-
On one of Paula Sheridan’s boat tours, the boat stopped and nobody said a word. People began holding up their phones as layers of bellbird song filled the forest.
After years guiding on Ōkārito Lagoon, it was a moment she would never forget.
Paula used to get excited about hearing a single tūī or bellbird. As Predator Free South Westland removed possums, rats and stoats, the forest’s soundtrack changed. So did daily life in the village.
She expected more birds. What surprised her was how much the change meant to people.
Paula shares the joy she’s seeing in her community, how visitors respond, and why experiencing the recovery can turn scepticism into belief. With the region’s glaciers retreating, she also sees potential for wildlife to play a bigger part in local tourism.
We explore how businesses are giving back through the Ōkārito Plant Project, where even competing tour operators come together to plant native trees on local farms and protect waterways.
This is the second episode of a two-part mini series. The previous episode with ZIP’s Nate St Hill explored how they went about removing possums, rats and stoats from more than 100,000 hectares of South Westland - and this episode shares how this has impacted the local community as a result.
-
The Ōkārito Lagoon - NZ's largest unmodified wetland
How Predator Free South Westland’s work positively impacted the biodiversity and local community
The resulting abundance of fruit and seed on the forest floor
How community wellbeing improved by restoring ecological balance
How firsthand experiences can build belief in Predator Free 2050
New possibilities for tourism as glaciers retreat
Bringing businesses, farmers and visitors together through the Ōkārito Plant Project
And much more…
-
Originally from Canada, Paula Sheridan followed a lifelong love of rivers, mountains, wilderness and guiding to New Zealand more than 25 years ago, where she now co-owns Ōkārito Boat EcoTours with partner Swade Finch. Based in the coastal village of Ōkārito on the West Coast of the South Island, Paula combines eco-tourism, storytelling and restoration work through the Ōkārito Plant Project. Her passion lies in helping people slow down, connect deeply with nature, and become part of caring for the landscapes that sustain us.
🔗Learn more:
-
The People Helping Nature podcast is brought to you by Conservation Amplified, a registered New Zealand charity.
We are on a mission to help make conservation mainstream by amplifying the awesome stuff people are doing to help nature all around Aotearoa New Zealand.
Because when people are aware, connected to the ecosystems around them and care enough to take positive action, only then will we see lasting change.
Listen in and follow us to start or deepen your journey.
How South Westland Became a Massive Nature Sanctuary (Part 2: The Transformation, with Paula Sheridan)
Next
Next