We’ve spent our time with our eyes on the forest floor, but the bush doesn’t end there. Above us, another world is waiting. A flutter catches our attention—a Pīwakawaka / Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) darts past, weaving effortlessly between branches, never once touching the ground. It’s a reminder that much of Aotearoa’s life exists up there, not down here. We look up. The canopy stretches high above us, tangled and alive. We pull out a rope and bow, sending a line arcing o

A South Island forest by Satoru Kikuchi As we walk into the bush, we hear the crunch of dried leaves under our feet, and the sloshing of mud. Today we are finally moving into Aotearoa’s most prominent habitat—our forests. Our most diverse habitat, covering over 80% of Aotearoa at this time. There is so much to talk about that we have to break it down into two parts, and today we are covering what lives under the trees—under our feet in the leaf litter and understory of pre-hu

The ground is soft beneath our feet. Fernbirds / Mātātā (Poodytes punctatus) call from the raupō. We step into a kayak and push off into a narrow, dark channel. The paddle dips quietly as we glide through flooded forest and swamp water. Exploring the Wetlands of Aotearoa This is the wetlands of pre-human Aotearoa — not pastureland, but vast, living landscapes that once covered much of lowland New Zealand. A thousand years ago, scenes like this were common. Today, they are alm