Ranger Evan Smith of New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park is, according to one visitor, “a bit of a legend.” Since 2011, Ranger Smith has raised money to help protect native birds from stoats, a kind of weasel introduced from Europe.  When he began working on the Routeburn Track hiking trail 20 years ago, he didn’t see or hear many birds. His nightly “hut talks” has helped the project raise $200,000 for stoat control. And summer by summer, the park sees more bird life along the trails.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. 

Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. 

BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.