The Green Desk: The nationally critical shore plover with Rebecca Diederichsen, March 03, 2020

This week on the first Green Desk of the year, new producer Bronwyn Wilde interviews with Rebecca  Diederichsen from Kotahi Aviary,  a captive breeding facility for the critically endangered shore plover bird. Formed in 2018 by the Department of Conservation and local Hawke's Bay philanthropist Andy Lowe, the aviary is the third of its kind in the country. With seven resident birds, its goal is to breed 40 chicks a year for release onto offshore islands.  Rebecca, the sole employee at the aviary, talks about some of the successes and challenges of the project so far.

If you’re thinking - what on earth is a shore plover!?!? Then you’re probably in the same boat as a lot of New Zealanders. An endemic shorebird, they are very much in need of the spotlight, as there are only around 250 birds left. Rebecca begins by telling us a bit more about what exactly a shore plover is.