
Wellington details
Poster in yellow-green, green, teal and white. Networking Night Wellington, 15 October 5.30pm, Coco's Bar and Grill, 18 Willeston St, everyone welcome, nibbles provided, Science Communicators Association of New Zealand
melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 4d
Apologies, forgot alt-text again, it says SCANZ networking night, 15 Oct, 5.30 pm, lists the cities and says everyone welcome and nibbles provided.
melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 4d
If you're into science communication #Scicomm and are in Auckland, Hamilton, Napier-Hastings, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch or Dunedin, check out the networking night for the Science Communicators Association of NZ. I'm co-hosting in Wellington.
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 4d
Or don't use Google? I still need Google Scholar but other search engines like DuckDuckGo are good enough for other searches, and I do a lot of work-related searches.
melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 4d
I'll check it out. I tried out a few alternatives and started using DuckDuckGo the very day Google introduced their AI summaries, but haven't tried this one.
melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 6d
Most accurate journalism I've seen on Aotearoa/ New Zealand in a long time.
thejuicemedia.com
the Juice Media @thejuicemedia.com · 6d
The Government of New Zealand has made a new tourism ad and it's surprsingly honest and informative!
Honest Government Ad | Visit New Zealand!
YouTube video by thejuicemedia
www.youtube.com
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 6d
I haven’t watched it yet as I’m on the bus, but know it will be brutally accurate
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 6d
With alt text this time
A tabby and white cat in a box between piles of papers and folders
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 6d
Marbles in her favourite box.
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 7d
A someone who weeds around native plants, thanks for reminding why I'm grateful to live in Aotearoa New Zealand. It's a cute little thing, but I'd rather not meet one by accident.
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 10d
The first sound you are likely to hear in New Zealand are the birds introduced from England, such as sparrows and blackbirds. But we are slowly getting our unique birds back into our cities.
melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 10d
They do! I love the way they sit with their tails upright and raise their white head feathers when they get cross
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 10d
So worth it
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 10d
The hihi were spectacular there
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 10d
I’m so keen to get there. I’m hoping this summer I might get the chance
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 10d
It’s wonderful what has been achieved
melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 10d
Absolutely! It gives me hope that our birdsong is starting to return
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 10d
On my recent visit to #TiritiriMatangi island I took this video in the forest. The birdsong here is extraordinary. I’ve never heard anything like it.
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 10d
If you need something uplifting, it’s hard to go past the story of the hihi, and how a group of high school students and their inspirational teacher helped bring it back from the brink of extinction.

open.substack.com/pub/theturns...
A new sunrise
Tiritiri Matangi has given us hope for the survival of the hihi, but these birds are still in serious trouble (11 minute read)
open.substack.com
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 16d
Exactly. While superficially it’s a soybean problem, it’s actually a “too much meat and dairy” problem
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 16d
Such a frustrating and misleading headline. Do better @theguardian.com
enviroem.bsky.social
Emily Cassidy @enviroem.bsky.social · 17d
Soybeans are overwhelming used for feed. 80% of protein produced on Brazil's croplands is used to feed animals iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1....
The recent tariff issue is a prime example of how the world's taste for meat (not soy) is shaping distant landscapes. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
How the world’s taste for soya is eating Brazil’s Amazon
Cultivation of the crop has made a few wealthy but at a huge cost to untouched forest as it spreads across vast areas of former wilderness
www.theguardian.com
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 19d
Just a quick reminder that polls close tomorrow in the year's most anticipated election: #Birdoftheyear2025 #BOTY2025
Make sure you get your votes in, and if you aren't sure who to vote for, here are nine worthy but sometimes overlooked candidates. theturnstone.substack.com/p/time-to-vote
Time to vote!
The year's most contentious election - that's right, it's Bird of the Year 2025 (5 minute read)
theturnstone.substack.com
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 23d
Sad to say, you're probably right in your prediction.
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melanienewfield.bsky.social
Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 25d
A bit late but here’s a tūturuatu for you #sciart
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