It’s been estimated that more than 2.5 million feral cats call Aotearoa NZ home. That's big numbers, making them a growing problem and an increasing threat…

"Comparing a feral cat to a domestic cat is like comparing a wolf to a Labrador"

In this episode, John Bissell shares valuable insights on the topic of feral cats in NZ.

What happens when a whale or dolphin strands on a New Zealand beach? For over 50 years, Project Jonah has been the lifeline for these marine mammals in distress, pioneering rescue techniques that have contributed to global standards.

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, Daren Grover, Project Jonah’s General Manager, reveals how they evolved from successfully campaigning against the whaling industry in the 1970s to becoming leaders in marine mammal rescue and what they do today.

What New Zealand predator flies at up to 200km/hour yet is now rarer than our iconic kiwi? With fewer than 8,000 kārearea (NZ’s endemic falcon) remaining, these aerial hunters serve as crucial indicators of our ecosystem's health.

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, Wingspan Bird of Prey Centre’s General Manager Ineke Milner, reveals how they blend 4,000-year-old falconry practices with cutting-edge conservation techniques to help save this majestic species.

What if we viewed Earth not as a resource to be managed, but as our home to be cherished? 

In this profound conversation, Rob McGowan (Pā Ropata), leader of the Tīwaiwaka movement and respected rongoā practitioner, reveals a transformative set of enduring principles for healing our relationship with Papatūānuku (mother earth).

Rob challenges conventional thinking about environmental action, revealing how small, mindful changes in our daily lives can collectively reshape the way we interact with nature. By shifting from a "me" to a "we" worldview, we can create a future where both people and planet thrive together.

Can poor quality predator control be worse than no control at all? According to one of New Zealand's leading trapping experts, the answer might surprise you.

Drawing from decades of experience as a professional predator hunter and conservation specialist, John reveals why treating them as intelligent adversaries - rather than assuming they'll blindly walk into any trap - is crucial for success.

Dogs navigate the world through scent, and kiwi have an irresistibly strong smell. Add to this a kiwi's lack of a breastbone, and even the gentlest nudge from a curious dog can be fatal. 

So, how do we create the space for both kiwi and dogs to thrive as they increasingly share the same spaces?

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, Save the Kiwi's dog specialist, Emma Craig brings practical solutions to this challenging reality.

What if a small community on New Zealand's Banks Peninsula could come together to purchase and restore a piece of land to create a lasting conservation legacy for future generations? 

That’s exactly what the team at Le Bons Bay Conservation Trust is doing, and they’re nearly there – with 80% of their fundraising goal already achieved! 

Join our korero with Matthew MacDonald as we explore how they launched their crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to buy and restore land, and how their work ties into a larger movement of community-driven conservation on Banks Peninsula.

In neighbourhoods around New Zealand, predator control is becoming as normal as recycling or composting.

Jessi Morgan, CEO of Predator Free New Zealand Trust, reveals how they're turning individual actions into a nationwide movement.

By equipping communities with knowledge, tools, and support, they're empowering every New Zealander to contribute to an ambitious goal: a country free of rats, stoats, and possums by 2050.

The last few months of building the People Helping Nature podcast have been a wild ride, to say the least!

We’ve been blessed with opportunities to interview inspiring and renowned guests, and have learned so much already.

So, we thought it was about time to share an update with you on how this podcast is progressing. 

This short update-style episode is something we’re testing and thinking of doing every 10 or 20 episodes to keep you in the loop and document our learnings over time.

What if every New Zealander could encounter a kiwi in the wild?

Michelle Impey, CEO of Save The Kiwi, shares how this innovative nationwide organisation is working to make this vision a reality throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.

Join us as we explore Save the Kiwi's ambitious mission to bring kiwi "from endangered to everywhere", and discover how every New Zealander can play a part in weaving conservation into the fabric of our society.

What if we could amplify the impact of community conservation efforts across an entire region?

Michelle Elborn, CEO of Bay Conservation Alliance (BCA), shares how this innovative umbrella organisation is doing just that in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty.

Founded by community, for community, BCA supports and grows the capability of local conservation groups. Learn more in this insightful chat.

Imagine a future where the threat of extinction for New Zealand's forest species is eliminated... forever. Now imagine achieving this for less than 30 cents per person per week!

This isn't just a conservationist's dream – it's a well-researched proposal that could revolutionise our approach to conservation.

In this episode, we chat with the man behind the idea, Jim Lynch, co-founder of Zealandia and long-standing NZ conservation visionary.

Landscape-scale conservation projects are an important part of Aotearoa New Zealand’s biodiversity future.

They connect the many localised community efforts, passionate landowners and patches of remnant forest to achieve much wider-reaching conservation outcomes.

The Forest Bridge Trust is restoring 54,000HA of land in the Rodney area and uniting a community as they restore biodiversity to their region. In this episode, we chat with Operations Manager, Matu Booth about the awesome work they're doing.

People usually think of hunting & gathering as something completely separate from conservation. But when the forest is your food basket, you see places and species that others don’t notice. 

Through hunting and trapping, Sam (Hamiora) Gibson, also known as Sam The Trap Man, discovered that the whio (native blue duck) and kiwi that were not so long ago abundant in the Waioeka Gorge where he grew up, had almost disappeared.

This evolved into the Eastern Whio Link project. What started as just 4 whio pairs in the Waioeka Gorge multiplied into 100+ chicks hatched in just a few short years...

Imagine seeing an extremely rare bird (kōkako) go from declining without any support to having an entire community of volunteers, farmers, iwi, forestry, council, and NGOs unite to bring it back…

Imagine giving countless volunteer hours over 30+ years to restore habitat for the kōkako population in Kaharoa Forest and experiencing the changes over that time.

In this episode, we are joined by Carmel Richardson and Graeme Young, who have played a pivotal role in establishing, growing and leading the Kaharoa Kōkako Trust and now work with KEEP (kōkako ecosystem expansion project) to connect the Kahaoa Forest with other kōkako habitats in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.

Why do we post-mortem and study wildlife after it dies?

How does pathology influence our understanding of biodiversity trends at a species level?

And what risks does the potential arrival of avian influenza pose to Aotearoa New Zealand’s birds?

In this episode, we are joined by Annie Pagé, wildlife pathologist resident at Massey University, subantarctic sea lion researcher, and ⁠Heritage Expeditions⁠ tour guide.

What does a healthy ecosystem actually look like in Aotearoa New Zealand?

And what role does the endangered kōkako bird (Callaeas wilsoni) play in the conservation landscape?

In this episode, we are joined by Wayne O’Keefe, who wears many hats in the conservation space, including ongoing efforts to help develop intergenerational forest corridors through KEEP, the Kōkako Ecosystem Expansion Programme.