Commercial pine forests and kiwi conservation: contradiction or opportunity?

“We know kiwi are happy to live in commercial forests. And we know that of New Zealand's landmass, I think it's something like 7% of that landmass is covered in commercial forests of some description.”

That’s about 1.8 million hectares of a largely untapped habitat many people overlook!

In this episode, forestry specialist Craig Balsom from Save the Kiwi explains the sometimes surprising role New Zealand’s pine plantation forests can play in kiwi conservation.

Craig shares how Save the Kiwi and forest owners are working together to map kiwi presence and train harvest crews on how to detect kiwi sign. He also highlights how some forestry companies are already doing a great job with predator control efforts and strict dog management rules within their estates.

Alongside these efforts, updated guidelines and a new research project are helping to answer tough questions about how modern harvesting impacts kiwi today.

Craig also addresses how working with industry comes with risks, especially the danger of greenwashing: “We step into these spaces, only if we know that the people or the company (...) that we're partnering with are being open and honest and transparent about what they're wanting to achieve and why they're wanting to achieve it.” That means doing due diligence and choosing partners carefully.

If we balance it right, pine forests could significantly increase kiwi habitat in Aotearoa and complement traditional conservation efforts.

Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

• When it was discovered that kiwi live in pine forest.
• Current practices around keeping kiwi in plantations safe.
• Why forestry companies are motivated to support kiwi conservation.
• New research into how modern harvesting affects kiwi.
• How well-managed pine forests can complement conservation efforts.
• Examples and case studies.
• Potential greenwashing issues.
• And much more…

🧑‍🦱 About Craig

For the past two years, Craig Balsom has been working with forestry companies as Save the Kiwi’s in-house forestry specialist. With almost 30 years’ experience in commercial forestry, Craig has been able to utilise his industry knowledge to assist Save the Kiwi in encouraging and supporting more pine plantations to embrace predator management.

A key focus has been providing updated forestry guidelines for plantation owners and managers. Pine plantations offer a significant untapped resource for kiwi with a multitude of fauna. Craig has been championing the effective use of the infrastructure that companies already have in place (particularly access roads and personnel) to make the most of a fantastic biodiversity opportunity for an industry that is often seen as having a poor environmental impact.

Craig (Ngāti Hei) has also prioritised engaging iwi and the shared kaitiakitanga that is fundamental to the Save the Kiwi kaupapa.

🔗Learn more:

• Website: www.savethekiwi.nz
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/savethekiwinewzealand
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/savethekiwinz

🎙️Learn more about the podcast at www.conservationamplified.org

“I hold hope for the future of kea in that they are smart and adaptable birds, but we really need to act to help them on their way.”

And it takes a special kind of people to do exactly that: you need equal parts physical endurance, technical mountaineering expertise, and adaptive problem-solving in some of Aotearoa’s most challenging environments.

Picture this: walking a thousand metres straight up alpine terrain with tramping packs loaded with camping gear and scientific equipment. Then spending days catching and banding kea, or triangulating radio signals with directional aerials through unmarked backcountry to locate a single nesting female. This is the reality behind the data points that drive kea conservation.

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, Lydia McLean from the Kea Conservation Trust (KCT), takes us behind-the-scenes and reveals what really happens in the rugged reality of alpine conservation fieldwork.

KCT’s projects range from nest survivorship studies, where motion-activated cameras reveal what's happening around individual kea nests, to understanding entire population trends. Through collaborative trials with DOC and Ngāi Tahu, KCT also supports the testing of breakthrough predator control methods that could transform how we protect kea.

This hands-on approach proves that protecting the world's only alpine parrot requires innovation matching their intelligence - and demonstrates why understanding the realities on the ground is essential for effective conservation at scale.

Key topics discussed:

• What a typical day of kea field work looks like.
• The diverse range of projects KCT leads and supports.
• Differences between eastern and western kea populations.
• How kea are threatened by predators.
• The importance of landscape-scale predator control.
• Testing a new method of using 1080 and why it’s needed.
• How to report your kea sightings and get involved.
• And much more…

👩About Lydia:

Lydia (PhD, MSciComm, BSc) began working with kea in 2017 after deciding to put her tramping and mountaineering experience into conservation. Her PhD focused on kea foraging behaviour and diet to better understand how to protect them from traps and poisons intended for predators. She now works for DOC in Fiordland as well as managing the KCT’s field programme in the Southern South Island.

🔗Learn more:

• KCT’s website: www.keaconservation.co.nz
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/keaconservation
• https://newzealandecology.org/nzje/3599
• https://www.jstor.org/stable/26775032
• https://newzealandecology.org/nzje/3341
• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03014223.2021.2021249

🎙️Learn more about the podcast at www.conservationamplified.org

New Zealand's most intelligent native bird is at risk of fading away, despite being highly visible around tourist hotspots.

