Rewilding in Action

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...

21/08/2025

EPISODE 22 - PROTECTED FOREVER: https://tinyurl.com/Rewilding-22

One key thing that the landowners I’ve interviewed so far on Rewilding in action have in common is an open space QEII covenant on their land. Join me, Maureen Howard as I chat with my guest Dr Cathy Rufaut, a Regional Representative from QEII. Find out what this type of covenant is and the options out there, the benefits of a QEII covenant over other covenant types and what QEII is able to provide in the current economic climate.

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 broadcast on OAR FM Dunedin - Community Access Media - http://oar.org.nz on 21 Aug 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!

07/08/2025

EPISODE 21 - A Kākā Comeback : https://tinyurl.com/Rewilding-21

Is your garden ready for a kākā visit? With increased predator control across Dunedin we are starting to experience more native birds, including kākā, in our backyards. Join me, Maureen Howard, on my visit with communications and advocacy lead Taylor Davies-Colley at Orokonui Ecosanctuary - Te Korowai o Mihiwaka. Listen in to find out - how we can live well with kākā, the benefits of big old trees - native or exotic, and why having a 1000 year plan is a perfect timeline for successful rewilding.

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 broadcast on OAR FM Dunedin - Community Access Media - http://oar.org.nz on 7 Aug 2025.

Listen to the episode on:
▶️ OAR FM Website: https://oar.org.nz/shows/rewilding-in-action/
▶️ Spotify: Listen to the episode on: https://tinyurl.com/Spotify-21
▶️ Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/Apple-21
▶️ YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/Rewilding-YouTube-21
▶️ or your favourite podcast provider!

24/07/2025

EPISODE 20 - UNITED BY A STREAM GULLY

Rewilding requires ecological corridors to connect ecologically significant habitats. However in urban areas, native forest remnants are often isolated from one another, surrounded by multiple landowners.

Join me, Maureen Howard, as I chat with my guests Rachel Gibb and Ursula Ellenberg from Ravensbourne - where landowners have been working together to restore a stream gully spanning eight property blocks and where donkeys have helped restore native bush on Rachel's land!

This episode of Rewilding in Action is supported by Carey’s Bay Hotel. For more information go to www.careysbayhotel.co.nz

This show was broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin - http://oar.org.nz on the 24th July 2025

Listen to the episode on:
▶️ OAR FM Website: https://oar.org.nz/shows/rewilding-in-action/
▶️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/rewilding-in-action/id1764395381
▶️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/47mhmm6KwMINa2k3TzMq8T
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb6ValA0zfn8J7JtoH0cuZrDOI0nNl070
▶️ or your favourite podcast provider!

10/07/2025

After a two month break, I'm back behind the mic with a new podcast. Michael has some great perspectives to share to help us rewild Aotearoa. I hope you enjoy!

EPISODE 19 - Rewilding: Past, Present and Future

How can looking to the past, present and future help guide our rewilding goals? Join me, Maureen Howard as I chat with my guest Associate Professor Michael Knapp from the Department of Anatomy at Otago University. Taking a long time scale perspective, Michael helps shed some light on some of the ecological issues in recent rewilding episodes and how we can work better with nature. This episode of Rewilding in Action is supported by Carey’s Bay Hotel. For more information go to www.careysbayhotel.co.nz

This show was broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin - http://oar.org.nz on the 10th July 2025

Listen to the episode on:
▶️ OAR FM Website: https://oar.org.nz/shows/rewilding-in-action/
▶️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/rewilding-in-action-19-rewilding-past-present-and-future/id1764395381?i=1000716521140
▶️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7N0GOD49jJPASVg59p3Mlv
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA2b3s9e9fo&list=PLb6ValA0zfn8J7JtoH0cuZrDOI0nNl070&index=1
▶️ or your favourite podcast provider!
This show was first broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin - http://oar.org.nz on 10th July 2025

04/07/2025

This is a very interesting and hopeful post! Allowing ash trees to naturally regenerate is producing offspring who are at least partially immune to ash dieback. No high tech interventions required - just Nature doing her thing well!

Subtle DNA changes in trees demonstrate Charles Darwin’s natural selection – although human help may be needed

21/06/2025

Here's a good example of Urban Rewilding - of people and wildlife tentatively learning to live together in new ways. I loved the solution of creating nesting boxes for the kittiwakes so that they were no longer pooping on the walkways.

Avian invaders have coastal communities in Britain and beyond in a flap – but people are learning how to live with them

14/06/2025

WHEN WE ARE GONE

Here in Dunedin we are very fortunate to have a Natural Burial site at Green Park near Green Island, where we can be buried within the first metre or so into biologically activated soil and where it's required that bodies are not embalmed.

BUT what a good idea a marine reef cemetery is too to explore for Aotearoa to help restore biodiversity and abundance in our inshore waters! I anticipate it would help protect those areas of the seabed from over fishing and dredging activities too. (Of course start small in areas that have been damaged, assess the impacts, monitor).

UK company offers alternative to land-based burials after success of memorials in Bali made from remains of pets

13/06/2025

BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES RETURNING TO MEDELLIN

I visited Medellin in in 2017/2018 when I was on my two year big OE Middling Life Adventure. Stayed a few weeks because I liked the people so much - and because of some other issues I had such as a broken toe! Anyway I'm very inspired to see what they are doing there. The city also has overhead gondola style trams that take you up and down the steep hills, and each Sunday some major roads are shut to vehicles and opened to runners, bikers and walkers.

Over the last decade, Colombia’s ‘city of eternal spring’ has embarked on an ambitious effort to restore greenery to public parks, transit corridors and even high-rises