Conservation
Rifleman to royal albatross - a bird atlas for NZ
The NZ bird atlas will be a 5-year project counting common & rare birds from the Kermadecs to the far south. Audio
Our Changing World for 6 June 2019
The NZ Bird Atlas is launched, a successful effort to create a new fluttering shearwater colony, Fiordland's tawaki penguins go for record-breaking long swims, and the chemical element gallium. Audio
Our Changing World for 30 May 2019
Many of Wellington's streams now run in pipes under the roads, and the aspergillosis crisis in the kakapo population grows. Audio
Kākāpō health concerns continue
The number of cases of aspergillosis in the kākāpō population continues to rise, with 30 birds on the mainland for testing & treatment. The deaths of Huhana and Merty drop the adult population to 142… Audio
Ruatoria's guardian of NZ's rarest plants
Ruatoria's Graeme Atkins is a keen bushman, he knows his way around the Raukumara Ranges and is constantly working to protect and nurture the flora of the Gisborne region. The East Coast DOC ranger… Audio, Gallery
Worrying times for kākāpō
A spate of kākāpō chicks deaths from a fungal pneumonia caused by aspergillosis has DOC's Kākāpō Recovery Team very worried. Two further adult deaths bring the population to 144 birds with 73 living… Audio
Kea get a helping hand
The Kea Conservation Trust & the Arthur's Pass Wildlife Trust have combined forces to band kea as part of a citizen science project & are working to make the village a safer place for the curious… Audio
Our Changing World for 9 May 2019
The Kea Conservation Trust is working with South Island communities to better understand kea and find ways to keep them out of trouble. Audio
Our Changing World for 2 May 2019
ESR is laser scanning crime scenes, and the kakapo breeding has been busy on Anchor Island. Audio
The Kākāpō Files: Glad and sad kākāpō tidings
The death of Hoki from a fungal infection brings the number of adult kākāpō to 146, while there are 77 chicks. Ep 17 of the Kākāpō Files includes a visit to Anchor Island & all the latest news. Audio
'Wild Dunedin': Otago animals
The 'Wild Dunedin' podcast tells stories about the wild things, large and small, that live around the city. For example, the southern right whale used to be a common sight- and sound!- around Dunedin… Audio
Our Changing World for 18 April 2019
ESR is finding DNA from fingerprints and the latest kakapo news, brings chick tally to 75 with three still to hatch. Audio
Longest kākāpō breeding season
With 75 living chicks and the final three eggs due to hatch this week, the 2019 kākāpō breeding season is set to be the longest on record. All this & the sex ratio of the first 49 chicks, in ep 16 of… Audio
Extreme conservation in Antarctica
Working to save a few fragile huts from the Antarctic "heroic era", left behind by explorers like Scott and Shackleton has been one of the most satisfying projects undertaken by architects Chris… Audio, Gallery
NZ among the best places for endangered species in the world
New research lead by Island Conservation has drawn up a list of 107 islands around the globe that give endangered species the best chance to survive. Audio
Science of a 'mega mast' & planning wide-scale predator control
This summer has seen a 'mega-mast' mass seeding event in New Zealand's forests and DOC is now planning its largest-ever predator control operation to save rare birds. Audio
Kākāpō chicks still hatching
Most of the 72 kākāpō chicks are thriving in wild nests, the males are winding down their booming, and there are 7 fertile eggs still to hatch, in ep 15 of the Kākāpō Files. Audio
Kotahitanga and kākāpō
Kākāpō chick numbers continue to climb. The latest tally is 64 chicks, including one named Kotahitanga, meaning unity and solidarity. Ep 14 of the Kākāpō Files. Audio
Our Changing World for 21 March 2019
Barium is a chemical element that hates being on its own, and experts from Orana Park and Auckland Zoo are looking after hand-reared kakapo chicks. Audio
Fat happy kākāpō chicks
Thirty four kākāpō chicks are putting on plenty of weight in wild nests as the rimu fruit ripens, and 23 chicks are also being hand-reared, in episode 13 of the Kākāpō Files. Audio