A garden is being developed on the slopes of Te Mata Peak to enable more people easy access to rongoā Māori - traditional Māori healing with the help of plants. Tyne Nelson is among those leading the project and took Country Life for a stroll.
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Best of 2021: Healing the land in Taranaki, New Zealand's pioneer Atmospheric scientist Dave Lowe and New Zealand's least travelled paths all featured among our top environment stories of the year.
Last year scientists tipped an aquatic weed to be the next alternative plant protein superfood. One trial by the American Diabetes Association comparing a green duckweed shake and a yogurt-based equivalent in 20 obese participants found the duckweed to be an emerging plant protein source with potential beneficial effects on glucose levels. So what is duckweed? As the name suggests, the plant can be found floating on water and is a food source for waterfowl, as well as tadpoles and fish. There are 37 species in the duckweed (Wolffia globosa) family. It’s particularly famous for its speedy growth rate; in optimum wind-protected waters it can double its surface area in less than two days.