Red-billed Gulls are  declining nationally in New Zealand, but the story in Otago is different.  Join us as we head out to one of the largest Red-billed Gull colonies at Taiaroa Head, Otago Peninsula with Dr. Chris Lalas, who has been monitoring these birds for over two decades.  Featuring -  Dr. Chris Lalas, Scientist  Producer, Sound Recordist, Sound Editor & Presenter - Karthic SS ( @karthiscool )  If you notice Red-billed Gulls nesting in buildings around Dunedin please...

Earlier this year, a ferret attack wiped out over 40 tītī sooty shearwater chicks in one of the few places they nest on mainland New Zealand. Francesca Cunninghame and the team from Forest and Bird are working to protect the unique seabird colony.  Featuring -  Francesca Cunninghame, Projects Manager, Forest and Bird, Otago   Graeme Loh, Nature Conservationist Producer, Sound Recordist, Sound Editor & Presenter -Karthic SS Learn more about Forest and Birds work to protect Seabird...

While many of New Zealand’s native wetland birds are in decline, one relative newcomer has been thriving… Royal Spoonbill (kōtuku ngutupapa) made its way across the Tasman Sea and has found a new home in New Zealand. Join birders as they head out for a Nationwide Spoonbill Census to find out how the quirky birds are doing. Featuring  Anita Spencer (Regional Representative Birds New Zealand, Canterbury) Josh Overend (Field Ranger & Wildlife Photographer)  Megan Farley (Census...

In search of a rare Songbird… Mohua were once one of the common forest birds of in the South Island of Aotearoa, but today most populations are declining. Featuring Marion Rhodes (Department of Conservation, Mohua Charitable Trust) Joanna Hulsman (Department of Conservation) Producer, Sound Recordist, Sound Editor & Presenter - Karthic SS Learn more about the Mohua on Mohua Charitable Trust,  Department of Conservation    Contribute to Mohua Charitable Trust - ...

In the southern corner of New Zealand, a team is working to detect secretive, cryptic wetland birds… using sound.  Matuku Hūrepo Australasian Bitterns are so shy and cryptic, that they are rarely seen. They are wetland birds and with a 90% loss of wetland area in New Zealand, their populations are in steady decline. A collaborative project is underway in the Otago region to understand more about these birds by detecting them using acoustic recorders.  Featuring - Dr. Scott Jarvie -...

Velvet Worms or Peripatus have been around for 540 million years, way before the dinosaurs…but we know almost nothing about them. Over 30 years ago, Dave Randle, a Peripatus Advocate accidentally found these fascinating creatures right in his garden in Dunedin and has been protecting them ever since.  Recently Prof Peter Dearden (University of Otago) has been working to sequence the Peripatus genome for the first time in the world, with the aim of unravelling secrets about these mysterious...

Ever since finding a colony of Fairy Prions, a type of small seabird on a cliff in Dunedin, Graeme Loh has been working to explore the birds for 30 years. This is the only mainland colony of Fairy Prions in all of Aotearoa NZ, and Graeme has been consistently working to unravel interesting information on these secretive seabirds.  Learn more about Graeme's Work and  the Fairy Prion Fence https://www.facebook.com/fairyprionfence Featuring -  Graeme Loh - Wildlife Conservationist and...

In the evenings in small town of Ōamaru, hundreds of people wait eagerly, to see the stars of the night… the World’s Smallest Penguins - the Little Blue Penguins. The birds were once called ‘trespassers’ by some locals, but today they are icons of the town.  Philippa Agnew has been working on research and conservation of the Little Blues for over 17 years, and her team is working to learn about the penguins in the growing colony and keep an eye on how the changing climate might impact these...

In New Zealand, Lizards are as fascinating as they are endangered - there are 125 species and most of them give birth to live young …and they’re true wildlife underdogs - so rare and out of sight,  not many people know they exist. In Central Otago, a team is working to bring back endangered Lizards to the drylands wilderness they once lived in. Otago Skinks, Grand Skinks and other native lizards had gone locally extinct due to introduced pests & habitat destruction and now they are...

Decades ago Bruce Stuart Menteath discovered something that would direct the purpose of his life - rare Westland Petrels nesting in a lush forest right on his property.   Westland Petrels are endangered seabirds that nest only on a small 8 km patch of coastal forest on the West Coast of New Zealand. This is the story of how Bruce is protecting the rare petrels, his connection to these birds and the looming threats that could impact the petrels and the surrounding wilderness.  If you'd...

Tune into Nature is back for Season 2! From seabirds that crash through the trees...to rare reptiles...and the world's smallest penguins... Come along to meet Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique wildlife, and listen to the stories of the kaitiaki, the people working out there to protect nature. Get your headphones and Tune into Nature with me Karthic. Kindly supported by the NZ Lottery Grants Environment and Heritage fund, administered by Te Tari Taiwhenua, the Department of Internal...

