The fight for the forest and the fernbird

About two hours south of Dunedin, in the Catlins, the Tautuku and Fleming rivers flow into the sea at Tautuku beach. Covered in native bush from headwaters to the ocean, this special catchment is home to many native, and some threatened, plants and animals. But there’s an ongoing battle. Browsing animal such as deer and pigs are destroying the undergrowth, while feral cats and stoats are predating on critters such as the mātātā, the South Island fernbird. We meet some of the people fighting back.

Guests:

• Gavin White, pest control for Forest & Bird
• Francesca Cunninghame, project manager for Forest & Bird

Learn more:

• Watch Fight for the Wild, a documentary series exploring Predator Free Aotearoa 2050.
• Listen to Deer Wars, a podcast telling the story of the 50-year struggle to control red deer.
• Drones are a new tool in the battle against introduced pests, William Ray reports in this Our Changing World episode.
• Find out more about the Tautuku Ecological Restoration Project.

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Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details