Calling all scientists!

Have you heard about The Great NZ Science Project? Now’s your chance to get behind science and help New Zealand decide how we use it to invest in our future. Explore areas of interest and join the debate. The future of science in New Zealand is in your hands.

Important and leading NZ scientists have teamed up with our best free-thinkers -you guys, to figure out what science areas NZ should be focusing and spending our money on.

There are lots of ideas and projects suggested in the areas of

In each of these areas you can find out about what’s happening, what could happen in the future and why it’s important for scientists to work in these areas. There are heaps of facts and videos to watch. The videos are really cool, I reckon you should watch them.

Then you get to vote and write your opinion on whether you support science developments in these areas, which areas you think are most important and, coolest of all, you get to tell the scientists what you think they should be working on.

If you have an idea for a project for NZ scientists you can suggest it and you never know, an awesome scientist out there might think it’s a good idea and start working on it -Cool!

 

The Great NZ Science Project is on Facebook and Twitter for you to like, follow, post and comment.

New Non Fiction – Zoom! The Invisible World of…

Introducing new books from the series: Zoom! The Invisible World of… that zooms in on the intriguing but invisible world of animals and plants, using macro-photography to reveal some weird and wonderful sights you will not have seen before.

  

Birds by  Camilla De la Bédoyère

Fantastic book to read if you want information and zoomed in pictures of your favourite birds. Esepcially seeing a picture of Hummingbird feathers up close. 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Plants by Camilla De la Bédoyère

A great book to read that zooms in on the intriguing but invisible world of plants. Great section on meat-eating plants.

 

 

 

 

  

 

Ocean Life by Camilla De la Bédoyère

Want to see pictures of your favourite sea creatures up close? Want facts and information? Then this is the book for you. You even get to see a picture of a krill zoomed in. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bugs by Camilla De la Bédoyère

Great book to read if you want to see pictures of bugs up close. Lots of intersting facts.

Pirates of the Indian Ocean

When the takings from the Spanish Main started to decline, many pirates shifted to the Indian Ocean. They were lured by the treasure fleets of the Indian Moghul and the merchantmen of the British, French and Dutch east India companies.

 

English pirate Henry Avery became notorious for capturing the Indian Moghul’s ship Gang-i-Sawai, which was carrying pilgrims and treasure from Surat to Mecca.

 

Most of the pirates hid out around the island of Madagascar, off the East Coast of Africa. The island was in the ideal place for raiding European trade routes to India, and Muslim pilgrimage routes to the Red Sea.

 

Madagascar was a wild, tropical island that had not been colonised by Europeans, so it was safe for outlaws. However, the ever-wary pirates created a small fortified base on St Mary’s Island, a small island off the north-east coast of Madagascar.

 

East Indiamen ships were the favourite target of pirates as they carried such goods as: gold, silver, fine china, silks and spices. Coffee and tea were also valuable items.

 

If you’re interested in pirates we’ve got heaps and heaps of books in the library for you. You can either go to the 910.4 section of the non fiction collection at your library, or you can search for pirates on the catalogue here!