Kea, the world's only alpine parrot, captivates hearts and minds with their vibrant personalities and remarkable intelligence comparable to that of a four-year-old child.

These charismatic birds skillfully navigate harsh mountain environments, yet face a range of threats pushing their population to dangerously low levels - just a few thousand individuals spread across 3.5 million hectares.

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, Tamsin Orr-Walker, co-founder and chair of the Kea Conservation Trust (KCT), explains how these birds were decimated by a century-long bounty that killed 150,000 kea and continue to struggle with introduced predators, lead poisoning, and harmful human interactions.

"There was a perception that kea were doing well, that they didn't have any problems," explains Tamsin. But evidence gathered over the last few decades proves that this is far from reality.

KCT's work encompasses a wide range of activities, including removing toxic lead from old buildings, nest monitoring, research, advocacy, and more.

Through community partnerships and targeted conservation efforts, Tamsin and her team are working to ensure these remarkable alpine parrots continue to soar throughout the South Island’s mountains for generations to come.

Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

• Fascinating kea facts.
• The shocking history of humans hunting kea.
• The devastating impact of stoats and feral cats on kea populations.
• Why lead poisoning from old buildings is as deadly as predation.
• KCT’s inspiring efforts to protect kea from the many threats they face.
• The scientific and conservation importance of having a captive population.
• The "Keep Kea Wild" pledge that KCT is developing.
• What not to do when you’re in kea country.
• How to report your kea sightings and contribute to their conservation.
• And much more…

👩About Tamsin:

Tamsin is co-founder of the Kea Conservation Trust and has been the Chair since its inception. Tamsin manages the Trust’s day to day operations and coordinates KCT’s projects and partnerships. She was appointed a MNZM for services to kea conservation in 2020 and represents the KCT on the Kea Recovery Group.

🔗Learn more:

• KCT’s website: www.keaconservation.co.nz
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/keaconservation
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/keaconservation

🎙️About the podcast:

The People Helping Nature podcast is brought to you by Conservation Amplified, a registered New Zealand charity.

We are on a mission to help make conservation mainstream by amplifying the awesome stuff people are doing to help nature all around Aotearoa New Zealand.

Because when people are aware, connected to the ecosystems around them and care enough to take positive action, only then will we see lasting change.

Listen in and follow us to start or deepen your journey.

Find out more about Conservation Amplified at www.conservationamplified.org.

“If you want to know how many kororā live in New Zealand, go find them.”

The world’s smallest penguin species could be vanishing right before our eyes - without enough data to confirm their suspected decline.

Kororā (little penguins) are thought to be in trouble throughout Aotearoa, yet we lack the nationwide monitoring to prove it.

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, Hiltrun Ratz and Melissa McLuskie from the New Zealand Penguin Initiative (NZPI) reveal how they're uniting community groups all over NZ to fill critical knowledge gaps about this species. Through standardised monitoring and collaborative efforts, NZPI is building the evidence needed for meaningful protection.

"We need to avoid being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, but put the fence up at the top before it gets too bad and they fade away," warns Hiltrun.

The good news? Kororā can thrive alongside humans if they’re given the space and protection they need. By respecting their habitat and supporting local groups, we can help ensure future generations will be able to say, "we have penguins in our backyard."

Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

• Why kororā are classified as "at-risk declining" despite limited data.
• Major threats including habitat loss, predation, and human disturbance.
• How climate change is affecting kororā populations.
• The importance of monitoring on land and at sea.
• Why kororā are an indicator species for our coastal regions.
• How NZPI is coordinating nationwide monitoring and conservation efforts to fill the data gaps.
• Simple actions anyone can take to protect kororā in their local area.
• What to do if you encounter an injured or dead penguin.
• And much more…

👩About Hiltrun:

Hiltrun has dedicated more than three decades to penguin conservation in NZ. She joined NZPI as a penguin scientist in 2021, supporting community groups nationwide to understand and reduce threats to kororā.

Her journey began in 1991 with a PhD on introduced predators of yellow-eyed penguins, followed by almost 20 years at Penguin Place on the Otago Peninsula. After leaving in 2013, she contributed to Penguin Rescue's work at Moeraki, before becoming the scientist for Blue Penguins Pukekura at Taiaroa Head (2016-2021), where she established microchipping and monitoring programmes for their little penguin population.

👩About Melissa:

Melissa joined the NZPI team in 2023 after relocating to the West Coast. With a background in zookeeping, wildlife veterinary nursing and a Bachelor of Science, she previously worked with Western Bay Wildlife Trust, advocating for kororā protection by undertaking community engagement, rescue, rehabilitation, scientific research and habitat restoration.

