What is brown and grey, gets easily spooked, and connects New Zealand, China and Alaska? While it’s entirely possible that other things fit under that description, the answer we’re looking for is the much-loved Eastern bar-tailed godwit.
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Mana Island ranger Chris Bell made the most of the rude awakening last Monday morning, when the tsunami warning drove him and his fellow rangers up to higher ground.
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It’s National Poetry Day — so there has never been a better time to open our blog to the bards!
Working in some of New Zealand’s most beautiful and scenic places inspires the creative minds of many who work for the Department of Conservation. It’s not surprising then, that we have our fair share of poets.
Piet Nieuwland works in our management planning team in Hamilton, he also writes poetry. To celebrate National Poetry Day he shares with us:
Kuaka/bar-tailed godwit. Photo: Leo/flickr (cc)
Kauri Mountain, Kiwi Coast, Ngāti Korora
By Piet Nieuwland
Through gate
Cross paddock
Down cliff track
It’s a dive straight in
To kelp laden surf
Thick with froth and foam
Where the polygamous languages
Of our genes, speak
Through the warm mouths
Of hot summer skies
White butterflies and monarchs
Jive and jizz and jazz to black cicada beats
Centuries of kuaka, eye to eye, kanohi te kanohi
Lift off in cloud bound north
The crayfish orange hulk of a ship
Crawls into the horizontal zone
The air filling with a sweet
Salty taste
Of creamy flesh
The tooth of a yacht sail
Cuts the wind
Slowly peeling open
Curves of software ecosystems
And from a 4G Apteryx smartphone
A call comes in
Stoatattackstoatattackdogattack
Stoatattackdogattackstoatattack
Stoatattackdogattackstoatattack
Kelp laden surf. Photo: iangbl/flickr (cc)
We’d love to read your nature inspired poems here on the blog today too. Why not share your work with us in the comments?