1 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:06,000 Speaker 1: Kilda. 2 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:09,079 Speaker 2: I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is the Front Page, a 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 2: daily podcast presented by the New Zealand Herald. International campaigns, 4 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 2: a Russian vote tampering scandal and an impostor taking the win. 5 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 2: There's one election that New Zealanders have always taken very seriously. No, 6 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 2: it doesn't involve politicians or even human beings. For two decades, 7 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 2: the public has poured over more than eighty native birds 8 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:44,200 Speaker 2: and one controversial bat to Crown Bird of the Year. 9 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:45,919 Speaker 3: The fun is meant to. 10 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 2: Highlight our native fauna and the fact that New Zealand 11 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 2: has one of the highest rates of threatened species in 12 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 2: the world today. On the Front Page, Forest and Bird 13 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 2: Chief Executive Nicola Tokyo is with us to take us 14 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 2: through the history and the. 15 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 3: Future of the competition and why we should care. Taking 16 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 3: us back twenty. 17 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 2: Years ago, what's the genesis for petting our native birds 18 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 2: against each other? 19 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:15,680 Speaker 1: Like? 20 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 3: How did this come about? 21 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:19,959 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's such a cool story. 22 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: So essentially, and I remember this, I just didn't remember 23 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: it was twenty years ago. So there was a time, 24 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 1: a very controversial time in our country that almost divided 25 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 1: the nation. 26 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 4: And that it was in two thousand. 27 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: And five when Aaron zed started talking about removing the 28 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: bird call from Morning Report, and I think they thought 29 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: that was probably a really straightforward thing to do. And 30 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: then the day that they announced it, I think by 31 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: the time by lunchtime, they'd had something like sixteen hundred 32 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 1: emails from you know, incensed New Zealanders about how you 33 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: could possibly take away, you know, this crucial institution of 34 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: people's mornings. And so off the back of that, a 35 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: previous employee from Forest and Bird started thinking, actually, this 36 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:20,799 Speaker 1: is great, and there were one or two other countries 37 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 1: that had run similar poles about people picking their favorite birds, 38 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: and so Michael Sabo took it upon himself to look 39 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: into that and to kick it in the kick it 40 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 1: in the gea for New Zealand and it just grew 41 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: from there. So, you know, it was an opportunity that 42 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: Forest and Beird pounced on at the time. 43 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 4: And it started with a little email pole. 44 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:49,240 Speaker 1: That went out to everyone and you know, not particularly 45 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: heavily populated in terms of the responses. It probably the 46 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: zenith of it was the three hundred and fifty thousand 47 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: votes or thereabouts for the twenty twenty three which was 48 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 1: the Putiki Teki and now we rough enough get sort 49 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 1: of between fifteen sixty thousand votes from New Zealanders. And 50 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: you know, it's interesting, isn't it, Because people are finding 51 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: it difficult to connect with elections in general, with respect 52 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 1: to local government and central government elections. But for whatever reason, 53 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: this tackles people and they want to be engaged and 54 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: involved in us. 55 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 2: So over the years, Bird of the Year has faced 56 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 2: multiple voting scandals. In twenty nineteen, there was even some 57 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 2: speculation around a Russian hacking scandal. 58 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 3: Tell me about that. 59 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 4: Oh, look, we have had so many. 60 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,119 Speaker 1: I mean every year there's a controversy of some description. 61 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: And yes, there was potentially the challenge with the Russian 62 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: the Russian hacking of our election process. 63 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 4: We've actually we had to get really. 64 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: Rigorous with our kind of voting protocols. 65 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 4: We had the. 66 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: Potential of the Russian hack. We had one year a 67 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: couple of teenagers got really excited about a particular species 68 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: of bird and just voted repeatedly and kept cranking up 69 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:27,280 Speaker 1: the votes at a time when we really didn't have 70 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 1: the controls in place to be able to do anything 71 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: about it, and so we were having to kind of 72 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:36,479 Speaker 1: plead with people to try and follow the rules, and yeah, 73 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:41,359 Speaker 1: we've also had the odd hard case thing happen. 74 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 4: Of course, we had more than three hundred thousand. 