Melissa is dedicated to reducing human-wildlife conflict, improving habitat, and hopes to inspire communities to look after their local penguin colonies to ensure they remain an important part of terrestrial and marine ecosystems for future generations.

🔗Learn more:

• NZPI’s website: www.nzpi.nz
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/NZpenguins
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/nzpenguins

🎙️Learn more about the podcast at www.conservationamplified.org

“The Raukūmara was never prioritised. It was forgotten."

For generations, local iwi Ngati Porou and Te Whanau-a-Apanui watched their ancestral forest degrade. The Raukūmara reached breaking point. Deer had stripped the understory bare, and possums and rats had multiplied unchecked, reaching catastrophic levels. The question became urgent: how could they save their dying forest?

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, Ora Barlow, who played an instrumental role, shares the remarkable journey of the Raukūmara Pae Maunga Restoration Project - an iwi-led conservation initiative that's become the largest of its kind in the world.

"The ngāhere is such an honest storyteller of its own story. It tells its story. It doesn't lie. Once you see it, you can't unsee it."

Listening to their ngāhere (forest) and understanding its crisis sparked a revolutionary movement where locals mobilised when nobody else would, turning years of voluntary advocacy into the largest Māori-led 1080 operation to date.

What makes Raukūmara Pae Maunga’s approach unique isn't just pace and scale, but how they ensured community support. Through marae-based wānanga and forest visits, they created safe spaces where difficult conversations about conservation tools could happen openly. They built understanding and support first, creating a strong foundation of trust before any 1080 rollout and deer culling began.

The results have been dramatic. But the most powerful aspect? This project shows that taking people on the journey isn't just about overcoming resistance. It's about creating intergenerational resilience that ensures results are lasting and permanent.

Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

• The significance Raukūmara holds as ancestral land for Te Whanau-a-Apanui and Ngati Porou.
• The unique strengths of iwi-led conservation compared to other approaches.
• Why conservation at pace and scale is critical for NZ's biodiversity future.
• How the Raukūmara ecological collapse was having ripple effects from mountain to sea.
• The powerful approach of humanising conservation: "seeing for yourself" rather than telling people about problems.
• The journey to understand and implement 1080 and deer culling at scale.
• The importance of creating safe spaces for difficult conversations.
• Why conservation requires shifting from siloed approaches to collaborative knowledge-sharing.
• And much more…

👩About Ora:

Ko Ora Barlow no Te Whanau-a-Apanui, Ngai Tai, Whakatohea, Ngati Porou

Involved in the Raukūmara project from the early stages of community activation and planning, Ora is currently a Governor on Raukumara Pae Maunga and also works as a Pou Uruao a Motu (National Engagement) for Save the Kiwi.

She has a strong involvement in māori environmental kaupapa and conservation projects with a range of iwi, and advocates restoring native forests at scale.

🔗Learn more:

• Raukūmara Pae Maunga’s website: www.raukumara.org.nz
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/KoTeRaukumaraTeNgahere
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/raukumarapaemaunga

🎙️Learn more about the podcast at www.conservationamplified.org

What if businesses could become a driving force behind positive environmental action, complementing and accelerating conservation efforts worldwide?

Despite their significant impact on our planet, less than 10% of small businesses have measured their carbon footprint.

The perceived complexity of taking climate action has created a massive barrier - something Carlos Chambers experienced firsthand when his previous company's carbon measurement took an astonishing 130 hours to complete. This led him to start CarbonInvoice™ to help solve this problem using technology.

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, we explore how businesses can move beyond the perception that environmental action is in the ‘too hard basket’ and instead embrace taking simple action to become a force for good.

"The heroes of today are the scientists and the business people," Carlos explains. "I think that's broadly who society looks to, the people with the knowledge and then the people with the influence and the resources."

Beyond digital solutions, Carlos also shares how connecting businesspeople directly with nature through native tree planting creates profound, lasting experiences.

These hands-on activities benefit ecosystems and plant seeds of environmental awareness that continue to grow long after participants return to their offices, potentially creating a future where business and conservation naturally grow together.

Listen in as we explore how businesses are uniquely positioned to drive environmental progress in ways that complement traditional conservation efforts.

Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

• The barriers preventing most small businesses from taking climate action to date.
• How to overcome climate complexity by making action easy and rewarding.
• The definition of greenwashing and the importance of transparency.
• How competition and survival instincts can drive a "race to the top" in sustainability.
• Why hands-on tree planting creates profound experiences for business teams.
• The ripple effects when businesses take climate action in their communities.
• Simple ways businesses can start their climate journey today.
• And much more…

👩About Carlos:

Carlos Chambers brings 12+ years of entrepreneurial experience across climate, fintech, and b2b software. He founded and successfully grew Common Ledger, a fintech and data business. Working with small businesses and their accounting data gave him deep insights into the domain. He combines this with his commercial law and climate advocacy background, giving him the ideal foundation of experience, skills and passion to build CarbonInvoice™.

