Protecting Alpine Wētā & Lizards (EP33 with Samuel Purdie, Southern Lakes Sanctuary)

The smaller critters often get the least attention - yet they make up the foundations of life in our ecosystems.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, invertebrates and lizards help recycle nutrients, disperse seeds, pollinate native plants, and support the whole food web. And they’re also some of the hardest animals to actually understand and protect.

In this episode, we head back to the Southern Lakes Sanctuary for a round two with their herpetologist and invertebrate specialist, Samuel Purdie, who pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to look after species like the Southern Alps giant wētā (Deinacrida pluvialis).

These rare alpine insects survive in harsh, often freezing landscapes and are now classified as nationally endangered.

Monitoring methods like tracking tunnels, mark-recapture studies, cameras, and eDNA all tell di ...