“If you want to know how many kororā live in New Zealand, go find them.”

The world’s smallest penguin species could be vanishing right before our eyes - without enough data to confirm their suspected decline.

Kororā (little penguins) are thought to be in trouble throughout Aotearoa, yet we lack the nationwide monitoring to prove it.

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, Hiltrun Ratz and Melissa McLuskie from the New Zealand Penguin Initiative (NZPI) reveal how they're uniting community groups all over NZ to fill critical knowledge gaps about this species. Through standardised monitoring and collaborative efforts, NZPI is building the evidence needed for meaningful protection.

"We need to avoid being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, but put the fence up at the top before it gets too bad and they fade away," warns Hiltrun.

The good news? Kororā can thrive alongside humans if they’re given the space and protection they need. By respecting their habitat and supporting local groups, we can help ensure future generations will be able to say, "we have penguins in our backyard."

Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

• Why kororā are classified as "at-risk declining" despite limited data.
• Major threats including habitat loss, predation, and human disturbance.
• How climate change is affecting kororā populations.
• The importance of monitoring on land and at sea.
• Why kororā are an indicator species for our coastal regions.
• How NZPI is coordinating nationwide monitoring and conservation efforts to fill the data gaps.
• Simple actions anyone can take to protect kororā in their local area.
• What to do if you encounter an injured or dead penguin.
• And much more…

👩About Hiltrun:

Hiltrun has dedicated more than three decades to penguin conservation in NZ. She joined NZPI as a penguin scientist in 2021, supporting community groups nationwide to understand and reduce threats to kororā.

Her journey began in 1991 with a PhD on introduced predators of yellow-eyed penguins, followed by almost 20 years at Penguin Place on the Otago Peninsula. After leaving in 2013, she contributed to Penguin Rescue's work at Moeraki, before becoming the scientist for Blue Penguins Pukekura at Taiaroa Head (2016-2021), where she established microchipping and monitoring programmes for their little penguin population.

👩About Melissa:

Melissa joined the NZPI team in 2023 after relocating to the West Coast. With a background in zookeeping, wildlife veterinary nursing and a Bachelor of Science, she previously worked with Western Bay Wildlife Trust, advocating for kororā protection by undertaking community engagement, rescue, rehabilitation, scientific research and habitat restoration.

Melissa is dedicated to reducing human-wildlife conflict, improving habitat, and hopes to inspire communities to look after their local penguin colonies to ensure they remain an important part of terrestrial and marine ecosystems for future generations.

🔗Learn more:

• NZPI’s website: www.nzpi.nz
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/NZpenguins
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/nzpenguins

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

“The Raukūmara was never prioritised. It was forgotten."

For generations, local iwi Ngati Porou and Te Whanau-a-Apanui watched their ancestral forest degrade. The Raukūmara reached breaking point. Deer had stripped the understory bare, and possums and rats had multiplied unchecked, reaching catastrophic levels. The question became urgent: how could they save their dying forest?

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, Ora Barlow, who played an instrumental role, shares the remarkable journey of the Raukūmara Pae Maunga Restoration Project - an iwi-led conservation initiative that's become the largest of its kind in the world.

"The ngāhere is such an honest storyteller of its own story. It tells its story. It doesn't lie. Once you see it, you can't unsee it."

Listening to their ngāhere (forest) and understanding its crisis sparked a revolutionary movement where locals mobilised when nobody else would, turning years of voluntary advocacy into the largest Māori-led 1080 operation to date.

What makes Raukūmara Pae Maunga’s approach unique isn't just pace and scale, but how they ensured community support. Through marae-based wānanga and forest visits, they created safe spaces where difficult conversations about conservation tools could happen openly. They built understanding and support first, creating a strong foundation of trust before any 1080 rollout and deer culling began.

The results have been dramatic. But the most powerful aspect? This project shows that taking people on the journey isn't just about overcoming resistance. It's about creating intergenerational resilience that ensures results are lasting and permanent.

Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

• The significance Raukūmara holds as ancestral land for Te Whanau-a-Apanui and Ngati Porou.
• The unique strengths of iwi-led conservation compared to other approaches.
• Why conservation at pace and scale is critical for NZ's biodiversity future.
• How the Raukūmara ecological collapse was having ripple effects from mountain to sea.
• The powerful approach of humanising conservation: "seeing for yourself" rather than telling people about problems.
• The journey to understand and implement 1080 and deer culling at scale.
• The importance of creating safe spaces for difficult conversations.
• Why conservation requires shifting from siloed approaches to collaborative knowledge-sharing.
• And much more…

👩About Ora:

Ko Ora Barlow no Te Whanau-a-Apanui, Ngai Tai, Whakatohea, Ngati Porou

Involved in the Raukūmara project from the early stages of community activation and planning, Ora is currently a Governor on Raukumara Pae Maunga and also works as a Pou Uruao a Motu (National Engagement) for Save the Kiwi.

She has a strong involvement in māori environmental kaupapa and conservation projects with a range of iwi, and advocates restoring native forests at scale.

🔗Learn more:

• Raukūmara Pae Maunga’s website: www.raukumara.org.nz
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/KoTeRaukumaraTeNgahere
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/raukumarapaemaunga

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

What if businesses could become a driving force behind positive environmental action, complementing and accelerating conservation efforts worldwide?

Despite their significant impact on our planet, less than 10% of small businesses have measured their carbon footprint.

The perceived complexity of taking climate action has created a massive barrier - something Carlos Chambers experienced firsthand when his previous company's carbon measurement took an astonishing 130 hours to complete. This led him to start CarbonInvoice™ to help solve this problem using technology.

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, we explore how businesses can move beyond the perception that environmental action is in the ‘too hard basket’ and instead embrace taking simple action to become a force for good.

"The heroes of today are the scientists and the business people," Carlos explains. "I think that's broadly who society looks to, the people with the knowledge and then the people with the influence and the resources."

Beyond digital solutions, Carlos also shares how connecting businesspeople directly with nature through native tree planting creates profound, lasting experiences.

These hands-on activities benefit ecosystems and plant seeds of environmental awareness that continue to grow long after participants return to their offices, potentially creating a future where business and conservation naturally grow together.

Listen in as we explore how businesses are uniquely positioned to drive environmental progress in ways that complement traditional conservation efforts.

Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

• The barriers preventing most small businesses from taking climate action to date.
• How to overcome climate complexity by making action easy and rewarding.
• The definition of greenwashing and the importance of transparency.
• How competition and survival instincts can drive a "race to the top" in sustainability.
• Why hands-on tree planting creates profound experiences for business teams.
• The ripple effects when businesses take climate action in their communities.
• Simple ways businesses can start their climate journey today.
• And much more…

👩About Carlos:

Carlos Chambers brings 12+ years of entrepreneurial experience across climate, fintech, and b2b software. He founded and successfully grew Common Ledger, a fintech and data business. Working with small businesses and their accounting data gave him deep insights into the domain. He combines this with his commercial law and climate advocacy background, giving him the ideal foundation of experience, skills and passion to build CarbonInvoice™.

🔗Learn more:

• CarbonInvoice™: www.carboninvoice.com

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