From Moa to Orchids
Nature Tours and Field Trips
Book News
My books pop up in the most interesting places. I was delighted to discover a wonderful museum in Owaka with From Moa to Dinosaurs among their selection of books for sale. Introducing myself as the author led to a photo shoot in the Lockerbie Room and an opportunity to look through their fantastic collection of moa artefacts.
Another small museum with my books on the shelves is the Vanished World Centre in Duntroon, where I also signed a few copies. The Vanished World Trail in Waitaki Whitestone Geopark is well worth exploring.
I wrote about From Moa to Dinosaurs in my October 2024 Newsletter, too. It is the only up-to-date book for children about the ancient past of Zealandia. And because it is written for children it is also easily accessible to adults. Find out what you never learned about ancient New Zealand at school!
Nature Highlights
A highlight of the last six months was accompanying Nature Art Lab’s tour of the lower South Island as their informal nature guide. It was a delight to travel with visitors who were so interested in nature and keen to stop and look awhile rather than rush from one sight to another. My photos from the trip are on Facebook and Instagram. A particular highlight was a visit to Ulva Island, where we were led by Ulva’s Guided Walks. Ulva Island is always a favourite destination of mine for its bird song and lush bush. We were lucky to have a day-time sighting of a tokoeka kiwi and were wowed by crowds of tiny spider orchids among the moss, ferns and liverworts.
Orchids in general were a spring highlight. I had the opportunity to take part in a Nature Art Lab field trip in Australia and see orchids on Canberra’s Black Mountain. Closer to home, I led several orchid walks for the Wellington Regional Forest and Bird Tramping group. With the help of other keen amateur botanists we took members to visit some of Wellington’s orchid hot spots this year and on one walk identified 11 different species.
In my latest blogpost, I talk about slime moulds. These fascinating beings are not mould at all, and finding them has become a new challenge.
https://www.gilliancandler.co.nz/discovernatureblog/meet-the-slime-moulds
Nature Activities for Children and Families
Spring/summer is a great time to try tramping with your family. Many families have told me they’ve used my book Mia & Leo Go Wild to introduce their young ones to the idea of tramping.
Tips: Start with short bush walks and move up to longer half or full day trips. It’s a good idea to have a destination in mind; a picnic spot or a stream to paddle in. Bush nature hunts can capture children’s interest, as can adapting and acting out fictional stories such as We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. See the recommended reading below for new books which could provide motivation to get outdoors.
With the festive season approaching, making native bird pop-up cards would be a fun school, school holiday or rainy day activity. I came up with the idea as a way of repurposing used Christmas and birthday cards, wrapping paper and magazines and tried it out at Whitby Library a few years ago. It was a great success. Find out more in my blog. https://www.gilliancandler.co.nz/discovernatureblog/2021/01/making-native-bird-pop-up-cards.html
Recommended Reading
Alice and the Strange Bird by Isaac du Toit
I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Alice McKenzie who in 1880, was possibly the last person to see a living moa. So I was delighted to discover author and illustrator Isaac du Toit was working on a picture book covering this intriguing true story. It’s simply told and beautifully illustrated.
Isaac’s unique illustrations are meticulously created diorama’s which he then photographs. Alice and the Strange Bird was a well deserved finalist for the Russell Clark Award for Illustration in the 2025 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
The illustrations will delight and will, I’m sure, inspire children to make their own diorama or collage illustrations for their own writing. Suitable for ages 4 up. Find stores that stock this book from bookhub.co.nz
Emilie Walks Te Araroa by Emilie and Victoria Bruce
As the book Emilie Walks Aotearoa by Emilie and Victoria Bruce slid out of its packaging on to my desk my first impressions were how lively and colourful the book looked. No muted earthy colours and shades of green. Not your usual tramping story then!
Emilie’s frank, funny and informative account of walking Te Araroa at age seven is beautifully illustrated with many photographs as well as Emilie’s own drawings.
The 138 days Emilie and her mother spent walking Te Araroa is an impressive achievement for mother and child. I recognised one of the sections from my own tramping and was struck by her account on page 37 where she and her mother along with other trampers made the decision to return 10 kilometres to a hut to avoid a dangerous river crossing. I know that route and would struggle to do that return journey myself. Yet it was the right and necessary thing to do, and she managed it.
Emilie’s book isn’t presented as a guide to tramping. But through reading both such dramatic accounts and the lighter moments a novice tramper can build up a picture of how to tramp. The gear list and the section on food are a good place to start. There are also other tips about keeping safe and what hazards to be aware of. More importantly, Emilie shows how to have fun on a tramp. I hope parents are reading along too, and can see the upside of telling make-believe stories, carrying a few tiny toys and one book and using the lure of ice creams to make the tramp enjoyable and motivating.
Here I have to confess that the one book Emilie took that’s pictured on page 46 is my book In the Bush illustrated by Ned Barraud. Good choice, Emilie! She describes encounters with wildlife such as the weka which tried to steal her baby kiwi toy, a curious kea and a night time bug hunt.
Emilie Walks Aotearoa would be a great ‘next read’ for children who’ve enjoyed Mia & Leo Go Wild. I’d love to see it packaged up under the Christmas tree with In the Bush too!
Thoroughly recommended for families, schools and libraries. Suitable for ages 5-10. I can’t wait to share it with my grandchildren.
Available in bookstores and from the publisher. Available in bookstores and from the publisher Potton & Burton.