New Zealand’s landscapes are beautiful but also volatile. Earthquakes have shattered our towns, volcanoes have darkened our skies, and mountain avalanches have taken lives. Natural disasters have tested our resilience and reshaped our communities, yet in every crisis we’ve found ingenuity, solidarity, and hope.

Archival audio in this series is from the RNZ collection at Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.

This episode traces our deep connection with the environment, and highlights the animals that have captured the nation’s heart. From our battles with pests like possums to the headline making Shrek the sheep. These stories remind us how closely we live alongside nature and how fiercely we fight to protect it.

Guests:

• Maggie Barry
  Veteran broadcaster and former Minister of Conservation, renowned for her work on Maggie’s Garden Show and for championing New Zealand’s natural heritage both in media and politics.
• Alison Ballance
  Zoologist, award-winning author, and science communicator, celebrated for her natural history documentaries and as the long-time producer of RNZ’s Our Changing World.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details