Rewilding In Action

How does rewilding in the UK compare with rewilding in Aotearoa? Join me, Maureen Howard, during my visit to Knepp Estate in Sussex in the south of England to visit one of the UK’s leading rewilding projects. Once an intensive farm: it is now a haven for rare species. Many thanks to my guest Matt Phelps, Knepp Estate’s Lead Ecologist (knepp.co.uk/rewilding) and to Wild Dunedin for sponsoring this episode (wilddunedin.nz). This episode contains the sounds of bill clattering by white storks at Knepp Estate: recorded by Hazel Reeves, XC921196 and accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/921196. This show was broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin - http://oar.org.nz

The Blue Mountain Swamps of NSW need water. However much of the water that flows into them now comes via stormwater pipes. To help protect and restore the wetlands, the council and community groups are creating leaky check dams that, together with other tools, can help restore a catchment. Join me in the Blue Mountains as I find out what a check dam is from my guest James Bevan and how much fun it is to make one! Many thanks to Wild Dunedin for supporting this episode This modified recording of Superb Lyrebird by Elisabeth Hein, XC817874 is accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/817874

The team at Hinewai Reserve look after about 1650ha of land close to Akaraoa on Banks Peninsula: 4% of which is old growth forest with the rest already naturally regenerated or regenerating to native bush. Join me, Maureen Howard, for the second part of this chat with botanist Dr Hugh Wilson, manager at Hinewai Reserve. We continue our chat about Minimum Interference Management – this time about pest animals, where planting is worthwhile and the pros and cons of volunteers. The first part of this interview can be found at at # 28 – A Way With Weeds. This show was broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin - http://oar.org.nz

Botanist Dr Hugh Wilson from Hinewai Reserve on Banks Peninsula is arguably Aotearoa’s father of Rewilding. Hugh is best known for showing us that gorse can be an effective nursery plant for native forest to naturally regenerate through. But this episode isn’t about gorse – instead I talk to Hugh about what he and his team are doing with all the other weeds on Hinewai Reserve. This episode of Rewilding in Action is supported by the Rod Donald Banks Peninsula Trust. For more information about their projects and news go to www.roddonaldtrust.co.nz This show was broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin - http://oar.org.nz

Sometimes, a very effective nursery species for natural native forest regeneration is an exotic dead plantation! In this episode I rejoin Bob Webster and Carol Jensen above Little River on Banks Peninsula to find out about the technique of frilling and how they used it to tackle three dense macrocarpa plantations with the help of some running mates. What is frilling? And how and why does it work? Listen in to find out! This episode of Rewilding in Action is kindly supported by the Rod Donald Banks Peninsula Trust. For more information go to www.roddonaldtrust.co.nz This show was broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin - http://oar.org.nz