Current Research

Our current research on urban restoration is changing the way we co-exist with nature in urban jungles.

The project is structured around four key areas:

  1. Residential design for biodiversity

  2. Retain and restore urban wildlife

  3. Restoring health-promoting soil biodiversity

  4. Whanake rākau, whakatipu mātauranga, poipoia te tangata: Growing trees, enhancing knowledge, nurturing people

A circular diagram illustrating urban nature restoration, featuring a central cityscape with trees, animals, and people, surrounded by concentric rings with labels describing research aims, outcomes, and activities such as restoring health and biodiversity, enhancing native species, and urban wildlife conservation.
People on a rooftop terrace with trees, modern buildings, and a cityscape in the background.

Residential Design for Biodiversity

Residential developments have huge potential to contribute to urban biodiversity through improved and innovative design. We are working on designs, behaviours, and policy-related strategies to improve biodiversity in residential landscapes.

A yellow bird with a reddish beak perched on a flowering plant with orange and yellow blossoms, against a green blurred background.

We are investigating what habitat features contribute most to the retention and restoration of native biodiversity in cities.  We are working with birds, lizards and iconic invertebrates as our indicators of native biodiversity, as well as soil and lizard microbiomes that impact human and wildlife health.

Retain and Restore Urban Wildlife

A pair of hands planting a small cannabis seedling in dark soil amidst fallen leaves.

We are characterising soil biodiversity across an urban forest restoration timeline, and experimentally identifying passive exposure to airborne microbiota to develop ‘how to’ guidelines to restore urban forest soils and improve health and wellbeing.

Restoring Health-Promoting Soil Biodiversity

A young girl being held up and smiling excitedly at a woman outdoors, with trees and a cloudy sky in the background.

Whanake rākau, whakatipu mātauranga, poipoia te tangata: Growing trees, enhancing knowledge, nurturing people

Our research blends cultural and ecological knowledge to improve restoration plantings for everyone, including our mokopuna. We are developing a kaupapa Māori model to explore the multiple benefits of urban forests. Our findings will provide insights into social capital and economics of restoration planting at local and regional scales. 

Map of New Zealand showing research locations in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Napier, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill.