The Hollyford Conservation Trust protects 2600ha of forest, dunes and wetlands in the Hollyford Valley. Photo: Neco Wieringa

Keeping pests at bay: a collaborative effort

Conservation, Features

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Kathy Ombler

A long-time Wilderness contributor and freelance author, Kathy writes about outdoor recreation, natural history and conservation.

By Kathy Ombler

Since 2014 the Hollyford Conservation Trust has achieved huge conservation gains across a swathe of northwest Fiordland. Already one of the country’s largest restoration programmes, it’s about to expand further.

It’s winter and there’s war in the Hollyford. The enemy, predator pests, are up against a carefully planned systematic attack, and it’s knocking them big time. This winter onslaught is critical, says Hollyford Conservation Trust manager Lindsay Wilson. “Rats and stoats will be breeding, and the birds start breeding in spring. We want to knock […]

About the author

Kathy Ombler

Freelance author Kathy Ombler mostly writes about outdoor recreation, natural history and conservation, and has contributed to Wilderness for many years. She has also written and edited for other publications and websites, most recently Federated Mountain Club’s Backcountry, Forest & Bird, and the Backcountry Trust. Books she has authored include Where to Watch Birds in New Zealand, Walking Wellington and New Zealand National Parks and Other Wild Places. She is currently a trustee for Wellington’s Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush Trust.