Commercial pine forests and kiwi conservation: contradiction or opportunity?

“We know kiwi are happy to live in commercial forests. And we know that of New Zealand's landmass, I think it's something like 7% of that landmass is covered in commercial forests of some description.”

That’s about 1.8 million hectares of a largely untapped habitat many people overlook!

In this episode, forestry specialist Craig Balsom from Save the Kiwi explains the sometimes surprising role New Zealand’s pine plantation forests can play in kiwi conservation.

Craig shares how Save the Kiwi and forest owners are working together to map kiwi presence and train harvest crews on how to detect kiwi sign. He also highlights how some forestry companies are already doing a great job with predator control efforts and strict dog management rules within their estates.

Alongside these efforts, updated guidelines and a new research project are helping to answer tough questions about how modern harvesting impacts kiwi today.

Craig also addresses how working with industry comes with risks, especially the danger of greenwashing: “We step into these spaces, only if we know that the people or the company (...) that we're partnering with are being open and honest and transparent about what they're wanting to achieve and why they're wanting to achieve it.” That means doing due diligence and choosing partners carefully.

If we balance it right, pine forests could significantly increase kiwi habitat in Aotearoa and complement traditional conservation efforts.

Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

• When it was discovered that kiwi live in pine forest.
• Current practices around keeping kiwi in plantations safe.
• Why forestry companies are motivated to support kiwi conservation.
• New research into how modern harvesting affects kiwi.
• How well-managed pine forests can complement conservation efforts.
• Examples and case studies.
• Potential greenwashing issues.
• And much more…

🧑‍🦱 About Craig

For the past two years, Craig Balsom has been working with forestry companies as Save the Kiwi’s in-house forestry specialist. With almost 30 years’ experience in commercial forestry, Craig has been able to utilise his industry knowledge to assist Save the Kiwi in encouraging and supporting more pine plantations to embrace predator management.

A key focus has been providing updated forestry guidelines for plantation owners and managers. Pine plantations offer a significant untapped resource for kiwi with a multitude of fauna. Craig has been championing the effective use of the infrastructure that companies already have in place (particularly access roads and personnel) to make the most of a fantastic biodiversity opportunity for an industry that is often seen as having a poor environmental impact.

Craig (Ngāti Hei) has also prioritised engaging iwi and the shared kaitiakitanga that is fundamental to the Save the Kiwi kaupapa.

🔗Learn more:

• Website: www.savethekiwi.nz
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/savethekiwinewzealand
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/savethekiwinz

🎙️Learn more about the podcast at www.conservationamplified.org

“I hold hope for the future of kea in that they are smart and adaptable birds, but we really need to act to help them on their way.”

And it takes a special kind of people to do exactly that: you need equal parts physical endurance, technical mountaineering expertise, and adaptive problem-solving in some of Aotearoa’s most challenging environments.

Picture this: walking a thousand metres straight up alpine terrain with tramping packs loaded with camping gear and scientific equipment. Then spending days catching and banding kea, or triangulating radio signals with directional aerials through unmarked backcountry to locate a single nesting female. This is the reality behind the data points that drive kea conservation.

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, Lydia McLean from the Kea Conservation Trust (KCT), takes us behind-the-scenes and reveals what really happens in the rugged reality of alpine conservation fieldwork.

KCT’s projects range from nest survivorship studies, where motion-activated cameras reveal what's happening around individual kea nests, to understanding entire population trends. Through collaborative trials with DOC and Ngāi Tahu, KCT also supports the testing of breakthrough predator control methods that could transform how we protect kea.

This hands-on approach proves that protecting the world's only alpine parrot requires innovation matching their intelligence - and demonstrates why understanding the realities on the ground is essential for effective conservation at scale.

Key topics discussed:

• What a typical day of kea field work looks like.
• The diverse range of projects KCT leads and supports.
• Differences between eastern and western kea populations.
• How kea are threatened by predators.
• The importance of landscape-scale predator control.
• Testing a new method of using 1080 and why it’s needed.
• How to report your kea sightings and get involved.
• And much more…

👩About Lydia:

Lydia (PhD, MSciComm, BSc) began working with kea in 2017 after deciding to put her tramping and mountaineering experience into conservation. Her PhD focused on kea foraging behaviour and diet to better understand how to protect them from traps and poisons intended for predators. She now works for DOC in Fiordland as well as managing the KCT’s field programme in the Southern South Island.

🔗Learn more:

• KCT’s website: www.keaconservation.co.nz
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/keaconservation
• https://newzealandecology.org/nzje/3599
• https://www.jstor.org/stable/26775032
• https://newzealandecology.org/nzje/3341
• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03014223.2021.2021249

🎙️Learn more about the podcast at www.conservationamplified.org

New Zealand's most intelligent native bird is at risk of fading away, despite being highly visible around tourist hotspots.

Kea, the world's only alpine parrot, captivates hearts and minds with their vibrant personalities and remarkable intelligence comparable to that of a four-year-old child.

These charismatic birds skillfully navigate harsh mountain environments, yet face a range of threats pushing their population to dangerously low levels - just a few thousand individuals spread across 3.5 million hectares.

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, Tamsin Orr-Walker, co-founder and chair of the Kea Conservation Trust (KCT), explains how these birds were decimated by a century-long bounty that killed 150,000 kea and continue to struggle with introduced predators, lead poisoning, and harmful human interactions.

"There was a perception that kea were doing well, that they didn't have any problems," explains Tamsin. But evidence gathered over the last few decades proves that this is far from reality.

KCT's work encompasses a wide range of activities, including removing toxic lead from old buildings, nest monitoring, research, advocacy, and more.

Through community partnerships and targeted conservation efforts, Tamsin and her team are working to ensure these remarkable alpine parrots continue to soar throughout the South Island’s mountains for generations to come.

Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

• Fascinating kea facts.
• The shocking history of humans hunting kea.
• The devastating impact of stoats and feral cats on kea populations.
• Why lead poisoning from old buildings is as deadly as predation.
• KCT’s inspiring efforts to protect kea from the many threats they face.
• The scientific and conservation importance of having a captive population.
• The "Keep Kea Wild" pledge that KCT is developing.
• What not to do when you’re in kea country.
• How to report your kea sightings and contribute to their conservation.
• And much more…

👩About Tamsin:

Tamsin is co-founder of the Kea Conservation Trust and has been the Chair since its inception. Tamsin manages the Trust’s day to day operations and coordinates KCT’s projects and partnerships. She was appointed a MNZM for services to kea conservation in 2020 and represents the KCT on the Kea Recovery Group.

🔗Learn more:

• KCT’s website: www.keaconservation.co.nz
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/keaconservation
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/keaconservation

🎙️About the podcast:

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.

Find out more about Conservation Amplified at www.conservationamplified.org.