The Endemic Wall is one of the highlights of the new exhibition Te Taiao Nature. It’s a beautiful demonstration of the great diversity of life that is unique to Aotearoa New Zealand. There are over 600 species of animals, plants, and fungi displayed!
This talk is a behind-the-scenes account of how the Endemic Wall was made. We’ll cover what the display is sharing with people, how the specimens were selected and the models sourced, along with the challenges of fitting so many items in one case. We’ll also delve into some of the fascinating Mātauranga Māori and science stories that the wall features. Like how did the hihi (stitchbird) come to have its yellow patch? Where did our flax names come from (wharariki and harakeke)? And why is the rewarewa (a tree) a remnant of a long forgotten Aotearoa environment?
Leon Perrie was the lead science curator for Te Taiao Nature exhibition. He has been the Curator of Botany at Te Papa for 15 years, with a research specialty with ferns and over 100 peer-reviewed publications.