From boardrooms to the bush, from artists’ studios to the laboratories of scientists, from golf courses to community meeting halls, a diverse array of people have united under the common banner of preserving our precious wildlife.
Artists
When it comes to protecting the native and endemic wildlife of Aotearoa, a pen and a camera can be just as vital as traps and bait.
When it comes to protecting the native and endemic wildlife of Aotearoa, a pen and a camera are just as vital as traps and bait.
The art of conservation: How artists are helping save our wildlife
Meets four artists donating a portion of their sales to support conservation organisations that preserve the species and environments that act as their muses.
Appreciating what lies beyond the forest’s edge: Q&A with Melissa Boardman
Melissa Boardman is an illustrator passionate about native birds, conservation and the environment. She visits predator free sanctuaries across Aotearoa to observe and photograph birds in their natural habitats.
Ranger, illustrator and bird nerd: Sarah Little
Sarah Little spends her time caring for kākāpo on Whenua Hou, tramping around Aotearoa and telling conservation stories through her popular cartoons.
Businesses
Businesses of all sizes are stepping up to incorporate predator free into their business model and redefining success beyond profit margins.
Businesses of all sizes are stepping up to incorporate predator free into their business model and redefining success beyond profit margins.
The predator free mission at the heart of a southwest business’s success
Maria Kuster and Sean Ellis, founders of eco-tourism charter company Pure Salt based in Tamatea (Dusky Sound) have made predator control an integral part of their work.
Tackling predators at Shelly Beach Top 10 Holiday Park
After returning from a Holiday Park Association conference inspired about predator control Aaron and his family were keen to get a programme started at Shelly Beach TOP 10 Holiday Park.
New business venture finds growing market for possum meat
When it comes to possums, Zach Howarth believes in ‘utilising it all’. He’s sold his first shipment of possum meat to petfood manufacturer ‘Possyum’ back in 2016.
Trampers, bikers, golfers
Outdoor enthusiasts, such as trampers and hikers, become advocates for predator free initiatives because they witness the impact of pests on natural environments firsthand.
Outdoor enthusiasts, such as trampers and hikers, become advocates for predator free initiatives because they witness the impact of pests on natural environments firsthand.
Step, cycle and swing your way to predator free
It’s no wonder many outdoor sports clubs are combining recreation with conservation to give back to the places they love – check out what Auckland Tramping club, Mākara Mountain Bike Park and Arrowtown Golf Club are doing.
Stealthy stoat eludes Hastings Golf Club trappers
The stealthy stoat has inspired the start of a comprehensive trapping programme for other introduced predators, including any rats, possums or hedgehogs hanging out on the wilder fringes off the fairway.
Mana whenua
Drawing from their profound connection to the land, mana whenua weave together mātauranga, cultural values, and innovative strategies to protect ecosystems from invasive predators – not only protecting native species but also revitalising a deep spiritual connection to the land.
Drawing from their profound connection to the land, mana whenua weave together mātauranga, cultural values, and innovative strategies to protect ecosystems from invasive predators – not only protecting native species but also revitalising a deep spiritual connection to the land.
Teaching about our taonga with Estelle Pura Pera-Leask
Māori values, practices and stories are integral to the predator free kaupapa, and Māori knowledge and energy is crucial to its success. We spoke to Estelle Pura Pera-Leask – a key figure bringing Māori voices and expertise to the movement.
Fostering the birds of Manukapua: Q&A with Tapora Land & Coast Care Group
Kia Puawai ai ngā taonga o Manukapua (fostering the birds of Manukapua) is the project and kaupapa of the Tapora Land & Coast Care Group.
Predator control mahi connecting tāngata and whenua
The kaupapa of Tū Mai Taonga is not only about breathing new life into the Aotea Great Barrier Island’s ngahere (forest); it’s reconnecting whānau with their whenua (land).
Gardeners
Guardians of green spaces are cultivating not just plants – they are nurturing habitats where native wildlife can flourish.
Guardians of green spaces are cultivating not just plants – they are nurturing habitats where native wildlife can flourish.
Garden of Holly: from weeds to wild wonderland
When wildlife photographer Holly Neill and her partner moved into their new home on the Kāpiti Coast in late 2020, the garden was choked by weeds. In just two short years, they’ve planted 400 natives, turning a maze of weedy agapanthus, tradescantia and bare grass into the beginnings of a wild wonderland.
