Our Changing World

In the dunes of Bream Bay, DOC workers and volunteers are shifting shells by hand to build safer nesting habitat for tara-iti. With only about 45 birds left, every nest matters. Producer Liz Garton tags along on this important working bee.
Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for your science news.
LEARN MORE:
Listen Checkpoint covering the 2025 tara-iti breeding season
Mangawhai is one of only four nesting spots for tara-iti, but a local community leader is warning of major environmental concerns
3D printed eggs helped ensure a record-breaking 2024 breeding season
Find the OCW episodes mentioned in the podcast Alison Balance on an egg retrieval and Ayana Piper-Healion’s lizard hunting episode.
GUESTS:
Ayla Wiles, DOC’s Tara-iti Programme Lead
Ari Carrington, Patuharekeke Te Taiao Unit
Robyn Davies, Waipu About Tern volunteer
THIS EPISODE:
(00:00) Meet tara iti, New Zealand’s rarest endemic breeding bird.
(06:41) What we know about tara iti and their remaining breeding sites.
(11:52) Captive rearing and the breakthrough lifting chick numbers.
(13:43) GPS tracking reveals the birds’ long-distance journeys.
(16:46) Volunteer monitoring and the birds’ distinctive personalities.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A genetic form of Parkinson’s disease is found at unusually high rates in some Pasifika communities. It affects people who are much younger than the typical Parkinson's patient. Researchers are working with patients to understand PINK1 Parkinson's, raise awareness, and explore new treatments.
Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.
Parkinson’s New Zealand provides information on symptoms, treatments, support services and local support groups around Aotearoa.
But PINK1 sometimes presents differently, so Dr Christina Buchanan says if you’re a young Pasifika person with unusual stiffness you should talk to your GP and you can reach out to her at: Christina.Buchanan@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz 
Learn more:
In 2023, Our Changing World explored how researchers are helping families affected by inherited neurological conditions in Aotearoa.
The Neurological Foundation featured more on the PINK1 Parkinson’s discovery and ongoing research in their magazine.
Nine To Noon reported on hopes that Parkinson's disease could one day be slowed or prevented through a New Zealand-led breakthrough into the biology of the disease.
Katie Kenny of RNZ explains the implications of proposed changes to New Zealand's genetic technologies legislation.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

GLP1 - RA weight loss drugs get the Our Changing World treatment! What are they? How do they work? And what does the science say about the benefits, and the risks? Plus, beyond health outcomes, how might things change as they become more widely available?
Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter here for episode backstories, science analysis and more.
LEARN MORE:
If you’d like a deeper understanding of how drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy affect appetite and blood sugar regulation, Emile Donovan spoke to Dr Sebastian Furness about this on Nights.
Obesity genetics researcher Giles Yeo joined Afternoons to explain why body weight is influenced by much more than willpower, and why biology plays such a powerful role in hunger and weight regulation.
The study that Dr Andrew Reynolds contributed to on how obesity trends are changing around the world was published in Nature. You can read the paper here.
Curious about how the major incretin drugs compare? This systematic review and meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of semaglutide, liraglutide, dulaglutide and tirzepatide for blood sugar control and other outcomes.
GUESTS:
Dr Andrew Reynolds, Department of Medicine, University of Otago
IN THIS EPISODE:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:12) How GLP-1 receptor agonists were developed as treatments for type 2 diabetes
(03:55) The biology of incretins, insulin, glucagon and how these drugs work
(07:20) The drugs available and funded in New Zealand
(11:34) Weight loss benefits, side effects and questions about long-term use
(20:30) Retatrutide, future incretin therapies and the emerging “Ozempic economy”
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In September, the Chatham Island black robin was crowned Bird of the Year 2026. This small, round and feisty manu has a remarkable comeback story, from just five birds in 1979 to about 400 today. They are found on just two predator-free islands in the Chatham group.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Over a hundred years ago Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch discovered a way to produce ammonia that revolutionised farming. It changed the world. But today this way of making ammonia uses between 1-2% of the world's global energy, and produces about the same greenhouse gas emissions as the whole airline industry. Is there a better way? A team at Earth Sciences New Zealand are on the hunt for a catalyst that could convert water and air into ammonia using renewable electricity. Their dream is to enable efficient and economical small-scale ammonia production, but to get there they must first prove the chemistry is possible.
Over a hundred years ago Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch discovered a way to produce ammonia that would revolutionise farming. It changed the world. But today synthetic ammonia production uses between 1-2% of the world global energy, and produces about the same greenhouse gas emissions as the whole airline industry. Is there a better way to make it? A team at Earth Sciences New Zealand are on the hunt for a catalyst that could convert water and air into ammonia using renewable electricty. Their dream is to enable efficient and economical small-scale ammonia production, but to get there they must first prove the chemistry is possible.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details