Minor Abnormalities of Testis Development in Mice Lacking the Gene Encoding the MAPK Signalling Component, MAP3K1

In mammals, the Y chromosome is a dominant male determinant, causing the bipotential gonad to develop as a testis. Recently, cases of familial and spontaneous 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD) have been attributed to mutations in the human gene encoding mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 1, MAP3K1, a component of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal transduction pathway. In individuals harbouring heterozygous mutations in MAP3K1, dysregulation of MAPK signalling was observed in lymphoblastoid cell lines, suggesting a causal role for these mutations in disrupting XY sexual development. Mice lacking the cognate gene, Map3k1, are viable and exhibit the eyes open at birth (EOB) phenotype on a mixed genetic background, but on the C57BL/6J genetic background most mice die at around 14.5 dpc due to a failure of erythropoiesis in the fetal liver. However, no systematic examination of sexual development in Map3k1-deficient mice has been described, an omission that is especially relevant in the case of C57BL/6J, a genetic background that is sensitized to disruptions to testis determination. Here, we report that on a mixed genetic background mice lacking Map3k1 are fertile and exhibit no overt abnormalities of testis development. On C57BL/6J, significant non-viability is observed with very few animals surviving to adulthood. However, an examination of development in Map3k1-deficient XY embryos on this genetic background revealed no significant defects in testis determination, although minor abnormalities were observed, including an increase in gonadal length. Based on these observations, we conclude that MAP3K1 is not required for mouse testis determination. We discuss the significance of these data for the functional interpretation of sex-reversing MAP3K1 mutations in humans

Communicating Predator Free 2050 with children: A literature review on age-appropriate conservation action

In response to the documented decline of New Zealand’s native flora and fauna in the face of introduced predators, the New Zealand Government has set out to eradicate several species of mammalian predators by the year 2050 through its Predator-Free 2050 initiative (PF2050). This collaborative, nation-wide programme reflects an investment in a biological and social movement that depends on cross-sector cooperation and community partnership, multigenerational awareness, engagement and action. Hence there is legitimate public and scholarly interest in the issue of how best to convey key predator and pest control themes within conservation communication targeted at children. In particular, concerns have been raised about the potential effects of these messages on the development of empathy and healthy attitudes toward stewardship of nature as a whole. This commissioned report explores the literature on this theme, starting with the literature on children’s empathy for nature and animals, before looking to the research on the development of moral reasoning and empathy in children. The report will then draw on these two bodies of literature – along with research on communicating complex issues with children – to discuss how PF2050 messages can be communicated to children in an age-appropriate context. The report concludes with a set of principles intended to help guide conservation educators in designing predator control education programmes for childre

From backyards to the backcountry: Exploring outdoor recreation coping strategies and experiences during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand

This paper explores the impacts that the New Zealand government's lockdown measures to contain the COVID-19 virus during 2020 had on the activity and experiences of outdoor recreationists in New Zealand. Concepts related to coping strategies such as rationalisation, displacement and substitution, have been used frequently to explain the behavioural changes and processes involved in outdoor recreation when disruptions arise such as crowding and recreational conflict. However, such concepts have rarely been applied to rapid on-set disruptors such as pandemics. This paper adopts coping strategy theory to help document the strategies adopted by outdoor recreationists in response to the national lockdown in 2020. Based on a qualitative analysis of twenty interviews with outdoor recreationists in New Zealand, various coping mechanisms such as temporal, activity, and spatial displacement are identified. These include increased appreciation for outdoor settings, discovery of local activities and microadventures, and increased walking activity across the restricted, reaction and reset periods. Outdoor recreation coping strategies may contribute to increased resilience to disruptive and rapid on-set events and enhance understanding of how recreationists respond and adapt to disruption. This research presents a unique insight of coping strategies adopted in response to the national lockdown that may have implications for participation and management of outdoor recreation in New Zealand in the coming years. This paper also offers a new perspective on the behaviourist tradition in the field of outdoor recreation which may be fruitful for future research examining rapid on-set disruptions and crises

