Rewilding in Action

11/12/2025

EPISODE 30 - BEAVERING IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS
https://tinyurl.com/30-Rewilding
The Blue Mountain Swamps of NSW rely on water to survive and thrive. However much of the water that flows into them now comes via stormwater pipes. To protect and restore ecosystem functioning to the wetlands, the council and community groups are creating leaky check dams. What is a check dam? And how is water quality improved by woody w**ds? Join me in the Blue Mountains as I find out from my guest James Bevan how much fun it is to make a check dam! 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

This show was broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin - http://oar.org.nz on the 11th December 2025. Many thanks OAR FM!
Listen to the episode on:
▶️ OAR FM Website: https://oar.org.nz/shows/rewilding-in-action/
▶️ Spotify (latest episode): Listen to the episode on: https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyRewilding
▶️ Apple Podcasts (latest episode): https://tinyurl.com/ApplePodcastRewilding
▶️ YouTube (latest episode): https://tinyurl.com/YouTubeRewilding
▶️ or your favourite podcast provider!

27/11/2025

EPISODE 29 - PESTS AND PLANTING
https://tinyurl.com/Episode-29
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, also where planting is worthwhile - and the pros and cons of volunteers. The first part of this interview can be found at # 28 – A Way With W**ds https://tinyurl.com/Episode-28

This show was broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin - http://oar.org.nz on the 27th November 2025. Many thanks OAR FM!
Listen to the episode on:
▶️ OAR FM Website: https://oar.org.nz/shows/rewilding-in-action/
▶️ Spotify (latest episode): Listen to the episode on: https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyRewilding
▶️ Apple Podcasts (latest episode): https://tinyurl.com/ApplePodcastRewilding
▶️ YouTube (latest episode): https://tinyurl.com/YouTubeRewilding
▶️ or your favourite podcast provider!

15/11/2025

Yesterday I joined members of the Botanical Society of Otago (BSO) on their field trip to Heyward Point to get excited by views and the botanical rarities we found there. (Most of them beyond my patchy botanical knowledge but very pretty none the less!)

The weather was windy at the Point but sunny in the remnant totara / broadleaf bush. When the rest of Dunedin was being attacked by hailstones we were basking over a sunny lunch!

BSO is a friendly club with monthly talks and regular fieldtrips.

13/11/2025

EPISODE 28: A Way With W**ds https://tinyurl.com/yc29pj4m

Finally got to visit with Hugh Wilson (my hero!) to chat about Minimum Interference Management and W**ds! This is the first of two parts - I couldn't bear to turn off my microphone!
Listen to the latest episode on:
▶️ OAR FM Website: https://oar.org.nz/shows/rewilding-in-action/
▶️ Spotify (latest episode): Listen to the episode on: https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyRewilding
▶️ Apple Podcasts (latest episode): https://tinyurl.com/ApplePodcastRewilding
▶️ YouTube (latest episode): https://tinyurl.com/YouTubeRewilding
▶️ or your favourite podcast provider!

A Way with W**ds: Rewilding on Hinewai Reserve on tonight's episode of Rewilding in Action

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 Maureen talks to Hugh about what he and his team are doing with all the other w**ds on Hinewai Reserve.

Tune in this evening at 6pm, or catch the podcast later from:
▶️ OAR FM Website: https://oar.org.nz/shows/rewilding-in-action/
Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcast and other great podcast providers.

This episode of Rewilding in Action is supported by the Rod Donald Banks Peninsula Trust.
For more information go to www.roddonaldtrust.co.nz

CAMA - Community Access Media Alliance | NZ On Air

30/10/2025

EPISODE 27 - TO FRILL OR FELL, Replacing an exotic plantation with native forest

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 gratefully 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 on the 30th October 2025. Many thanks!
Listen to the episode on:
▶️ OAR FM Website: https://oar.org.nz/shows/rewilding-in-action/
▶️ Spotify (latest episode): Listen to the episode on: https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyRewilding
▶️ Apple Podcasts (latest episode): https://tinyurl.com/ApplePodcastRewilding
▶️ YouTube (latest episode): https://tinyurl.com/YouTubeRewilding
▶️ or your favourite podcast provider!

23/10/2025

If you're enjoying the Rewilding in Action podcast please consider voting for it in the upcoming Listeners Choice Awards with Otago Access Radio. Find the form on the OAR FM Home Page. https://oar.org.nz/ Closes 31st Oct 2025.

16/10/2025

EPISODE 26 - REWILDING IN LATER LIFE

Would you love to buy land to rewild back to native forest but don’t think you’ll be able to afford it until you’re close to retirement?

In this episode of Rewilding in Action I visit the Banks Peninsula property of my guests Bob Webster and Carol Jensen who purchased land when in their 60s. Listen in to find out about the benefits of good monitoring, registering for carbon credits, and the fascinating role of old tree stumps and road margins for natural regeneration.

