This video is part of the Meet the Locals series that was originally shown on TVNZ.
View the first series of Meet the Locals videos to be presented on this site.
The golden beaches of the Abel Tasman National Park are well visited in summertime, but what happens during winter? This video reveals who’s in the park when the weather cools down.
The tiny protected forest of Pukaha in the Wairarapa is all that remains of the once vast 70 Mile Bush. Find out how the last part is protected and what wildlife is coming back.
Many trampers enjoy walking in the Nelson Lakes National Park, but as spring arrives and the winter snows start to melt an unseen danger lurks in the mountains.
Nga Manu Nature Reserve on the Kapiti Coast is not only a great place to go to check out the local wildlife, but it also has an important role in rehabilitating injured native birds.
The Bridge to Nowhere, in the middle of native bush on the Wanganui River, is not where you would expect to find an industrial historic bridge. Find out what it’s doing there in this episode.
The Pukaha Mount Bruce mainland island also functions as an outdoor classroom where thousands of children a year learn about their natural heritage.
Did you know that New Zealand has at least 35 species native fish? The trouble is many of our fish are tiny and hard to find. This video shows how DOC uses electric fishing to monitor them.
The Waikanae Estuary was slowly dying. It was being strangled by weeds and hemmed in by houses. But all is not lost thanks to some passionate locals.
In Wellington city you'll find a thriving rainforest, where many of New Zealand’s endangered animals are being given a safe place to live. Welcome to the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary.
In this video you get up close and personal with a North Island brown kiwi and learn about why our iconic national birds are so fascinating and why they need our help.
Here’s a riddle for you: What’s bluish-grey, has a long tail and short wings, hops from branch to branch and was close to extinction up until the 1990s? Watch this video to learn more.
Kura Tāwhiti in the Arthur’s Pass region was once a meeting place for early Māori. This video looks at the wildlife that used to live here and what climbers and iwi are doing to protect this special place.
The historic woolshed on Mana Island had been restored but what’s a woolshed without sheep? Luckily, some students came up with a solution. Watch this video to learn what it was.
Matiu/Somes Island sits in the middle of Wellington Harbour. This video explores the island's history and its many roles, including quarantine station, military outpost and now wildlife refuge.
New Zealand has more species of lizard for its climate than anywhere else in the world. Find out in this video why we aren’t seeing many and learn about our native reptiles and what’s holding them back.
New Zealand is known as a ‘land of birds’, but we do have one type of mammal, the ancient and tiny native bats. This video takes you into the batcave to meet these elusive and mysterious animals.
This video from the Meet the Locals series, introduces the Maud Island frog, one of only four native frogs in New Zealand.
This video takes you to Turakina Beach, one of the largest sand dune systems left in New Zealand. Find out why this area is nicknamed ‘the Gold Coast’ and learn about the native pingao plant.
In this video you'll learn about Tieke kainga, one of the only marae in New Zealand to be located in a National Park, and a feature of the Whanganui Journey, one of New Zealand's Great Walks.
Martinborough is famous here in New Zealand and overseas for its thriving wine industries, but at Ata Rangi vineyard they have a big focus on the protection of native trees through Project Crimson.
This video explores Maud Island, one of New Zealand's best-protected nature reserves, where a surprising number of native species live without the threat of pests and predators.
In this video from the Meet the Locals series, you'll meet one of our best conservation ambassadors, the charismatic and curious kākāpō named Sirocco.
In this video you'll learn about the takahē. Once thought extinct, they were rediscovered in 1948. Though still highly endangered, some takahē survive on offshore islands like Mana Island, near Wellington.
Cave weta are found all over New Zealand. They can appear terrifying but this video reveals that these wild-looking weta are actually harmless, deaf and probably more scared of you than you are of them.
Pest control is a huge, ongoing job that occurs throughout New Zealand. In this video you'll meet The Friends of Rotoiti, volunteer trappers helping control pests in Nelson Lakes National Park.
Many of us don't exactly have a very favourable opinion of eels. But at Pukaha Mount Bruce, there’s a lot to learn about tuna/eels and the incredible journey they must make to survive.
New Zealand stopped whaling in 1964 when the last whaling station in Cook Strait closed. In this video you'll meet the ex-whalers who now use their skills to help protect whales.
In this video we visit a Wanganui farmer’s Field Day, where the locals sample some pretty tasty goat curry, learn about predators and find out how they can involved and help protect wildlife.