Engineers and innovators
Visionary problem-solvers are crafting ingenious solutions to outwit invasive predators. From the design of smarter traps to AI technologies, their work represents the cutting edge of conservation.
Visionary problem-solvers are crafting ingenious solutions to outwit invasive predators. From the design of smarter traps to AI technologies, their work represents the cutting edge of conservation.
High-tech predator control solutions for today, not tomorrow
Photo-booths for lizards, long-lasting lures, and a trap that can recognise what it’s caught – if you want creative, hi-tech yet practical solutions to predator control problems, talk to Critter Solutions.
Getting smart: is Artificial Intelligence the key to Predator Free 2050?
It might sound futuristic, but Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already hard at work in the predator free movement, and there are lots of exciting developments on the horizon.
Science fiction meets reality: “ultimate device” to bring back birdsong
After hearing Aotearoa New Zealand described as “a cathedral without a choir” serial inventor and engineering wizard Grant Ryan (Kāti Huirapa) knew he needed to use his powers for good.
Retirees
Do you think retirement means putting your feet up with a good book and a cup of tea? Not for these guys.
Do you think retirement means putting your feet up with a good book and a cup of tea? Not for these retirees.
Meet the talented trap-building retirees
Lynn Andrews, a 75-year-old retiree, has combined two of his passions – woodworking and conservation – and started a trap-making hub at the Ryman retirement village he also calls home.
97-year-old comes to aid of Moeraki penguins
While others may have been more idle than usual during the recent Covid 19 Lockdown, 97-year-old Peter Whitehead was busy in his workshop building trapboxes to help protect the local yellow-eyed penguins – and he’s still busy.
Hunters and vegans
It even transcends dietary choices, with hunters and vegans converging in the shared mission of creating a predator free New Zealand.
It even transcends dietary choices, with hunters and vegans converging in the shared mission of creating a predator free New Zealand.
Protecting a very special duck: Q&A with Eastern Whio Link
Eastern Whio Link is a hunting, fishing and farming-led conservation project. Based in the Upper Waioeka between Gisborne and Ōpōtiki, this project is dedicated to restoring a healthy whio (blue duck) population to the Waioeka waterways.
Backyard Legends: Brad Windust from Bay Bush Action
For 10 years, Brad Windust has been trapping introduced predators in sections of the Ōpua State Forest. The Ōpua State Forest spans 2000 hectares and is a coastal lowland Kāuri forest in the heart of the Bay of Islands.
Young people
Young people aren’t sitting idly by – they are redefining the future of nature and conservation. Either volunteering or making a career out of protecting wildlife, they are making a big impact.
Young people aren’t sitting idly by – they are redefining the future of nature and conservation. Either volunteering or making a career out of protecting wildlife, they are making a big impact.
Cracking into a career in conservation
Experienced predator control specialists are in hot demand, and we’ll need even more to successfully achieve the Predator Free NZ vision.
Kiwi calling: Predator Free apprentice Māia Gibbs at home on the range
Like many of us, Māia Gibbs grew up never having seen a kiwi in the wild. Now, she gets up close and personal while helping save the kiwi as a Predator Free NZ Trust apprentice.
Bright future: 5 rangatahi shaping conservation
When it comes to protecting nature, these five rangatahi “understood the assignment”. There’s a question mark hanging over their future ability to enjoy wildlife and wild places in Aotearoa New Zealand, but these rangatahi have taken conservation into their own hands.
Farmers
Farmers are forging a new path where farming and conservation go hand in hand.
Farmers are forging a new path where farming and conservation go hand in hand.
Remote Blue Duck Station is haven for whio, kiwi and bats
At Blue Duck Station, in the Ruapehu District, you’ll find (no prizes for guessing)… blue ducks! In fact Blue Duck Station has one of the highest concentrations of whio and also kiwi, in New Zealand.
Farm between two forests rich in rare wildlife
Dan Herries manages Taramoa Station in Puketitiri, Hawke’s Bay. The native wildlife in the area is significant and Dan, wife Billie and their family wanted to do something to enhance and protect what they have.
Fantails are a sign of change at Barry Farms
Rob and Alison Barry have noticed some changes on their Central Hawkes Bay farm block, Barry Farms, in recent years. Rob says he’s often followed by fantails and there seem to be more around.
Patoka dairy farmers enjoy benefits of predator control
Dairy farmers, Nick and Nicky Dawson from Patoka, near Hastings, have been going hard out with predator control in the last four years or so.
