Festival of Science 2025 community events

The Chatham Islands Festival of Science runs from 12 - 17 August 2025, with a special pre-festival evening on Monday 11 August.

Beyond the fascinating science talks, the festival week is packed with fun community events not to be missed! There are:

• School visits during the week where our students will meet some scientists
• A quiz night on Friday at the den (last year was a hit!)
• A community stargazing on Saturday evening open to all at the Kōpinga Marae
• And the final gathering to end the festival on Sunday, also at the Kōpinga Marae

Throughout the week of the festival, we will have a species photography competition (BioBlitz Challenge) where everyone can take part as long as you have a smart phone or a camera! Selected and winning photos will be displayed in the museum after the festival. For more details, check out the Chatham Islands Landscape and Restoration Trust (CILRT) website(external link). If you’re a plant nursery owner and keen to chat with our guest speaker and plant nerd Tim Park while he's on the island, please get in touch with CILRT directly.

Special presentations for the Chatham Islands community

While the festival offers a wide range of exciting presentations and events for all, several sessions have been specially curated for Chatham Islanders, focusing on topics of local interest and relevance.

Environmental interests

Keynote: “The Chathams – A unique place in a rapidly changing world”.

Presented by Lou Sanson, former Director-General of the Department of Conservation and current Vice Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (Oceania). Lou brings global insight into local environmental issues and will share his perspective on the significance of the Chathams in global conservation efforts, including its potential as a World Heritage Area.

Fishing and marine industry

Dr Richard O’Driscoll (Earth Sciences NZ) will present decades of research findings on species abundance on the Chatham Rise, while Mark Geytenbeek from the Ministry for Primary Industries will introduce new strategies for rebuilding and managing the paua fishery.

Plants and ecology

For those with nurseries or a passion for gardening, ecologist Tim Park will discuss the unique flora of the Chatham Islands and explain why these iconic plants are gaining popularity with landscape designers across New Zealand.

Dr Travis Ingram and his PhD student Grace Fortune-Kelly will share several studies done on the island around the biodiversity of Chatham ecosystems including mudfish.

Building and construction

If you're involved in construction or maintenance on the Chathams, don’t miss this session. Dr Zhengwei Li and Dr Anna de Raadt from BRANZ will present their latest research into corrosion rates of various building materials on the Islands. Join the discussion and explore how this can inform better building practices.

Astronomy and stargazing

A number of locals have expressed interest in stargazing — some even have telescopes. A community stargazing event will be held during the week, with a special night at Kōpinga Marae on Saturday evening.

There will also be a separate meeting to explore the exciting opportunity of applying for Dark Sky Sanctuary status for the Islands. If you're keen to be involved, please get in touch.

Honey and beekeeping on the Island

This session will support and encourage local beekeeping. Alongside local speakers, Dr Kat Holt will present her research on pollen analysis and how it can help identify key nectar sources for Chatham bees. Her work also explores how this information can be used to market Chatham Islands honey to the world. Whether you're an experienced beekeeper or just curious to start, this session is not to be missed.

Full programme is live and looking fabulous (PDF file, 842KB) [PDF, 842 KB].

Do join us to have some fun — we can’t wait to see you next month! Follow Festival of Science on Facebook(external link).