Other articles written by Allison Hess

Gift guide 2024: presents with purpose

Gift guide 2024: presents with purpose

Here is a list of gift ideas that go towards protecting and restoring wildlife that trappers, bird nerds, adventurers, and readers will *actually* use.
A ferret in the grass

Short-sighted surplus hunters: five fast facts about ferrets

Ferrets are the largest mustelid in New Zealand. These introduced predators have a devastating effect on our native wildlife.
Galaxiid floating in space (composite image)

Guardians of the Galaxiidae: protecting kōkopu eggs from rats

The kōkopu lays its eggs on land, making them an easy target for rats, mice and hedgehogs. A mix of muscle, native seedlings and rat traps are helping keep them safe.
Two women smiling holding wooden trap boxes

In a neighbourhood near you: fresh funding for grassroots trapping

A wave of community-led conservation is sweeping across New Zealand, powered by passion, dedication, and now, an exciting new round of funding.
A stoat inspecting a trap

Catch me if you can: how can we better trap shy female stoats?

Current traps nab more male stoats than females, which is a big problem. Females are basically always pregnant, non-stop baby factories.
A long tailed bat flying over a dusk sky.

Sending up the bat signal: inside the world of bat monitoring

How do you monitor New Zealand’s thumb-sized and virtually silent pekapeka (bats), which fly through the darkness at speeds up to 60km/h?
A collage of dollar signs and photos of community conservation groups.

Show me the money: a closer look at community conservation

A new report reveals the extent of the problems with community conservation funding and provides a to-do list for fixing them.
A timber and mesh enclosure for cats

Grand designs: 5 cool catios that will make your cat jealous

These catios are impressive, but there are heaps of ways to create a safe outdoor space, from affordable DIY to pre-made kits to custom-built options.
A group of people looking at the camera with the Marlborough Sounds in the background.

Learning from the best: Q&A with Picton Dawn Chorus

Picton Dawn Chorus went from a few passionate residents with a dream to deploying a network of 3,500 traps. How did they do it, and what’s next?
A stoat watching something in front of some rocks.

Stoat personalities: unravelling the mystery of trap-evasion

Why do some stoats get caught in a trap, but others walk on by? Researchers have been diving deep into animal behaviour in an attempt to find out.
A man in hi-vis hammers a trap into a tree.

This is what happens when you invest in conservation careers

It was launched to create new jobs in the wake of COVID. But the Predator Free Apprentice Programme ended up doing so much more.
A close up of a kōkako

From one pair to many: these volunteers saved this Auckland kōkako population

When volunteers started helping kōkako in the Hūnua Ranges there was just one breeding pair left. But it wasn't too late - thirty years later, there are more than 250 pairs.
A trap box in the foreground in an alpine valley.

If you’ve ever thought, “what’s the point?” about nature conservation, this study is for you

Nature conservation really, actually works, and control of invasive species shows the largest positive impact, according to a new global study.
The words Why Apu juxtaposed over forested mountains.

Thriving garden to empty shell, ‘Why Apu?’ 

Silent forests with chewed-out undergrowth and mountainsides slipping away. A new documentary series unveils crisis and hope in the heart of the East Cape.
Poison claws and slime assault: 7 nocturnal creatures to delight in this forested estate

Poison claws and slime assault: 7 nocturnal creatures to delight in this forested estate

When the sun goes down, a whole new world wakes up in the native forest subdivision of Mahakirau.

National map

Click our map to discover the extent of predator control being undertaken throughout the country.

Click our map to discover the extent of predator control being undertaken throughout the country.

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