2025 NZ International Science Festival

Join us in making backyards happy spaces for us and nature

Our beautiful exhibit

1-6 July, 10 am to 3pm

Be inspired @ the Festival Hub, upstairs in Dunedin’s Meridian Mall (in the former Smith’s City/Kmart space,).

Daily activities

1-6 July, 10 am to 3pm

  • Birds
  • Butterflies and moths
  • Backyard builder
  • Kiwi Kai

Feature activities

Varying dates & times (see below)

  • Manuka Magic
  • Feathers not fur
  • Stop Motion movie maker

Most activities are suitable for all ages (but children under 14 must work with an adult) – learn more below.

Daily activities @ the Festival Hub (10 am to 3 pm)

Tūī

Birds

Birds often visit our backyards and entertain us – we have teamed up with the NZ Garden Bird Survey to bring you a range of activities to learn more about these backyard visitors:

  • Make a Bird Mask using colourful templates or colouring in your own
  • Enter the NZ Garden Bird Survey colouring competition

Pick up a tally sheet or activity book to take part in the NZ Garden Bird Survey which runs from 28 June to 6 July.

Butterflies and moths

Butterflies and moths can be hard to spot and identify. Learn more about these beautiful creatures through our activities designed with local game developers, Runaway Play:

  • Make a Butterfly or Moth Mask using colourful templates or colouring in your own
  • Build your own butterfly or moth using one of our origami templates

Backyard builder

Help us grow our garden …

  • explore our seed ideas for inspiration
  • select stickers to add the garden
  • design your own stickers to add

Supported by Te Pūnaha Matatini

Kiwi Kai

Grabbing your virtual gumboots and become a farmer with Kiwi Kai

Feature activities @ the Festival Hub (varying dates & times)

Mānuka magic

Tue 1st to Sun 6th July
10 am to 1 pm

Make your own mānuka flowers using our paper template and learn more about these beautiful iconic plants.

Supported by Te Pūnaha Matatini

Feathers not fur!

Thu 3rd, Sat 5th & Sun 6th July
10 am to 1 pm

Find out what feathered and furry creatures might be lurking in your backyard and how to identify them by playing Predator Free Dunedin’s ‘backyard bingo’ and ‘whose poos’ activities!

Stop Motion movie maker

Fri 4th to Sun 6th July
10 am to 3 pm

Making your own ‘Stop Motion’ movie with local artist Luke Easterbrook-Clarke and help bring our 2025 Biodiversity Book to life.

For inspiration check out our 2023 Biodiversity book