Alison Ballance
The mystery of how godwits sleep in flight
Kuaka bar-tailed godwits make the longest non-stop flights, and researchers are using hi-tech tags to solve the mystery of how and when they sleep. Audio
Our Changing World – Can godwits fly and sleep?
Kuaka godwits make the longest non-stop flights, and researchers are using hi-tech tags to solve the mystery of how and when they sleep. Audio
The potential of plankton
Could your burger one day come with a plankton patty? Alison Ballance visits the Cawthron Institute's collection of more than 750 different strains of microalgae, where scientists are investigating… Audio
Our Changing World – Microalgae
A collection of 750 different microalgae – or phytoplankton – at the Cawthron Institute offers a treasure trove for researchers seeking new useful compounds. Alison Ballance visits the collection to… Audio
Takahē dreamers
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the rediscovery of the takahē. Claire Concannon sits down with former Our Changing World presenter and takahē superfan Alison Ballance to chat about her new… Audio
Our Changing World – Takahē tales
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the rediscovery of takahē. Claire Concannon sits down with takahē superfan and former Our Changing World producer Alison Ballance to discuss her new book… Audio
The Week in Detail: Bank fraud, broken roads and the kākāpō
The Detail podcast brings you the issues behind the news every weekday. Here's what we covered this week. Audio
The charismatic kākāpō is booming, but its friends need help
Having kākāpō in the North Island wilderness again is an historic win for our native manu, but conservationists say other species are at risk of falling through the cracks. Audio
The science of snow
Are all snowflakes really unique? What makes some snow better for skiing? And what's the difference between snow and hail? Join Alison Ballance and Katy Gosset as they hit the slopes of Mt Ruapehu and… Audio
Our Changing World - The science of snow
Winter is here and that means snowy mountaintops, skiing and avalanche season. Join us as we hit the slopes and find out the fascinating science behind snow. Audio
Book review: Takahe by Alison Ballance
Murray Williams reviews Takahe by Alison Ballance, published by Potton & Burton. Audio
Alison Ballance: the rediscovery and recovery of the takahe
From being assumed extinct, to a healthy population of over 500 birds, the resurrection of the takahe is an incredible story. Audio
Seeds of hope for seagrass meadows
Grab your gumboots! Alison Ballance squelches out into Nelson's mudflats with a team of Cawthron Institute researchers in search of cryptic seagrass flowers and their seeds. Collecting the seeds is… Audio
Seagrass meadows in Nelson’s Haven estuary
Nelson Haven is an eight-kilometre expanse of mudflats northeast of the Nelson township. At low tide, if you happen to don some gumboots and squelch your way out, you’ll find it's also home to an… Audio
Conservation successes in the Cook Islands
The kākerōri or Rarotongan flycatcher is a South Pacific conservation success story. Once reduced to just 29 birds, it has been rescued from the brink of extinction by a rat control programme managed… Audio
A good news bird story from Rarotonga
Alison Ballance brings us the conservation success story of the kākerōri, or Rarotongan flycatcher. Once reduced to just 29 birds, it was rescued from the brink of extinction by a rat control… Audio
Why has this river of Antarctic ice stalled?
How do you drill through 600m of thick Antarctic ice? Using hot water, of course. In this episode from the 2020 series Voices from Antarctica, Alison Ballance joins researchers hoping to solve the… Audio
Our Changing World – Ice in hot water
Out on the expanse of ice that is the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica, Alison Ballance finds hot water. What will become of all this ice in a warming world?
Coming up
Space sounds and jungle noises The otherworldly song of Weddell
Weddell seals have returned to breed near Scott Base in Antarctica after a decades-long absence. On land, they're blubbery lumps. But underwater, they're graceful dancers and ethereal singers. A team… Audio
Our Changing World – What does the seal say?
Weddell seals have returned to breed near Scott Base in Antarctica after a decades-long absence. On land, they're blubbery lumps. But underwater, they're graceful dancers and ethereal singers. A team…
Coming up