Alumni Perspectives: Conservation in Aotearoa, My Eco-Adventures Abroad

Up in the peninsula of Otago, the OPERA sits quietly on 60 hectares of land, until you hear the loud noises coming from beyond the lush vegetation of maitai and tī kōukas (cabbage trees). This is exactly what caught my attention as I arrived for my tour. As we first were taught about the conservation work occurring here, we turned the corner to the star of the show, the world’s rarest penguin, the hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin). These little guys were here in rehabilitation, receiving quality care before eventually being released back into the wild. The reserve was established for habitat restoration and predator control work in hopes of protecting these endangered species. 

In the next part of the tour, we went through the all hand-dug trenches, covered in native ferns to act as a hide, as we traveled to the viewing point of the beach. This was built to create a natural way for visitors to see wildlife, minimizing the disturbances. Although the mission was originally focused on penguins, the private property now serves all native species on their land, creating an opportunity for the environment to thrive and for humans to enjoy it too.

One of the next places I was able to visit was Te Korowai o Mihiwaka (Orokonui Ecosanctuary), a 758 acres ecological wildlife reserve surrounded by a 5.5 mile predator-free fence. A beautiful spot to observe the native New Zealand birds such as Kākā, Takahē, Kakaruai, and Kōkō. Most are super inquisitive and came up right near us! I loved getting to learn about their conservation initiative to support native species and try and control invasive predators that end up hurting species. A fun fact about this place is they actually have the tallest tree in all of New Zealand, an Australian mountain ash that soars to 269 feet, however it’s located deep into the forest and takes about 2 hours of hiking to get there.

This had to be one of the highlights of my study abroad experience. The Royal Albatross Centre in Dunedin, New Zealand is the only mainland breeding colony of Albatross in the world! These birds are massive, ranging at about a wingspan of 8-10 feet and soar like a miniature airplane above you in the winds of the Pacific Ocean at the top of the peninsula. To observe these birds is actually mind blowing, especially if you do not know they exist before visiting. We were also lucky to be there around chick season, and got to view through binoculars the babies, which are also extremely large; they’re about 22 pounds at a few months old.

In Queenstown, on one of my orientation free days, I had the awesome experience of visiting the Kiwi Park in town. This is a wildlife refuge that specifically works with endangered species and 20 native species. In one special exhibit, you can view kiwis! Kiwis are flightless birds in New Zealand that have been dwindling in population since the arrival of humans and predators. They also are nocturnal and elusive, meaning seeing one in the wild is very rare. Here at the park, they have a completely pitch black ‘Kiwi house’ with some captive kiwis that the public can come and see. We had to be completely quiet as they are sensitive to noise, but once our eyes adjusted, we could see kiwis running around in their enclosures. It was a sweet experience to see one of the coolest birds in the world up close. The kiwi residing here are managed and eventually released into predator controlled areas in the wild in hopes of recovering their populations.

Experiencing the work of New Zealand’s environmental organizations opened my eyes to how deeply conservation can be rooted in both culture and community. Seeing the care and dedication given to native species like the hoiho and kiwi inspired me to think more critically about my role in protecting the environment. These eco-adventures didn’t just teach me about wildlife, they reminded me why this work matters and strengthened my passion to make a difference wherever I go next!