New Zealand is setting out to save its kiwis, and people are lining up to help

By Lauren Sommer

Published September 14, 2025 at 9:05 AM EDT

New Zealand is known for its rare and unique birds. But invasive animals, brought by humans, have decimated those species. To save them, New Zealand has set a goal of exterminating millions of those invasive predators by 2050. And everyday people are joining in. Some trap and kill animals in their backyards. Student groups help kill predators in neighborhood parks. It's not for the faint of heart, but it's part of a larger ethos of conservation that's spreading.

Lauren Sommer

Lauren Sommer covers climate change for NPR's Science Desk, from the scientists on the front lines of documenting the warming climate to the way those changes are reshaping communities and ecosystems around the world.

See stories by Lauren Sommer

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