Stories by Nita Blake-Persen

New Zealand children who spend more time surrounded by nature are less likely to develop asthma, a study has found.

Rising numbers of sexual misconduct complaints about physiotherapists have led to new practice guidelines.

New Zealand is normally hit by about one cyclone each season - but that number has tripled this summer.

A new study has revealed record amounts of plastic frozen in Arctic sea ice - with much of it originating from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Menstrual cups are more likely to cause rare toxic shock syndrome than tampons and should be sterilised between use, new research shows.

A gynaecologist has been ordered to apologise to a 20-year-old woman for removing one of her fallopian tubes without her consent.

An unusually long, dry summer has caused an explosion in rat and mice numbers, creating extra work for groups working towards a predator-free New Zealand.

The number of times sewage overflowed into the environment jumped 379 percent last year, as ageing infrastructure struggled to cope with record rains.

China's ban on importing plastic has caused the amount of waste New Zealand sends to other parts of Asia to skyrocket.

Kaiaua resident Alex Corbett never believed in climate change - but a large storm that hit the Firth of Thames in January, flooding his home and dozens of others, was an eye-opener for him.

People in Joseph Parker's home town of Mangere say they're proud of the boxing heavyweight's effort in his fight against Anthony Joshua, despite his loss.

Grandparents from around the country are joining priests, doctors, and scientists to protest at the annual oil and gas conference in Wellington, which starts today.

Up to half of the plant and animal species in the Galapagos Islands and the Amazon could be extinct by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, a WWF report warns.

Scientists may need to create a new Category 6 for cyclones as the effects of climate change make them more extreme, the Climate Change Minister says.

US plastic experts have discovered hundreds of tiny pieces of plastic in just a few square metres while carrying out a survey on a Raglan beach.

Two teenage boys killed in flash flooding in Auckland's Waitakere Ranges were helpful, humble members of their school and families, friends say.

A teenage boy clung to foliage in fast flowing floodwaters in the Waitākere Ranges for up to two hours before being rescued.

A Waiheke Island man who chopped down native trees to build a treehouse in an 'ecologically significant' area of the island has been fined $21,000.

Department of Conservation staff will give evidence at an appeal against a West Coast coal mine's resource consent.

The government is vowing to cut back on the amount of waste New Zealanders create, which is estimated to be among the highest in the developed world.

A new study has revealed shipping noise in the Hauraki Gulf is causing major communication problems for some whales and fish.

Increasing numbers of restaurants and cafes are opting to ditch straws to avoid adding to the masses of plastic ending up along New Zealand's coasts.

A request from local iwi for visitors to stay away from Auckland's Waitākere Ranges to stop the spread of kauri dieback appears to be falling on deaf ears.

Irrigation New Zealand has been given $180,000 of government funding to promote sustainable farming, a decision Greenpeace says beggars belief.

Edgecumbe homes red stickered after a wall of water burst through the town's stopbank earlier this year are finally being demolished.