This episode of Rewilding in Action is gratefully 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 on the 16th October 2025. Many thanks!

Listen to the episode on:
▶️ OAR FM Website: https://oar.org.nz/shows/rewilding-in-action/
▶️ Spotify (latest episode): Listen to the episode on: https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyRewilding
▶️ Apple Podcasts (latest episode): https://tinyurl.com/ApplePodcastRewilding
▶️ YouTube (latest episode): https://tinyurl.com/YouTubeRewilding
▶️ or your favourite podcast provider!

04/10/2025

Listen to the Latest episode on:
▶️ OAR FM Website: https://oar.org.nz/shows/rewilding-in-action/
▶️ Spotify (latest episode): Listen to the episode on: https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyRewilding
▶️ Apple Podcasts (latest episode): https://tinyurl.com/ApplePodcastRewilding
▶️ YouTube (latest episode): https://tinyurl.com/YouTubeRewilding
▶️ or your favourite podcast provider!

This week on Rewilding in Action with Maureen Howard: Woody W**d or Nursery Plant?

Exotic woody w**ds such as sycamore can lead to the permanent replacement of a native ecosystem with a exotic one. Sometimes however, woody w**ds can act as a nursery species for natives to grow through.

Under what conditions does this happen? And with what exotic species? Maureen's guest, w**d ecologist Dr Kate McAlpine, shares her research and knowledge about natural native forest regeneration through woody w**ds.

Tune in this evening at 6pm, or catch the podcast later from:
▶️ OAR FM Website: https://oar.org.nz/shows/rewilding-in-action/
Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcast and other great podcast providers.

This episode of Rewilding in Action is supported by the Rod Donald Banks Peninsula Trust.
For more information go to roddonaldtrust.co.nz

CAMA - Community Access Media Alliance | NZ On Air

18/09/2025

Episode 24 -THE MOA: IMPACTS OF MISSING KEYSTONE SPECIES https://tinyurl.com/yc2cjsav

Nine species of moa, giant flightless birds, once dominated every part of New Zealand. What effect did their rapid extinction just 500-600 years ago have and how is their loss still affecting rewilding ecosystems today? And - can we really bring them back? Join me, Maureen Howard to find out, as I chat with my guest Quinn Berentson, author of The Moa: The Life and Death of New Zealand’s Legendary Bird.

This episode of Rewilding in Action is supported by Bin Inn Dunedin. For more information go to www.bininn.co.nz/otago/dunedin
Rewilding broadcast on OAR FM Dunedin - Community Access Media - http://oar.org.nz on 18 Sept 2025.
Listen to the episode on:
▶️ OAR FM Website: https://oar.org.nz/shows/rewilding-in-action/
▶️ Spotify (latest episode): Listen to the episode on: https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyRewilding
▶️ Apple Podcasts (latest episode): https://tinyurl.com/ApplePodcastRewilding
▶️ YouTube (latest episode): https://tinyurl.com/YouTubeRewilding
▶️ or your favourite podcast provider!

08/09/2025

I was proud to be nominated and Commended in the Individual Pod category at the Keep Dunedin Beautiful Awards Ceremony last Friday. For the Rewilding in Action podcast! It was a great evening. There are so many fantastic initiatives happening in Dunedin.

05/09/2025

REWILDING IN ACTION with Maureen Howard
https://tinyurl.com/yudfc6vp

EPISODE 23 - Wild Gardening for Invertebrates
With guest Dr Jenny Jandt

You don’t need hectares of land to rewild! Rewilding can go as small as you like and the urban garden is a perfect example. Join me, Maureen Howard as I chat with my guest, insect behavioural ecologist Dr Jenny Jandt, in her garden to chat about how her intentionally wild garden is benefitting the growing invertebrate population living there. If you’re looking for a worthwhile reason to do less work in your garden, listen in to find out more!

This episode of Rewilding in Action is supported by Bin Inn Dunedin. For more information go to www.bininn.co.nz/otago/dunedin
This show was first broadcast on OAR FM Dunedin - Community Access Media - http://oar.org.nz on 4 Sept 2025.
Listen to the episode on:
▶️ OAR FM Website: https://oar.org.nz/shows/rewilding-in-action/
▶️ Spotify (latest episode): Listen to the episode on: https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyRewilding
▶️ Apple Podcasts (latest episode): https://tinyurl.com/ApplePodcastRewilding
▶️ YouTube (latest episode): https://tinyurl.com/YouTubeRewilding
▶️ or your favourite podcast provider!

04/09/2025

My article on how we can help kākā rewild in Dunedin is in the InsideOut section of today's issue of the Otago Daily Times. And it's not a Subscriber only which I'm happy to see!

By taking action based on a long-term plan, our gardens can be part of a welcoming urban forest mosiac for kākā to return to Dunedin, writes...