Science and nature

Watch: The Active Land talks

The Active Land talk series hosted at Te Papa highlights the diverse range of cutting-edge research into natural hazards happening in Wellington. In partnership with the Natural Hazard Commission (NHC) Toka Tū Ake.

Colossal squid

All you’d want to know about the colossal squid – from its anatomy, to how it was found.

Spiders and insects

Insects, arachnids, myriapods, bugs, creepy-crawlies, moths, butterflies and their allies.

Faultlines: Earthquakes in Aotearoa New Zealand

Around 20,000 shakes are measured every year in Aotearoa New Zealand – about 55 a day – our whenua (land) never stops shaking. Plates collide. Pressure builds. The land ruptures. How do we cope with living on such shaky ground?

Taupō supervolcano and caldera

Our biggest volcano isn’t a cone. It’s Lake Taupō, formed about 25,500 years ago in the massive Ōruanui eruption.

Fossils and dinosaurs

Te Papa’s collections and research on dinosaur bones, animals, and plant fossils from past geological ages, and the people involved in the discovery of their remains.

The Current

Idea: Soil connects us to culture, food, nature, people, and place, so we shouldn’t treat soil like rubbish.

How do you feel about this idea?

Community stories: Taking action for nature

River cleaners, tree planters, possum trappers, and climate crusaders. Explore stories from around Aotearoa New Zealand of communities taking care of their natural environment.

Crustaceans of Aotearoa New Zealand and the South Pacific

Crustacea includes lobsters, crabs, shrimps, prawns, hoppers, wood lice, water fleas, and several other groups. Most crustaceans live in the sea but some are found in freshwater or on land. The one thing they all need to survive is water, or at least a moist habitat.

The deep sea

Colossal squids, fishes, and creatures of the deep. Te Papa holds the largest and most comprehensive collection in the country, and the largest collection of New Zealand fishes anywhere in the world.