75 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 1: Votes the year that the Pertiki Tiki won thanks to 76 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:52,239 Speaker 1: John Oliver and last week tonight and we had someone 77 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:57,600 Speaker 1: repeatedly voting for I think the sneers crested penguin in 78 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 1: naming it John Oliver. So there's always controversy and it's 79 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:01,719 Speaker 1: always a lot of fun. 80 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, speaking on John Oliver, he launched that worldwide campaign 81 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:08,720 Speaker 2: back in that was twenty twenty three, right backing the 82 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:09,719 Speaker 2: Teki Teki. 83 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 3: His campaign team put. 84 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 2: Up billboards in Mumbai, Tokyo, Paris, London, Brazil and Wisconsin, 85 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 2: and the Techi Techi one obviously by an absolute landslide. 86 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 3: What was having that global attention. 87 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 4: Like, it's exhausting for starters. 88 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: So there were three of US staff members at for 89 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: US and Dude who basically just did a rolling mall 90 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:40,599 Speaker 1: of interviews with mostly international media for weeks on end 91 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:44,599 Speaker 1: in the lead up to particularly while John Oliver was 92 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: promoting it on his show with his giant pu Tiki 93 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 1: Tiki puppet. As well as obviously that billboards he put 94 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 1: up all over the world turning up I think on 95 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,039 Speaker 1: Jimmy Fallon's show, dressed as a putiki tiki, and so 96 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: the interest just grew and reached this sort of beaver pitch. 97 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 5: Yes, so it's an interesting bird. There's only a thousand 98 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 5: of them in New Zealand, so I think it's a 99 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 5: fine candidate for Bird of the Central. 100 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: If you contact this organization running this contest before you start. Came. 101 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 3: We did. 102 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 5: We did, Yeah, we did just bring that. We said 103 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 5: to them, would it be okay if we were campaign 104 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 5: managers for a bird? They said, yes, go for it, 105 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 5: And I don't think they understood quite what they were 106 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 5: unleashing when they said go for it. 107 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 4: Okay. 108 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 1: It was fantastic, end really described so not just that 109 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 1: that year was obviously one out of the box, and 110 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 1: fantastic that him and his team wanted to be involved 111 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: in promoting what we consider. 112 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 4: On our list is one about underbirds. 113 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: So you know, birds who may not necessarily get the 114 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 1: same kind of a teach in TLC and love that 115 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 1: a co couple or you know what some of the 116 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 1: better known birds might have. But every year Bird of 117 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: the Year gets picked up by you know, the guy 118 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:03,039 Speaker 1: Smithsonian where you know, it gets reported all over the 119 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: world where I'm still reeling from the fact that last 120 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: year the hohyhaul won, which is obviously one of New 121 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: Zealand's iconic speaks of penguin, something we all hold dear 122 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: and love on the five dollar note, and some international 123 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: media described it as you know that a smelly penguin 124 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 1: had won this important contest. So no, look, it is 125 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: fantastic because what we've realized over twenty years is that 126 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: New Zealanders, and we already know this, they really care 127 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: about our native wildlife and particularly our birds, which are 128 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: such a difining characteristic of our nature in New Zealand. 129 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 4: Did part of our national identity. 130 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 2: Well, that's perhaps why it was so controversial the twenty 131 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 2: twenty one winner, the long tailed bat one, despite not 132 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 2: being a bird. Was the organization prepared for the backlash 133 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 2: it received about that decision. 134 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: Ah, look, I think we knew that it was going 135 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: to create, you know, consternation. 136 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 4: It stilled us. People still give. 137 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: Me a hard time about what about that time? 138 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 4: A bat one bird of the year, And it is. 139 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: Really important because the thing about New Zealand's wildlife is 140 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: New Zealand is a land without teeth. Right, So we 141 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: don't have terrestrial mammals in this country except for two 142 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 1: tiny species of bat about the size of you know, 143 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: their bodies are about the size of my thumb, and 144 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: they are in as much trouble as our bird life 145 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: because of introduced predators like stoats and rats and cats 146 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 1: and birds and all of that stuff. So it's still 147 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: a great way to raise awareness of the things that 148 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 1: you know, forest and bird is trying to protect and 149 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:43,080 Speaker 1: give nature a voice about. And if we just nod 150 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: over to Tao Mardi, a bat is encapsulated in the 151 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 1: word manu, which means which we consider the word for 152 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:54,239 Speaker 1: bird as something that flights, right, so we reckon. 153 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 4: We got away with it. 154 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: It was a wonderful way to engage the New Zealand public. 