Stories and research

A ranger standing in Mackenzie Basin

Final countdown: hedgehog clear out in the Mackenzie Basin

Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP) is closing in on the few remaining hedgehogs in Mackenzie Basin.
Feral cat eating a kakariki

The tide turns: feral cats join the predator free mission

There are moments in conservation where you can feel the tide turning, writes Predator Free New Zealand Trust chief executive Jessi Morgan.
A kakā in a tree

20 years of predator control quadrupled kākā population near Taupō

Large-scale, frequent and effective introduced predator control helped increase kākā density fourfold and improved the sex ratio.
Rose and harakeke

From catching 2,000 a year to none: life without possums on a Banks Peninsula farm

The Gibbs’ Banks Peninsula 235-hectare farm has been declared possum-free, and the change is noticeable everywhere.
A woman standing on the beach photographing birds.

“It’s a bit of an emotional roller coaster”: the dotterel guardian of Southland

Each spring, pukunui (Southern dotterels) head to Rakiura’s mountaintops to breed. All summer, Glenda Rees waits, heartsick, fearing which won’t return.
Bird nerd explains 1080 in a mast year.

Comic: bird nerd explains 1080 in a mast year

Illustrator Andrew James outlines how the Department of Conservation are planning to respond to this summer’s forecast beech mast.
A couple standing on a cliff overlooking the sea, surrounded by Chatham Island wildlife.

“We are seeing the land come back”: restoring nature and relationships on Rēkohu (Chatham Islands)

On Rēkohu, Maui and Susan Solomon are returning nature to a place stripped bare. Their project is restoring a relationship with the land, birds and trees.
A world map showing traps and devices migrating from New Zealand to the rest of the world

NZ’s weird export niche: predator control technology

Invasive species threaten ecosystems worldwide, but New Zealand stands out for its solutions, exporting conservation tech to the world.
A man and woman in the bush wearing hi vis vests

From wasp swarms to birdsong: 1500 wasp nests removed in five years

Five years ago, the forest above Waikawa in Marlborough was more horror story than sanctuary. Today, it’s on the road to restoration.
Tauhou (silver eye) catching a bug

Spring has sprung: 5 ways to get naturing

It’s warming up. Our days are getting longer. Many of us are keen to get out and enjoy the outdoors, even if it’s in our own backyards.
A washed out road

Cyclone Gabrielle couldn’t stop this conservation project

When Cyclone Gabrielle unleashed havoc on Mangaotāne, Pete Swann and his biodiversity restoration team dove back into pest control mahi as fast as possible.
A ship rat and a norway rat face off.

All rats aren’t the same: what you need to know to outsmart them

Aotearoa New Zealand has three rat species with similar looks but different behaviours. Knowing which makes your predator control more effective.
A shining cuckoo being fed by its grey warbler foster parent.

Mystery, migration and mucous membranes: 5 curious facts about the shining cuckoo

From unusual breeding strategies, to quirky culinary tastes, here are 5 curious facts about the shining cuckoo.
A collage of tūī and miromiro

Voice of a tūī, eyes of a miromiro: 5 Māori sayings inspired by birds

In te ao Māori, manu (birds) show up in everyday conversation. For Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, we teamed up with Hēmi Kelly from Everyday Māori.
Laura and her two kurī (dogs) sitting my a river.

A day in the life: Hako Restoration Project restoring mauri in the Kaimai Ranges

The bush of the Kaimai Ranges is unforgiving: slippery clay, tangly kiekie and steep ridges. For predator control crews, this is daily life.