Now that winter is finally starting to release its icy grip, and blossoms are starting to show on many of the trees work can begin on the myriad of plans contrived and pondered while huddled around the warmth of a fire. One of the Plans that has been slowly chipped away at is the building of a butterfly house directly adjoining and incorporating the window of my study. How delightful it will be during the summer months to sit at my desk and watch the butterflies go about their business ready for release to increase the dwindling population that already exists in New Zealand. A project I am quite excited about. Work continues on the book I am working on and surprisingly I'm quite enjoying it so it doesn't seem like a task at all but an absolute pleasure to research and learn new things. I recently purchased a couple of very beautiful moths, papered so this is one project I'm quite nervous of as I had to go through the whole procedure and mount them, and believe me they are too beautiful to make a mess of. I can now understand Grahams dilemma of a few months ago. We have plans currently on the boil to build some bumblebee shelters this summer as these little creatures are becoming rarer sight every year. Another project is to build hedgehog wintering boxes in the hopes of improving their population as they too are also becoming rarer and rarer. Another project we have decided to undertake at the New Zealand CFZ is we have obtained a Formicaria in which we first intend to raise some of the more household garden variety of ants. Eventually, after ironing out the problems we would like to have a go at raising some of the New Zealand native species hopefully to rerelease back into areas of native bush. Hopefully these releases will help replenish New Zealand's dwindling ant population. It's amazing how the tend to concentrate on the larger creatures, and how endangered, unusual or just plain enigmatic they actually are and yet, there are just as many fascinating creatures at our feet and totally overlooked. Excitingly, it is also that time of year again that whitebait make their way up river and very soon the banks will be lined with many fishermen dreaming of whitebait fritters. Once again through a kind benefactor there will be some that will not reach the frying pan and allow me to continue my research into these fascinating fish. Regrettably I was only able to get one to survive from last year's lot. As they are, from what I hear, extremely hard to rear I find that achievement in itself. When Sally, as we have called her putting young whitebait in with her would be a big mistake, so I shall raise them in a separate tank until they are big enough to stand up for themselves. Lots of projects, lots of enthusiasm, and I must state all round so it looks like things may get a little exciting for awhile.