155 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:01,319 Speaker 1: Something that wound ever run up. 156 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 2: A bit well argue of if there's only two species 157 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 2: of bat, they alternate that of the year each each 158 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 2: couple of years, right, yeah, I. 159 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: Mean, you know, who knows there's still potentially room for 160 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 1: the other species of bat again in there. 161 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 3: I mean that's. 162 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: Interesting, right, because the imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. 163 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: So I know that the entomological Society have started Bug 164 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:28,679 Speaker 1: of the Year. You know, there have been other countries 165 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:32,280 Speaker 1: conservation organizations getting in touch with us and talking to 166 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:34,680 Speaker 1: us about how they might do Bird of the Year 167 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 1: and their respective countries. But there is just something about 168 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 1: the way that New Zealanders connect with and identify with 169 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:44,840 Speaker 1: our native wildlife and that's important to us, right because 170 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 1: eighty percent of our birds of our land birds here 171 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: in New Zealand are on the Critain Species list, are 172 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,719 Speaker 1: in trouble and need our help. And so one of 173 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 1: the biggest challenges that I have found in my career 174 00:09:56,240 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: and conservation is trying to stories about our native wildlife 175 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:05,559 Speaker 1: in such a way that everybody understands that they're special 176 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 1: and worth looking after, and that they're in trouble and 177 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 1: that if we look, you know, if we take particular actions, 178 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 1: we can do something about it. And that's a hard 179 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 1: conservation is a hard story to sell because often it's 180 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 1: things are really bad. 181 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 4: And so what Bird of the Year it enables us. 182 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: To do is focus on the joy and the love 183 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: that people have for these birds and let them get 184 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: super creative about how they're promoting them. I've been looking 185 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: at some of the online campaigning that is already going 186 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: on and having a week giggle with my morning coffee 187 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:39,960 Speaker 1: when I see what the various campaign managers are up to. 188 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:50,959 Speaker 2: Well, if you do have, say a major US talk 189 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 2: show host promoting one bird, the result is always going 190 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 2: to be obvious. 191 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 3: Right Does that take the fun out of it? Or 192 00:10:57,640 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 3: is it just the way politics works? 193 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:04,319 Speaker 1: Well, I mean there are always scandals in politics. 194 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 4: Aren't there. 195 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 1: And you know, we had a bit of feedback at 196 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:13,680 Speaker 1: the time about oh, but this isn't fair because you know, 197 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 1: sort of taking away from the New Zealand campaigns working 198 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:20,840 Speaker 1: hard on their birds. All's fear and love and bird war, 199 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:24,440 Speaker 1: I say. And it did a couple of things. So 200 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:27,559 Speaker 1: the with respect to the Puteki Techi, you know, and 201 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 1: no one could compete with the kind of reach that 202 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 1: John Oliver has and the resources he had at his 203 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: disposal to be able to you know, put billboards up 204 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: in the biggest cities all over the world. But it 205 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 1: also really kicked that kind of Kiwi spirit into gear 206 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:49,320 Speaker 1: and particularly for the likes of the campaign managers for Kiwe, 207 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 1: who then took it upon themselves to rise to the 208 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 1: challenge and try and secure more votes as a counter 209 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:59,439 Speaker 1: to you know, the unwanted American influence at the time, 210 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 1: so that that was quite fun. But you know, there's 211 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 1: no harm in having one hundred people from one hundred 212 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 1: and ninety five countries around the world engaging in a 213 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 1: story about the things that make New Zealand so special. 214 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 2: Now And another controversy, I think there have been two 215 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 2: birds that have won twice. 216 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:22,280 Speaker 3: Should they be able to still compete? 217 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 1: Yes, and so that with that creants its own challenges. 218 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 1: So we Carackapool has won twice, Boyho, I think has 219 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 1: also won twice, last year being the second time around, 220 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 1: and we took Carackopol out of the race because people 221 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:43,240 Speaker 1: when they think about our birds, you know, we don't 222 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:45,680 Speaker 1: have lions, tigers and beers or a panda here in 223 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:49,600 Speaker 1: New Zealand, but probably our charismatic megaphore tend to be 224 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 1: things like Cackapool. 