WILDLIFE WARRIOR NICOLA: 'I REFUSE TO GIVE UP HOPE'

The conservationist shines a light on the people battling to save our endangered species

Nicola Toki is a woman on a mission, striving to protect New Zealand's vulnerable flora and fauna. A keen conservationist from an early age, the host of new TV series Endangered Species Aotearoa With WWF was brought up on episodes of Wild South, which kindled her dream of becoming our very own Sir David Attenborough.

"I was born in Invercargill and spent a lot of time on my grandmother's farm near the Catlins," the Forest & Bird chief executive tells Woman's Day. "Nana's farm had a beautiful block of native bush and when many of her neighbours started clearing their bush to plant hardwood, Nana flat-out refused.

I was about six when I watched machinery go up and down her road to clear those properties. I also saw what that bush meant to Nana and how important it was to stand up for nature."

When her family moved to Aoraki National Park, Nicola's passion for nature blossomed. "I was seven when we moved to Mt Cook Village, where kea would ski down our roof every morning purely for the fun. They'd run up and slide down over and over again. I also learned the way not to leave my bike outside overnight because the kea had a great old time tearing it to bits!"