Critter of the Week

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Critter of the Week is a weekly RNZ National programme about endangered and neglected native plants and animals of New Zealand.

Jesse Mulligan

Beginning in 2015, Critter of the Week is an approximately 15-minute discussion between Nicola Toki of the Department of Conservation and host Jesse Mulligan on an "uncharismatic and lovable" New Zealand species.[1] The topic of spotlighting uncharismatic species was raised in an interview by Mulligan in April 2015,[2] and the programme originated in a discussion between Mulligan and Toki about threatened bird conservation, in which she lamented a lack of attention and corporate funding for species such as the Smeagol gravel maggot.[3] The first episode, airing 2 October 2015, featured the New Zealand bat fly.[4] Each week's broadcast is supported by improving the Wikipedia article for the species in question.[5] The show currently airs on Friday afternoons.

In 2018, artist Giselle Clarkson designed t-shirts featuring a selection of species that had appeared on the programme.[6] In September–October 2018, a "Critter of the Week: Bake-off" competition invited listeners to bake a cake in the shape of their favourite "critter".[7]

The Critter of the Week project was the subject of a lightning talk by Mike Dickison for the 2018 ESEAP Conference in Bali, Indonesia.[8] An updated presentation was given at the Wikimedia Australia Melbourne meetup in November 2018.[9] Critter of the Week was discussed as an example of a museum outreach at the 2018 SPNHC conference in Dunedin.[10]

References[]

  1. ^ "Critter of the Week". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  2. ^ Mulligan, Jesse; Dickison, Mike (8 April 2015). ""Charismatic" Conservation - Dr Mike Dickison". RNZ. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  3. ^ Mulligan, Jesse; Toki, Nicola (17 September 2015). "Bird Funding Crisis - Nicola Toki". RNZ. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  4. ^ Mulligan, Jesse; Toki, Nicola (2 October 2015). "Critter Of The Week - Nicola Toki". RNZ. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  5. ^ Mulligan, Jesse (26 February 2016). "Wikinerds Explained". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Critter of the Week T-shirts". Radio New Zealand. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  7. ^ "Critter of the Week: Bake-off!". Science Learning Hub Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  8. ^ "Wikipedia in Science". ESEAP Conference 2018. Wikimedia Foundation. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  9. ^ . Wikipedia: Melbourne Meetup. Wikipedia. 11 November 2018.
  10. ^ Dickison, Mike (15 June 2018). ""Critter of the Week": Wikipedia as a Museum Outreach Tool". Biodiversity Information Science and Standards. 2: e25798. doi:10.3897/biss.2.25798.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""