Citizen science projects

Not in Wellington? Don’t want to come all the way to Te Papa, but still eager to help?

We got you covered! Te Papa has citizen science projects running in which you can take part in from the comfort of your living room.

George Hudson’s Entomological Collection

For its wide systematic coverage as well as its historical and scientific value, the Hudson Collection is perhaps the best private insect collection ever made in New Zealand. It contains several thousand dry mounted insects collected mostly by George Vernon Hudson (1867–1946), but also by his wife, his daughter, and by other entomologists of that time.

The Hudson Collection is extremely valuable not only as a research and reference collection but also as an early database of the New Zealand insect fauna, especially of the Wellington region. You can help us make this collection available online to everyone. Find out how you can volunteer to help deciphering Hudson’s handwriting.

Mosquito Census

We need your help tracking New Zealand’s native and introduced mosquito species so we can get a better understanding of which species live where and how they’re spreading.

Simply catch a mosquito, freeze it, and send it to us. Learn all about this project and how you can help.