04/06/2026
IT STARTS IN OUR OWN BACKYARDS:
We believe our native species have intrinsic value, but they are also part of our identity and who we are as Kiwis. They are the heartbeat of Aotearoa. They connect us to this land, tell the story of who we are, and make New Zealand unlike anywhere else on Earth.
Every time a tūī sings at dawn, a kererū crashes through the canopy, or a ruru calls in the night, we are reminded of what makes this place special. We are Kiwis because of the unique natural world that surrounds us. But if we allow these species to disappear, what part of our identity disappears with them?
A future where our children can only experience native wildlife behind predator-proof fences or on remote offshore islands is not a future we should accept. Nature should not be something we have to travel to see. It should be alive in our neighbourhoods, our parks, our farms, and our backyards.
The choices we make today will determine whether future generations inherit a country filled with birdsong, or one where rats, stoats, and possums have silenced it. If we lose our native species, we lose a piece of ourselves. We may still call ourselves Kiwis, but what would that mean if the wildlife that defines this country is gone? We may as well call ourselves rats, stoats, or weasels, because that is all that will be left.
The good news is that this story is still being written. Every trap set, every pest removed, every native tree planted, and every person who chooses to get involved helps turn the tide.
It starts in our own backyards. Together, we can create an Aotearoa where native wildlife doesn't just survive behind fences.... it thrives all around us. That is a legacy worth fighting for.
-Greg.
📷: Photo credit Save the Kiwi NZ
