Conservation enthusiast and DOC legend Herb talks to Nic about his experience as a science communicator, navigating the bush before sat nav, being trolled by kea, and species protection on offshore islands. Plus, he treats us to some of his famous bird calls.

If there were such thing as conservation bingo, (sidebar: should we make that?), Herb would be a square all of his own, given how many times his name is mentioned in conservation conversation. “Ask Herb”, “See what Herb thinks” or “Herb might know” are popular refrains around here. Cheers to this stalwart of species survival.

The birdsong (well, bird scream) used this episode is the kea.

Music is Let’s Get Down to Business by Cast of Characters.

Insect expert Eric Edwards talks to us about ecosystems, climate change and cataloguing critters. He also shares his adventures catching true bugs in Micronesia and navigating poo patches (!) in the Subantarctic Islands.

The sounds at the beginning and end are cicadas on Rough Island in Nelson.

Music is Let’s get down to business by Cast of Characters.

Emma Williams knows a lot about bittern/matuku. This is impressive because they’re very difficult to find. She calls them the ‘ninjas of the wetland’. In this episode, Nic and Emma talk about tracking bittern and embarrassing yourself in Mitre 10.

Listen to Emma’s tales of her adventures with bittern dog Kimi, as the duo work to protect wetlands’ precious conservation values. Plus, Emma teaches Nic how to do a bittern mating call, which will be a treat for your ears. Sort of.

The birdsong used this episode is the Australasian bittern/matuku boom.

Technical advisor Stuart Cockburn talks to us about his scientific innovations, which are world-firsts and have been critical in protecting native species.

Stu’s responsible for kākāpō snarks, track counters, seabird soundscapes, grasshopper detectors and much, much more. He also once got into a one-way fight with a great spotted kiwi (the bird started it,) and is directly responsible for Nic getting questioned by airport security. All in a day’s work for Stu.

A snark is a device that records transmitters on kākāpō.

The birdsong used this episode is the Australasian gannet.

Music is Let’s get down to business by Cast of Characters.

Lizard expert Lynn Adams shares tales from the world of reptile conservation – including two near misses for the “curly wurly” tailed Chesterfield skink.

Lynn and Nic also discuss the main threats to lizards - mice, hedgehogs, habitat loss and climate change. They finish up on a positive note, with what we can do to help protect our native reptiles.

Find out more:

• Learn about New Zealand’s lizard species
• How to identify lizards
• Report your alpine lizard sightings

From kākāpō to kiwi, Kate McInnes is vet to all of New Zealand’s native species. It’s a one-of-a-kind job! Listen to Kate talk about avian lesions, kākāpō sperm and birds with salmonella.

Kate and Nic also reveal the humble origins of the now infamous ‘sperm helmet’, on display at Te Papa National Museum. 

The birdsong used in this episode is a dawn chorus with tui in the foreground.

Learn more about what to plant to support birds and wildlife.

Music is Let’s get down to business by Cast of Characters.

Marine species expert Hannah Hendriks talks whale strandings, post-mortems and crucial data. 

The birdsong at the start of this episode is the North Island robin.

Find out more:

• Māui dolphin abundance estimates
• Māui dolphin toxicology and disease research