🔗Learn more:

• CarbonInvoice™: www.carboninvoice.com

🎙️Learn more about the podcast at www.conservationamplified.org

What does it take to transform a planting project into a thriving, self-sustaining NZ native forest?

In short, it's a long-term commitment that goes far beyond the initial planting day: The secret to success isn't the day you put trees in the ground, it comes from everything that happens before and after.

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, we welcome Wayne O’Keefe back to share crucial insights and practical tips on the planning, planting and protection phases of reforestation, based on his 20+ years of experience.

Wayne explains why understanding your site's specific conditions and weed pressures is crucial before planting begins, and why selecting the right species in the right place with the right protection makes all the difference long-term.

“We've got to get away from this notion of planting once and walking away. We've got to find the ability and the resourcing to be involved with that site for potentially decades to come.”

So whether you're restoring coastal dunes, creating forest corridors or planting for numerous other reasons, this episode will provide key insights to improve your native planting outcomes and turn your project into a viable habitat.

Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

• Why proper planning is critical for your planting to succeed.
• The importance of understanding your site's unique conditions and identifying potential threats before planting.
• Essential next steps after planting your pioneer species to create conditions for forest succession.
• Why maintenance is the most overlooked yet crucial aspect of successful plantings.
• How to monitor whether your planting is on track to succeed.
• The main reasons why native tree plantings fail.
• Top tips for running volunteer planting days.
• And much more…

👩About Wayne:

Having moved to Aotearoa, NZ in 2001, Wayne quickly developed a passion for our unique biodiversity. Since starting his contracting business in 2002, he has been fortunate enough to work in the community conservation space, supporting and guiding conservation groups and landowners to achieve their conservation goals.

This has helped him to develop a broad understanding of coastal and forest ecology and the challenges we face in caring for them. He is a self-confessed native plant geek and has a particular interest in native forest establishment. Wayne has held roles with the QEII National Trust, Trees that Count, Tane’s Tree Trust, Bay Conservation Alliance, and Whakatāne Kiwi Trust.

🔗Learn more:

• Tane’s Tree Trust: www.tanestrees.org.nz
• Trees That Count: www.treesthatcount.co.nz

🎙️Learn more about the podcast at www.conservationamplified.org

It’s been estimated that more than 2.5 million feral cats call Aotearoa NZ home.

2.5 million!

That's big numbers, making them a growing problem and an increasing threat…

These aren’t your typical domestic house cat. They are wild animals, and they’re having a devastating impact on our native wildlife.

"Comparing a feral cat to a domestic cat is like comparing a wolf to a Labrador"

Feral cats predate on all kinds of taonga species - from lizards to bats to kiwi - and their numbers are increasing every year. In one documented case, a single feral cat killed 107 endangered short-tailed bats in just two weeks.

And their impact extends far beyond predation events, affecting everyday lives through attacks on pet cats, toxoplasmosis in livestock, and even further endangering Māui dolphins through disease transmission.

So, what’s stopping us from solving this problem? There are many reasons, but our emotional connection to pet cats is a big one.

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, John Bissell, owner of Backblocks Environmental Management and National Predator Control Advisor for Save the Kiwi, shares a balanced perspective on the feral cat debate in Aotearoa New Zealand.

While John strongly supports people's right to own pet cats, he draws a clear distinction between domestic companions and their wild counterparts.

Here are some of the things we discussed in this illuminating chat:

• The definition of feral cats vs. domestic pet cats.
• How trail camera footage reveals that feral cats are everywhere in our landscape.
• How feral cats decimate endangered species populations.
• Feline toxoplasmosis impacts on farming and marine mammals.
• Respectful approaches to feral cat control in areas with pet cats present.
• How human emotion shapes our approach to different predator species.
• Tips for conservation groups navigating the feral cat topic with respect.
• And much more...

👩About John:

John Bissell is the owner of Backblocks Environmental Management, and he is also the National Predator Control Advisor for Save the Kiwi.

John’s main area of mahi is in predator control and threatened species protection. His speciality is in finding and removing the one hard-to-get predator in a large landscape. These lessons have also helped him shape new methods and tricks to help him catch more.

As well as boots-on-the-ground delivery, John’s role is increasingly centred around supporting and training people and projects in this line of work, and he is equally passionate about this side of his mahi. John refers to himself as a NZ predator hunter, and he will happily tell story after story of the many other good people out there doing the same.

🔗Learn more:

• John’s website: www.bbem.co.nz
• John’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/nzpredatorhunter
• Save the Kiwi’s website: www.savethekiwi.nz

🎙️Learn more about the podcast at www.conservationamplified.org