225 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 4: So we gave kakapoul a. 226 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 1: Breather a few years ago and people people didn't like 227 00:12:56,960 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: that either. But what has been fantastic to see this 228 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:06,199 Speaker 1: year are the married ways that people are getting involved 229 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 1: and we've been working really hard to find ways to 230 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,720 Speaker 1: amplify the fun of Bird of the Year. So there's 231 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 1: like workplace packs that workplaces can download and use to 232 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:19,000 Speaker 1: run their own bird at the year kind of activities 233 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,560 Speaker 1: and their offices we've got. I don't know if you 234 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: have taken upon yourself to try birdle dot. 235 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 3: Nz in yet, but it's going real fun. 236 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:29,160 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's so much fun right and. 237 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: At a time in our society, both here in New 238 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 1: Zealand and beyond, we are facing a biodiversity crisis a 239 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 1: climate crisis, and the two of those things running up 240 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:39,439 Speaker 1: against each other. 241 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 4: It can feel quite overwhelming, and. 242 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:43,560 Speaker 1: I know for me and my staff it is quite 243 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: hard to kind of find that kind of thing that 244 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 1: sparks joy in the face of quite significant challenges. And so, 245 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:57,200 Speaker 1: you know, being able to lead people to some fun 246 00:13:57,280 --> 00:14:00,480 Speaker 1: stuff I think is also what inspires action because we're 247 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: people are you know, when people engage in something and 248 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,080 Speaker 1: they like it and it's fun, they want to know 249 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: more and they want to and then once they want 250 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:10,800 Speaker 1: to know more, they want to do more. And that's 251 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 1: been the real key. 252 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 2: Have you had evidence of that, is all this raising 253 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:18,679 Speaker 2: awareness actually contributing to more donations or. 254 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, so in. 255 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:27,760 Speaker 1: That the donation total the year that John Oliver hijacked 256 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:32,360 Speaker 1: the competition forrest and Bird received over one million dollars 257 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 1: in donations just from Bird of the Year, so, you know, 258 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:42,880 Speaker 1: and we have really neat supportive business partners who love 259 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:45,760 Speaker 1: to get involved in supporting Bird. 260 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:46,240 Speaker 4: Of the Year end. 261 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 1: And that's the other thing too, like our business partners 262 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 1: when they're doing it. So you know, we have the 263 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:54,680 Speaker 1: likes of Metal Bird, and they make a Metal Bird 264 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 1: Bird of the Year basically the day that the birds announced. 265 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: So I went to their office a couple of years 266 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 1: ago and they announced the bird and they were already 267 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 1: sketching out the design and about to reduce. You know, 268 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 1: the thing we have blunt umbrellers. We have a number 269 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:13,880 Speaker 1: of companies very much involved in this, but they're not 270 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 1: they're in it the same way that people get involved 271 00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 1: in the Bird of Year voting process, because genuinely those 272 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 1: businesses love it, they love being part of it. And 273 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 1: obviously we are really grateful for the support because it 274 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:28,600 Speaker 1: enables us to go out and do more, and it 275 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 1: certainly inspires people who might have just been conservation adjacent, 276 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 1: who get drawn into the Bird of the Year drama 277 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 1: and fun and controversy and suddenly become much more interested 278 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 1: in and want to take action. 279 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 2: And you're so mentioned a lack of campaign managers is 280 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 2: one of the reasons the full number of species isn't 281 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 2: available on the list. Can you tell us a little 282 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 2: bit about these campaign managers, like who are they? 283 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 3: Are they self appointed? What makes a good campaign manager? 284 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, so it varies from year to year. But one 285 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:06,680 Speaker 1: thing we're really proud of this year is that one 286 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 1: hundred percent of the birds that are up for election 287 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 1: for voting, you know, in the poll I have a 288 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 1: campaign manager this year, so that's a first for us. 289 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 1: That kind of tells us a bit more about how 290 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:20,920 Speaker 1: the popularity of Bird of the Year is just growing 291 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: over the twenty years that it has been around. And 292 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: they campaign managers a volunteer, They get in touch with us, 293 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:31,120 Speaker 1: they put their name forward to be associated with a 294 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 1: particular bird. Sometimes they are organizations or businesses, you know. 295 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 1: Sometimes they're towns like Dunedin basically as a city through 296 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 1: the various museums and you know the key players Indonedan 297 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 1: all got together and really pushed hall last year, which 298 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: probably contributed a lot to its success. We've had politicians 299 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 1: I was, I got in touch with Christopher Luxen's off 300 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 1: for example before he so when he was still in 301 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: opposition about it. So we've had a number of politicians 302 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,680 Speaker 1: involved over many, many years, and you know Cinder and 303 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:11,359 Speaker 1: durn Hall and Clark. 