Mountain bikers a threat to rare city snail

August 2019

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August 2019

The rare freshwater snail Potamopyrgus oppidanus
The future of one of New Zealand’s rarest native snails is hanging in the balance on Te Ahumairangi Hill, in Wellington’s Town Belt, just a stone’s throw from Premier House. Mountain bikers are cutting unsanctioned tracks through the snail’s tiny habitat and conservationists fear these actions are pushing the species even closer to extinction. The […]
Kathy Ombler

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.

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