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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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Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 10h

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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Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 2d

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

Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 2d

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.

Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 2d

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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Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 3d

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.

Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 3d

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.

Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 5d

Most accurate journalism I've seen on Aotearoa/ New Zealand in a long time.

the Juice Media @thejuicemedia.com · 5d

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

Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 5d

I haven’t watched it yet as I’m on the bus, but know it will be brutally accurate

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Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 5d

With alt text this time

A tabby and white cat in a box between piles of papers and folders

Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 5d

Marbles in her favourite box.

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Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 5d

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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Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 8d

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.

Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 8d

They do! I love the way they sit with their tails upright and raise their white head feathers when they get cross

Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 9d

So worth it

Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 9d

The hihi were spectacular there

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Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 9d

I’m so keen to get there. I’m hoping this summer I might get the chance

Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 9d

It’s wonderful what has been achieved

Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 9d

Absolutely! It gives me hope that our birdsong is starting to return

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Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 9d

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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Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 9d

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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Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 15d

Exactly. While superficially it’s a soybean problem, it’s actually a “too much meat and dairy” problem

Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 15d

Such a frustrating and misleading headline. Do better @theguardian.com

Emily Cassidy @enviroem.bsky.social · 15d

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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Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 18d

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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Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 22d

Sad to say, you're probably right in your prediction.

Melanie Newfield @melanienewfield.bsky.social · 23d

A bit late but here’s a tūturuatu for you #sciart