Under the Lens

Season two of Under the Lens is here, and we are starting somewhere unexpected. Fellow co-hosts Amanda and Peter turn the lens on Nick Waipara, drawing on his 25 years in biosecurity to ask what a reimagined system would actually look like.

From the kauri dieback story and the community networks that first raised the alarm, to the gaps in our science system and the feast and famine of community funding, Nick is candid about where the system falls short and hopeful about where it is heading.

If you see something unusual out there in the environment, tell someone. Your observations could make the difference between a successful biosecurity response and an unsuccessful one. iNaturalist is a great place to start.

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Chapters:
00:00 Magic Wand Biosecurity
00:37 Season Two Kickoff
03:09 Sticks Versus Carrots
05:50 Research Ready Response
07:46 Trust Networks First
08:42 Kauri Dieback Alarm
14:19 Embedding Communities
17:52 Nick Origin Story
22:04 Reactive Funding Gaps
27:11 Skills Succession Crisis
30:24 Local Knowledge Wins
33:08 Vanishing Experts
34:41 Science Must Be Public
38:19 Communication Skills Shift
41:37 Building Community Trust
42:26 How Councils Manage Pests
44:51 Research Behind Policy Fights
51:46 Biosecurity Action Plan Future
56:06 International Links Local Weeds
59:27 Final Advice Report Sightings
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Your feedback, your questions and what’s coming next.

Season one sparked more conversation than we expected. In this episode your three co-hosts Amanda, Peter, and Nick work through the feedback, comments, and questions that came in after season one, covering weeds, kauri dieback, and genetic modification. The GM debate generated the most heat, and what came out of it was bigger than the technology itself, a conversation about ownership, oversight, food security, and food sovereignty, brought into sharp focus by COVID and a recent fuel crisis. We also celebrate a remarkable community effort, a 14,000 tree kauri refuge being established at Taieri Beach as a seed bank while science works toward a solution for kauri dieback.

The episode closes with a preview of season two, which turns the lens on the biosecurity system itself.

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Chapters:

00:00 Welcome Back
00:26 Season One Feedback
01:32 Weeds Episode Praise
02:19 Hay Fever and Pine Trees
05:26 The GM Debate Reactions
06:51 Can We Go There
08:06 GM Hype vs Reality
09:55 Food, GM and Imports
15:06 Fuel Crisis and Food Security
16:31 A Tool, Not a Category
18:55 Ownership and Sovereignty
20:52 A Food Security Wake Up Call
22:10 GMO Power and Oversight
22:52 Hybrid Seeds Explained
24:04 The Canterbury Seed Economy
25:02 Capitalism and Our Food System
26:16 Beetroot and Identity
28:09 A Kauri Refuge Forest
32:20 Weed Funding and Biocontrol
36:31 Agapanthus and Prevention
37:19 Season Two Tease
39:07 Thanks and Sign Off
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Weeds are everywhere in Aotearoa New Zealand. They creep along roadsides, smother forest edges, clog waterways and hydrodams, and quietly take over harbour hillsides. Most of us just see green.

In this conversation, Professor Margaret Stanley, recently recognised as Science Communicator of the Year, helps us see what is really going on in that green backdrop. She explains what makes a plant a weed, why only a small fraction of introduced species become invasive, and how new weeds continue to “jump the fence” from gardens, forestry, horticulture and houseplants.

We look at problem species like banana passionfruit, ragwort, agapanthus, climbing asparagus, aquatic weeds and more. Margaret talks through the tools we currently have, from herbicides and hand-pulling to biocontrol agents like beetles and rust fungi, and why each tool has limits.

The episode also explores how climate change will shift weed ranges, why aquatic weeds are so hard to manage, and how nursery choices, urban planting and cultural values shape the plants around us. Above all, it highlights the role of communities in early detection and prevention through tools like iNaturalist, local council programmes and on-the-ground volunteer mahi.
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Genetic modification has shaped public debate in Aotearoa New Zealand for more than 25 years, influencing how we think about risk, responsibility and the future of our environment. This episode unpacks what genes and DNA actually are, how gene editing and genetic modification work, and why these tools have become so central to conversations about pests, diseases and climate change.

Our hosts revisit the early 2000s Royal Commission on Genetic Modification, the surge of public concern that followed, and how the science has advanced in the decades since. They explore the differences between gene editing, transgenesis and synthetic biology, the benefits and limitations of each, and the global momentum that is pushing these technologies forward. The kōrero also explains how forensics, medicine, agriculture and pest control already rely on genetic tools, often in ways most people never see.

We also look at the ethical, cultural and regulatory questions that guide how Aotearoa New Zealand uses these technologies, including who takes the risk, who benefits and how Māori and communities are involved in decision making. The episode highlights both the promise of genetic tools and the responsibilities that come with them as the country enters a pivotal moment in shaping its future with the Gene Technology Bill.
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Kauri dieback, caused by the pathogen Phytophthora agathidicida, has reshaped how Aotearoa New Zealand understands risk, responsibility, and care for the natural world. This episode unpacks the biology of the pathogen, the cultural significance of kauri, and the long journey from confusion to coordinated response.
Our hosts revisit the early days when dead and dying kauri began raising alarms, the rapid surge in concern from communities, and the urgent scramble to understand a pathogen unlike anything researchers had dealt with before. They explore how soil, water, animals, and people move the disease, why early management had to adapt quickly, and how molecular tools reshaped what we know about this organism.

We also look at the important contributions of iwi, community groups, scientists, landowners, and volunteers who stepped into leadership roles during a time of uncertainty. The episode highlights both the complexity of the challenge and the resilience of those determined to keep kauri standing.
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