Alec Milne is a conservationist and amateur ornithologist (a person who studies birds).

He's is a member of Friends of Cobb, a conservation group that does pest control and trapping in the Cobb Valley in Kahurangi National Park - one of the most geologically diverse places in New Zealand.

Friends of the Cobb has been achieving amazing results in the valley and surrounding areas and the group's helping to protect many of our endangered native species.

Alec's work in the Cobb Valley means he gets a close-up view of New Zealand's conservation issues.

Andy talks to Alec about rock wren, New Zealand's only true alpine bird, and the newly-discovered threat it faces from climate change (scary stuff!).

They also talk about discovering a new species of lizard and Alec's search for the Grey Ghost, the South Island kōkako that was presumed extinct.

Alec claims to have seen the Grey Ghost in the Cobb Valley in 2005 and there have been other sightings since.

The search for the Grey Ghost has captivated many conservationists and ornithologists over the years, but the elusive bird remains a mystery.

Alec's one of many volunteers across who New Zealand who are doing incredibly important work that flies under the radar.

These are the types of people we love to celebrate on The Wild Podcast and it was great to have Alec on the show.

This was an incredibly illuminating conversation that's sure to awaken the conservationist within all of us.

//EPISODE EXTRAS//

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