304 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:13,760 Speaker 4: Chris Reluxon put his name forward. 305 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:17,400 Speaker 1: It is to promote the riebill, which is a little 306 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:21,119 Speaker 1: river bird in quite a lot of trouble found in 307 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:23,639 Speaker 1: braided rivers down here, mostly in the South Island, and 308 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,480 Speaker 1: travels migrants around the country. But they are really really 309 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 1: special birds and they're the only bird in the world 310 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 1: with a beak that bends to the right, that curves 311 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:36,359 Speaker 1: to the right. And I thought this is a sitter 312 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:41,320 Speaker 1: for the National Party right so, and at the time 313 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 1: christpher Luxon did a very clever video about throwing his 314 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 1: weight in behind the rie Bill. 315 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 6: And I appreciate while this may disappoint many of our supporters, 316 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 6: I do this with a very heavy heart, knowing the 317 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 6: consequences or the full weight of my decision, because today 318 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 6: I announce that I am supporting the rye Bill for 319 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:11,680 Speaker 6: Bird of the Year twenty twenty two. 320 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 1: So, you know, we've had all kinds of people and 321 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:18,560 Speaker 1: it might they might be a student, they might just 322 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:21,360 Speaker 1: be someone who's really passionate about a particular bird, and 323 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:23,400 Speaker 1: they get involved and we work with them and they 324 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:25,119 Speaker 1: do neat meat with the best thing that they do 325 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: and the thing that everybody loves about this competition, other 326 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:32,200 Speaker 1: online memes and reels, and you know, they get very 327 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:35,320 Speaker 1: committed to their campaigns and we love them for it. 328 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 3: As they should. 329 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 2: Of course, I suppose there's probably the birds that always 330 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 2: end up in like the top four or top three 331 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:46,879 Speaker 2: or something, right, So the obvious ones Karkapor you mentioned 332 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:51,480 Speaker 2: kia Kiwi, of course, and the penguins do all right 333 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:52,000 Speaker 2: as well. 334 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:55,640 Speaker 3: Are there any birds that just always receive the lowest 335 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 3: votes and why is that? 336 00:18:56,880 --> 00:18:59,639 Speaker 2: Are they the least cute or are they the ugliest 337 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:01,960 Speaker 2: or the the least lesser known? 338 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: I think often it is lesser known. And so you know, 339 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:10,560 Speaker 1: one of the things that we love in value about 340 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: Bird of the Year is that it creates conversations all 341 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:17,360 Speaker 1: up and down the country about you know, our various 342 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 1: bird species. And the challenge, of course, in this busy 343 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:25,080 Speaker 1: world that we live in is New Zealanders on the 344 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:28,199 Speaker 1: one hand, feel very connected to our native wildlife, and 345 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: on the other hand, I think probably don't know a 346 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:33,880 Speaker 1: lot about it. 347 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:36,159 Speaker 4: You know, and and one of. 348 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:39,679 Speaker 1: The challenges we have as a conservation organization is in 349 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:42,560 Speaker 1: New Zealand we have the highest proportion of threatened species 350 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:43,640 Speaker 1: in the world. 351 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:45,479 Speaker 4: Many of those obviously are birds. 352 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:49,560 Speaker 1: We've already lost many, many species of birds to extinction 353 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 1: in this country because of kind of pess predator's habitat loss. 354 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:53,240 Speaker 4: Et cetera. 355 00:19:54,359 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: And so we want to raise awareness of those underbirds 356 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:01,720 Speaker 1: in particular. And you know, David and Bruh often talks 357 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 1: about the fact that people won't care about what they 358 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: haven't experienced, and experiencing it doesn't mean you have to 359 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:11,360 Speaker 1: go out into a national park somewhere and discover these 360 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:14,440 Speaker 1: birds for yourself. You might experience these birds by learning 361 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 1: more about them through you through this competition and falling 362 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:20,879 Speaker 1: a bit in love with the things you didn't know about. 363 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: And once you experience them, you start to love them. 364 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 1: Once you love them, you want to care about them, 365 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:27,960 Speaker 1: So you might put a trap up in. 366 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:28,920 Speaker 4: Your backyard, et cetera. 367 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,560 Speaker 1: You might start contributing to your local conservation project. 368 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:35,239 Speaker 3: Thank you so much for joining us, Nikola, thanks for 369 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:35,639 Speaker 3: having me. 370 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:42,320 Speaker 2: That's Itid for this episode of the Front Page. You 371 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 2: can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage 372 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:50,359 Speaker 2: at enzadherld dot co dot nz. The Front Page is 373 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:53,840 Speaker 2: produced by Jane Ye and Richard Martin, who is also 374 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 2: our editor. I'm Chelsea Daniels. Subscribe to the Front Page 375 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 2: on iHeartRadio or where wherever you get your podcasts, and 376 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:05,240 Speaker 2: tune in tomorrow for another look behind the headlines.