Rnz: Afternoons With Jesse Mulligan

A few weeks ago, some locals in Waiatai Valley near Wairoa were devastated to find hundreds of dead eels in the Waiatai stream. Some of the eels, or tuna in te reo Maori, were thought to be 40 to 50 years old. A team from Hawkes Bay Regional Council has been investigating what happened. Council chair Sophie Siers joins Jesse with an update.

It's about a missing dog - Doug the Pug is his name and he has been missing since the middle of January. Now, Doug is no ordinary dog, he is a therapy animal, used at The Northern Health School with kids who are too unwell to attend regular schooling. Monique Burke is a Northern Health School teacher and Doug's owner.

The 'Buller Bluewater Classic' is a new month-long big game fishing competition out of the Port of Westport. It seems warmer water temperatures has resulted in a flurry of marlin along with mahi mahi and giant tuna, and that's got game fishers excited. One of the fishermen leading the charge is Jason Anderson from the 'Reel Adventures with Jase' YouTube channel.

How much AI do you think is used by New Zealand media? All the big newsrooms here have guidelines around the use of AI but as readers, watchers and listeners do you know what they are? After interviewing journalists and news editors, researchers at the Auckland University of Technology, has found the use of AI tools is widespread. So should you be worried? Author of the study, Dr Merja Myllylahti chats to Jesse.

News from the Ministry of Primary Industries reveals that it has found 3 secondary yellow legged hornet nests and successfully treated and removed them. Using tracking, trapping and ground surveillance, along with public notifications, the team has now located and destroyed 49 queens, 51 nests and hundreds of workers to date. Lloyd 'The Waspman' Carpenter discusses the update with Jesse.

For lots of students all over New Zealand, going back to school today is about settling into a new classroom and reconnecting with mates. For many Mums, going back to school includes figuring out the parent politics and mum groups that form every year. This summer, former High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale shared her experience with adult bullying in an Essay for New York Magazine called Breaking up with my toxic mum group. She describes getting iced out of a Mum's group she joined when her daughter was a baby. Clinical psychologist Dr. Christie Ferrari hears versions of this story all the time and offers advice on how to handle mean-mum dynamics.

TV Critic Finn Hogan joins Jesse to chat all things television. He's reviewing: Game of Thrones: Knight of the Seven Kingdoms - Neon Ponies - TVNZ +

It feels like every year we have conversations about the importance of having a will, and yet the number of people without one remains stubbornly high. While it can be tempting to put it off, dying without a will can create far more problems than you might expect. To guide us through the process we're joined by Gary Fitzpatrick. Gary is the co-founder of Comac Trustees and has over 30 years' experience in the trustee industry.

This week Jesse hits the Machine Knitters Club - and chats to club delegate Jeena Monk. If you've got a club you'd like Jesse to join for the day, message us on 2101 or email us, afternoons@rnz.co.nz

We get the latest on news from Australia with our man on the ground Brad Foster.

You've probably all heard of Bird of the Year, but Bug of the Year might be new to you. Much like the name suggests, it is a competition pitting critters against each other. (Yes, we know the word "bug" only covers one type of insect but the competition organisers think Bug of the Year is way catchier than Invertebrate of the Year.) Joining Jesse to fight for their bug - University of Auckland Microbiologist Dr Siouxsie Wiles and Jonathon Ridden from Canterbury Museum. Click here if you want to vote. Voting closes on February 16th, results will be released on March 20th.

In January 2025, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment published the Crown's mineral strategy with a goal of doubling our mineral exports to three billion dollars by 2035. On Friday, we learnt that to achieve that goal MBIE is looking to develop a "non-binding critical minerals framework" and has been having discussions with the US on the supply of critical minerals. To explain what this all means, Jesse talks to Sefton Darby, is a former National Minerals manager at MBIE, and now consults on geo-politics and political risk.

Washed up seaweed might look unimportant to us, but rotting seaweed is a crucial haven for animals such as the seaweed darkling beetle. The decaying seaweed provides both shelter and sustenance, allowing them to inhabit a narrow zone of the intertidal environment. This bubble-shaped beetle exists in varying colour morphs, with light colour forms living on white sand beaches, while darker colour forms live on black sand beaches. This cryptic colour match to their sandy substrate allows them to avoid being dinner from predators such as banded dotterels, oyster catchers and gulls!

Gardens really don't take holidays do they? If only you could put the weather on hold for a month, so our gardens stay in a holding pattern too! Lynda has lots of helpful advice for sorting out wild gardens.

Julie Biuso from Shared Kitchen is with me now to talk us through a lovely summery dish. pasta with white beans and roasted tomatoes. Recipe is here

We're kicking off our 21st year of NZ Live and today I'm joined by Theia in Studio B Theia's debut album Girl in a Savage world has received rave reviews, you may remember we gave away her album last year Theia joins us ahead of a limited run of shows here in Aotearoa before she heads off for a tour across North America

Movie critic Dominic Corry joins Jesse in the Auckland studio to review: Send Help - in theatres The Wrecking Crew - Prime Video Marty Supreme - in theatres.

Freaky Friday - that time of the week where we hear your spooky, ghostly or simply unexplainable stories. If you've got one to share, get in touch on 2101 and one of our producers will be in touch.

It feels like every day there is another company going bust, or downsizing, which means lots of you are living in a state of constant change or doing more with fewer staff. Jane Ward runs an HR company called Tomorrow's People, and she wanted to know how such workplace trends affect HR professionals, when she couldn't find the research she wanted, she did it herself.

Whether you love losing yourself to dance - or dancing like no one's watching - for many dance brings joy. But it also keeps people active, provides community spaces and can help young New Zealanders find their tribe if traditional sport isn't their thing. In fact, according to our next guest, more and more kids are choosing to dance. Ash Habgood the owner of Auckland dance studio Neverland talks to Jesse.