Aotearoa New Zealand’s stunning beaches are where dogs and endangered wildlife meet. Interactions are harmful to both dogs and wildlife…so how to safely share the beach with our wildlife? Hear about Lead the Way, a programme reaching out to the public about sharing the coast with wildlife. Ft. Richard Seed, Ranger, DOC. Thanks to the Department of Conservation, Dunedin. Follow the Show Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/tuneintonature Instagram :...

Sea Stars, Sea Lettuce and Beaked Barnacles… What are those little critters found in cracks and crevices of coastal rocks and on the beach? And how is a citizen science project involving children and the public contributing to marine science? In this episode we explore the seashore and hear the story of fascinating little sea creatures and the Marine Meter Squared project. Ft. Sally Carson,  Tamlyn Somerford, Zoe Psarouthakis and the participants of the Coastal Care Workshop Thanks to NZ...

Take a forest walk, listen to the iconic song of the Robin and meet the team working to find out how the birds are doing and the threats they face in their new home -a little patch of forest. South Island Robins / Kakaruwai are one of the most curious birds of Aotearoa NZ. They were once widespread, but today, their numbers are at risk and declining. In one of the forests outside Orokonui, the birds have been nesting for a few years and a team from Birds NZ led by Georgina Pickerell, is...

It's Summer in Aotearoa New Zealand.  The days are long and warm - perfect to spend time out in nature. Be it a picnic or a stroll, a visit to the beach is a Kiwi summer favourite. So to celebrate summer, here's an episode with the relaxing sounds of the beach, waves and snippets about wildlife.  Follow the Show Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/tuneintonature Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/tuneintonatureshow/ Twitter : https://twitter.com/tunenatureshow Producer/ Host:...

Happy New Year and Welcome to a Special Episode with just sounds from the wilderness. Grab your headphones and unwind with some dawn chorus birdsong recorded in a native forest. Orokonui Ecosanctuary in the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand, is home to some of the world's most fascinating and rare forest birds, reptiles and plants. The forest of Orokonui is fenced off to keep mammalian predators away and is a safe haven for native birds and wildlife. So the birdsong is relatively louder...

Which insect has a superpower to survive freezing mountain temps for days? Did you know that the city of Ōtepoti Dunedin has about 30 types of wildlife found nowhere else? And what’s it like when you get very close to a Whale and it decides to (splash) breathe out…. Join along on a nature walk with Neville Peat an award winning writer and storyteller and hear stories from decades of exploring the wilderness. Neville Peat is an award-winning author and photographer of over 30 books,...

This elusive bird weighs only 6 grams (a House Sparrow weighs 40 grams), sings in high pitched notes and flies so quickly that it's so hard to see. Meet the smallest bird of Aotearoa New Zealand - the Rifleman or Titipounamu (in the Māori language) Join on a walk through a dense coastal forest on the Otago Peninsula, as we try to see the elusive Rifleman and hear the story of how these birds are using cosy nest boxes to survive. Ft. Marcia Dale, Shanta McPherson Thanks to the volunteers...

A little sapling, a shovel, and a lot of enthusiasm-  young school students are on a mission to bring back the native forest in a New Zealand city. They are busy planting native trees in a patch of urban forest. Join along on their planting day. Meet the Town Belt Kaitiaki, the young guardians of the forest in Dunedin. Ft. Students- Cameron Hart, Lewis Marr,  Anya McKinney, Hetty Finney Waters, Finn Hibbert, Nicola Post, Murphy Scott Thanks to Georgina Golling, students & volunteers of...

Listen to the Sounds of a Stream, Breathe in the fragrance of lush greenery, and immerse yourself in a forest...all in the middle of a city.  Welcome to Urban Nature.  Aotearoa New Zealand is in a full lockdown due to the COVID19 Delta variant. Travel is restricted, but people are allowed to go out within their neighbourhoods for walks and to exercise….making Urban Green Spaces more important than ever. Lockdowns have become a part of our lives...in this episode we explore how Urban Nature...

Take a trip to the small town of Aramoana in New Zealand - land of tranquil sandy beaches, and home to wildlife like rare Penguins & Sea Lions  and listen to why once the people had to declare the town as a micro-nation.. to Save Aramoana. Learn more about the wildlife & wild places featured in this episode - Leopard Seal, New Zealand Sea Lion, Yellow-eyed Penguin, Saltmarsh, Aramoana Ecological Area If you’d like to join and in and help with planting trees for Sea Lions and...

Go on a virtual walk through a cloud forest and listen to the journey of Tahu Mackenzie, Nature Educator at Orokonui EcoSanctuary. All in a backdrop of unique New Zealand birdsong with lots of calls from the Kaka parrots. Tahu Mackenzie is the Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom education officer at the Dunedin's Orokonui Ecosanctuary. She's been the educator there for 12 years working with inspiring superstars including Dr Jane Goodall. Tahu works with 10,000 students every year from...