Afternoons for Friday 11 October 2019

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1:10 First song

 

1:17 Research could find answers to kauri dieback and myrtle rust

A University of Canterbury researcher has won a fellowship to save kauri from dieback, and look into how myrtle rust attacks.

Dr Volker Nock has been awarded $800,000 in funding over the next five years to study the fungal diseases damaging our native plants. He explains his work.

 

1:27 How to avoid ingesting microplastics 

Plastic is still pretty much everywhere - though we're trying to get rid of it around our veges at the supermarket, or switching to a non-plastic water bottle, you might be surprised you're probably still eating plastic every day. 

These microplastics are so ubiquitous in our environment, we may even be ingesting them when we breath.

So is there anyway to avoid them? We spoke to Dr Olga Pantos, ESR Senior Scientist, about a year ago when the news broke that there were microplastics in our water. She joins us again to tell us if we can avoid them, and if they're dangerous. 

 

1:35 Charity to provide disadvantaged kids with mentors

Children who are facing tough times at home, often have a rough time time at school. 

Whether poverty, violence, poor housing or mental health problems in the home, these kids often don't get the support they need in the classroom. At least that was the experience of Palmerston North foster parents David Hayman and Mercedes Strutt. 

So two years ago they set up a charitable trust, MentorED, to help disadvantaged children, by providing mentors at school. 

 

1:50 Dominic Hoey's poetry to be tattooed on people

Dominic Hoey, AKA Tourettes, is releasing his new poetry collection I Thought We'd Be Famous ​at a live event as part of Late Night Art.

The twist? He'll write live poetry for people, who then agree to have the poem tattooed on their body - blindfolded. He tells us about his collection and you can find out about the art event here. 

 

2:10 Film Review: Graeme Tuckett

Graeme reviews Capital in the 21st Century and Gemini Man.

 

2:20 NZ Live Reb Fountain

Reb Fountain is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She was the winner of last year's NZ Country Music Artist/Album and the winner of the APRA Best Country Music Song too. When she's not singing her own songs and fronting her own band you can find her in all-star line-ups as was recently the case with the brilliant Neil Young Tribute Show. Her tour kicks off tomorrow night - a real mix - from a House Concert to Festivals in Tauranga, Hawkes Bay, and Gisborne.

 

3:10 Gretchen Lowe's delightful dips

Busy new mum and Auckland food stylist Gretchen Lowe from My Weekend Table drops in to share a couple of  delicious dips - they're easy to make and a bit lighter as we head into summer. Her Tokyo Hummus is divine and her Sicilian Olive, Fig and Walnut Pate quite exquisite.

 

3:20 Music 101: Charlotte Ryan

It's new music Friday!  Host of Music 101, Charlotte introduces us to some of the music that's dropped today, she looks ahead to live music gigs around the country this weekend and what's coming up on Music 101 tomorrow.

 

3:30 Critter of the Week: Kina

We all know this critter, the Kina! While not endangered it has significant impact on biodiversity - it can boom to uncontrolled numbers if left unchecked by predators. DoC's threatened species ambassador Nicola Toki tells us more about this endemic sea urchin. 

 

3:45 The Pre-Panel Story of the Day and One Quick Question

4:05 The Panel with Michelle Boag and Peter Dunne