NZ Dotterel in Sandstorm

Shooting their shot: the stories behind the stunning photographs

Wildlife photographers reveal the untold stories behind their stunning shots, and we launch our first-ever, Shoot Your Shot competition with Photo Warehouse. For every stunning wildlife photo you see, there’s a story.  When the opportunity for an incredible photo arises, it’s fleeting – just a moment to capture the moment. When it happens, it can … Continue reading Shooting their shot: the stories behind the stunning photographs

Predator Free Ngaio community picnic stand.

Bird banter: how Predator Free Ngaio grew a thriving community

This Wellington community group shares their secret recipe for success. Once every fortnight, a ping can be heard across hundreds of households in the inner Wellington suburb of Ngaio… It’s the e-newsletter from Predator Free Ngaio – a kind of community noticeboard connecting more than 600 households to the latest news, anecdotes, predator capture data, … Continue reading Bird banter: how Predator Free Ngaio grew a thriving community

Wildlife sanctuary with a big rat

How a wildlife sanctuary accidentally trained rats to avoid traps

In the struggle to achieve its predator free status, Kaipupu Sanctuary faced unexpected challenges, including inadvertently training a population of rats to avoid traps. Stepping onto the floating jetty at Kaipupu Sanctuary in Waitohi (Picton), you’re greeted by a wall of native bush and a chorus of birdsong. The peninsula, a short jaunt from the … Continue reading How a wildlife sanctuary accidentally trained rats to avoid traps

Sam holding his book open.

The reptile files: your guide to identifying reptiles and amphibians in Aotearoa

The search for native reptiles is a bit like a Hollywood drama. There’s adventure and suspense, elation and heartbreak and sometimes, despite overwhelming odds, the main character gets what they’re after. If anyone knows this, it’s Sam Purdie – even if he can’t find the words to describe it. The herpetologist, wildlife photographer and science … Continue reading The reptile files: your guide to identifying reptiles and amphibians in Aotearoa

Someone scrolling through social media

Click for conservation: Can social media make a difference for native species?

If you’re reading this because you clicked on a social media link, this story is for you. Before you got here, you were probably scrolling aimlessly through your feed, and somewhere between the ad for pet food, the latest celebrity scandal and a viral TikTok recipe, you saw this post, which made you stop. Maybe … Continue reading Click for conservation: Can social media make a difference for native species?

Jade with a trap box in the forest.

‘Putting power in their hands’: the student teaching a community to trap

Predator Free Riccarton is one of the newest community trapping groups in Christchurch and there’s plenty of work ahead for the tenacious group of volunteers. For Jade Humphrey, the future is birds. Lots of birds. But as the founder of Predator Free Riccarton, the present is rats. Lots of rats. “We were doing monitoring and … Continue reading ‘Putting power in their hands’: the student teaching a community to trap