Penguins this teacher's pet

A one-year fellowship is giving an Opunake teacher the chance to study Taranaki's dwindling penguin population.

Opunake High School IT teacher Mark Meyburg is the sole Taranaki recipient of a science, mathematics and technology fellowship from the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Nationally, 32 primary and secondary teachers were awarded fellowships for 2010.

Mr Meyburg will spend next year working with DOC to assess and monitor the nesting habits and breeding success of penguins on the Taranaki coast.

The development of coastal properties can destroy penguins' natural habitat and leave them at the mercy of predators, Mr Meyburg said.

"They used to go under the baches in Oakura but now it's all million-dollar mansions and they're all blocked off," he said.

"With more people moving into an area, you get more predators like dogs as well."

Penguins have nesting habits a bit like turtles, Mr Meyburg said, and return to the beach they were born on when it is time to nest.

"If the terrain has changed or there are more predators, they can run into problems," Mr Meyburg said.

Penguin spotters can give researchers a hand by adding the details of any sightings to an online database at terrain.net.nz or by emailing Mr Meyburg at mm@opunake.school.nz.

Other topics to be investigated by fellowship recipients next year include: Sustainable practice in the fashion and textile industries; the role of conservation programmes in zoos and their impact within the community; ageing and brain networking; and innovation within the food industry.

- © Fairfax NZ News