Episodes

Brent is on the show to tell us everything we need to know about Predator Free 2050 – in fact, he told us so much, we’ve split his interview into two. This is part one. Brent is an expert on predator control and has decades of hands-on field experience. He's herded sea lions, been hounded by kiwi, and caught mohua in his socks. In the world of threatened species conservation, you name it and Brent has done it. Listen and learn. The bird sound in this episode is the Northern brown kiwi The musi...

Anton van Helden is a marine scientist by day moonlighting as a magician by night, although one could make the point that magic never sleeps. Anton has over 30 years of experience working with and studying marine mammals – before he worked for us, he was at Te Papa. Now, Anton works as a science advisor in our Marine Species Team, assigned to looking after Māui and Hector's dolphins. In this episode, you’ll hear talk of strandings, the subants, toxoplasmosis, pub statistics, and climate, as well...

In honour of Conservation Week, we’ve put together a supercut of all our favourite moments from the past ten episodes. Lichens, bats, kākāpō sperm helmets (we couldn’t make this up), GPS, poo patches and more – this episode is packed to the brim with stories from all of our previous guests. The birdsong used in this episode is the pīwakawaka/fantail.

Jenny Christie is used to seeing eyebrows go up when she tells people what her job is. Perhaps a few years ago, this could be chalked up to scepticism, but nowadays it’s more likely to mean, ‘wow, big job’. Jenny’s job is climate change. She approaches this from an adaptation point of view, which means working on what we can do to manage and reduce the impacts of climate change on our native species and ecosystems. In this episode, Jenny talks about adaptation work underway, what she says to na...

Kelly Frogley knows her stuff when it comes to non-vascular plants – and then some. In this episode, Kelly explains what a non-vascular plant is, and shares some stories about unexpected discoveries and making the most of non-optimum spaces for optimum plant identification. We also talk about green-blindness and the importance of looking down. And up. And around – well, you get it. Non-vascular plants are all around! The birdsong used this episode is the tui. Music is Let’s Get Down to Busine...

Colin O’Donnell knows everything there is to know about pekapeka/bats. He’s accumulated some wild stories along the way. In the name of science, Colin has encountered popping bats, game-changing technology, tiger prints and gelatinous excretions – which is exactly as gross as it sounds. Most importantly, we talk about the impact of predators on Aotearoa’s only endemic land mammal. This highlights the reason for us to work towards a Predator Free New Zealand. The birdsong used this episode is t...

Conservation enthusiast and DOC legend Herb talks to Nic about his experience as a science communicator, navigating the bush before sat nav, being trolled by kea, and species protection on offshore islands. Plus, he treats us to some of his famous bird calls. If there were such thing as conservation bingo, (sidebar: should we make that?), Herb would be a square all of his own, given how many times his name is mentioned in conservation conversation. “Ask Herb”, “See what Herb thinks” or “Herb mi...

Insect expert Eric Edwards talks to us about ecosystems, climate change and cataloguing critters. He also shares his adventures catching true bugs in Micronesia and navigating poo patches (!) in the Subantarctic Islands. The sounds at the beginning and end are cicadas on Rough Island in Nelson. Music is Let’s get down to business by Cast of Characters.

Emma Williams knows a lot about bittern/matuku. This is impressive because they’re very difficult to find. She calls them the ‘ninjas of the wetland’. In this episode, Nic and Emma talk about tracking bittern and embarrassing yourself in Mitre 10. Listen to Emma’s tales of her adventures with bittern dog Kimi, as the duo work to protect wetlands’ precious conservation values. Plus, Emma teaches Nic how to do a bittern mating call, which will be a treat for your ears. Sort of. The birdsong used...

Technical advisor Stuart Cockburn talks to us about his scientific innovations, which are world-firsts and have been critical in protecting native species. Stu’s responsible for kākāpō snarks, track counters, seabird soundscapes, grasshopper detectors and much, much more. He also once got into a one-way fight with a great spotted kiwi (the bird started it,) and is directly responsible for Nic getting questioned by airport security. All in a day’s work for Stu. A snark is a device that records ...

Lizard expert Lynn Adams shares tales from the world of reptile conservation – including two near misses for the “curly wurly” tailed Chesterfield skink. Lynn and Nic also discuss the main threats to lizards - mice, hedgehogs, habitat loss and climate change. They finish up on a positive note, with what we can do to help protect our native reptiles. Find out more: Learn about New Zealand’s lizard species How to identify lizards Report your alpine lizard sightings

From kākāpō to kiwi, Kate McInnes is vet to all of New Zealand’s native species. It’s a one-of-a-kind job! Listen to Kate talk about avian lesions, kākāpō sperm and birds with salmonella. Kate and Nic also reveal the humble origins of the now infamous ‘sperm helmet’, on display at Te Papa National Museum. The birdsong used in this episode is a dawn chorus with tui in the foreground. Learn more about what to plant to support birds and wildlife. Music is Let’s get down to business by Cast of Ch...

Marine species expert Hannah Hendriks talks whale strandings, post-mortems and crucial data. The birdsong at the start of this episode is the North Island robin. Find out more: Māui dolphin abundance estimates Māui dolphin toxicology and disease research