From tents and maps to vans and apps: Exploring camping mobilities

Mobile camping in a tent or vehicle is an increasingly popular way for tourists to experience place and movement as part of their leisure travel. Allowing tourists to save money, stay close to attractions, and maximise flexibility in their travel, camping provides a convenient accommodation option for domestic and international tourists alike. In the past, camping research has often been conceptualised using theories related to place. Contemporary camping can be interpreted as increasingly mobile in both the movement of people and information, which complements traditional conceptualisations of camping in the literature and in management approaches. Through 17 exploratory qualitative interviews with camping managers in the Mackenzie and Waitaki Districts of New Zealand, this research considered camping manager perspectives on the increasing mobility of camping in New Zealand. Qualitative analysis of these interviews, using Cresswell’s mobilities concepts as a framework, revealed a dynamic camping landscape inextricably enmeshed with complex political meanings about campers and movement. The findings allow the characterisation of campers as Self-Sufficient Spenders, Basic Budgeters, and Kiwi Classics—each representing distinct profiles in relation to mobilities notions of rhythm and speed. Subsequently, we suggest that the increasing mobility of camping needs to be acknowledged both in management approaches and future conceptualisations of camping

Tourist resilience to natural hazards in conservation areas of New Zealand

New Zealand’s public conservation lands and waters– including its 13 national parks and other protected natural resource areas – represent a complex social-ecological system, involving interplay between people and places. Many parks and protected areas are dynamic biophysical environments with multiple, naturally occurring hazards, but they are also highly valued as settings for outdoor recreation and tourism. This intersection between recreational use and natural hazard potential raises an important research question, as well as a management challenge: To what extent are visitors to these conservation areas aware of and appropriately prepared for the hazards they may encounter? This study adopts a resilience lens to interpret data collected via a nation-wide online survey of outdoor recreationists’ preparedness for, and responses to natural hazards in New Zealand’s conservation areas. Implications for increasing the resilience of tourists and the broader tourism social-ecological system are discussed

Educative trails on biosecurity awareness: A case study from Auckland Botanic Gardens

Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) has recognised the importance of a ‘biosecurity team of 4.7 M’ to face its current and future biosecurity challenges. The Biosecurity Trail (the Trail) at Auckland Botanic Gardens (ABG) was developed in 2019 to raise public awareness of biosecurity threats to plant species and provide opportunities for the public to learn how they might be involved in the ‘team of 4.7 M’. The Trail is 1.8 km long, with 12 signs containing information on invasive plant pests and diseases. This project aimed to: (i) gain insight into public awareness of biosecurity threats; and (ii) assess the effectiveness of the Trail in terms of influence on visitor awareness, attitudes and behaviour regarding biosecurity

Glacier retreat: Feedbacks and implications for glacier tourism

Since the culmination of the most recent advance period in 2008/09, the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers situated on the West Coast of New Zealand, have lost around 500 m in length and experienced significant ice thinning in their lower regions. But even as the glaciers rapidly retreat, they remain some of New Zealand’s most popular tourist attractions, with over 300,000 international tourists visiting the glacier region each year. In this research we take a multidisciplinary approach combining cutting-edge technology (unmanned aerial surveys and structure from motion modelling) to measure and monitor the rapidly changing physical characteristics of the glaciers, along with face-to-face semi-structured interviews with local tourism stakeholders (n=13) and visitor interviews (n=500), to explore the impact of these changes on the visitor experience. It was found that in addition to shortening and thinning, the region of the Fox Glacier that is heavily utilised for tourism is becoming increasingly debris-covered. This is due to melt-out of englacial debris and increased rockfall from the surrounding recently exposed valley slopes. With thinning the previously convex glacier cross-profile has flattened and modelling has demonstrated that falling rocks can now travel up to 50 m further out onto the glacier surface than was the case in 2008/09 – potentially into regions utilised for guided glacier walks. Overwhelmingly, the majority of the visitors surveyed expected the glaciers to get smaller in the future, and a number identified the importance of seeing the glaciers before they disappeared due to climate-related change. Interestingly, some stakeholder interviews revealed local optimism in that the glacier will readvance in the future, and that the tourists will continue to visit. When visitors were asked if they would still visit the glaciers even if the only way to see them was by helicopter, over one-half of respondents indicated they would still visit. By integrating physical and social perspectives we gain greater understanding of the impacts that climate change will have on glacier tourism in New Zealand