This week Country Life is on a nighttime nature walk in the Bay of Plenty alongside a young conservationist with a passion for bugs, meets Te Horo's backyard builders on a fledgling trapping project and revisits a North Canterbury farm where native trees are making a comeback, all in celebration of Conservation Week.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

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After a lifetime of working to clear land, Chris Bolderston is rewilding parts of his sheep and beef farm in North Canterbury. This story was first broadcast in September 2024.

You can find photos and read more about this story here.

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Showing off bugs under torchlight is just one of Jack Karetai-Barret's extra curricular activities. The 15-year-old takes Country Life on a night walk through the bush on the trail of wildlife, showing what it's like to be a volunteer on Whakatāne's kiwi conservation project.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

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A wrap of conditions on farms and orchards around the country

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A garage in Te Horo is buzzing as backyard builders make traps for a predator-free zone from the beach to the hills.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

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This week on Country Life, Kiwi and Aussie dairy farmers gather in Leeston to explore regenerative, low-input farming methods aimed at improving sustainability and profitability, and a look at the ancient skill of using a scythe with a Coromandel woman who's encouraging others to take up the sharp-bladed tools.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

In this episode:

• 0:46 - Rural News Wrap
• 5:51 - Green brew benefits for livestock emissions
• 14:03 - Could old-school tools change how we garden?
• 28:26 - Symposium reflects shift in dairy farming

With thanks to guests:

• Peter Ralph, University of Technology Sydney
• Bryan Innes, Beth and Joanna Pearsall
• Chloë Dear, Sue Cuberworth, Deane Parker, Chris Hibbert, and Kate Mirams, Dairy's Regenerative Transition Symposium

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More than 70 farmers, researchers and advisors from New Zealand and Australia gathered in Leeston, to share lessons on low-input, regenerative dairy practices - swapping science, stories and solutions for farming's future.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

You can find more about the symposium, here.

With thanks to:

• Chloë Dear, Sue Cuberworth, Deane Parker, Chris Hibbert, and Kate Mirams.

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Beth Pearsall wants to revive the ancient skill of scything. She loves swishing the sharp-bladed tool through her own garden and holds workshops to teach others about the scythe and its uses.

You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.

With thanks to:

• Bryan Innes, Beth and Joanna Pearsall

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