What if businesses could become a driving force behind positive environmental action, complementing and accelerating conservation efforts worldwide?

Despite their significant impact on our planet, less than 10% of small businesses have measured their carbon footprint.

The perceived complexity of taking climate action has created a massive barrier - something Carlos Chambers experienced firsthand when his previous company's carbon measurement took an astonishing 130 hours to complete. This led him to start CarbonInvoice™ to help solve this problem using technology.

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, we explore how businesses can move beyond the perception that environmental action is in the ‘too hard basket’ and instead embrace taking simple action to become a force for good.

"The heroes of today are the scientists and the business people," Carlos explains. "I think that's broadly who society looks to, the people with the knowledge and then the people with the influence and the resources."

Beyond digital solutions, Carlos also shares how connecting businesspeople directly with nature through native tree planting creates profound, lasting experiences.

These hands-on activities benefit ecosystems and plant seeds of environmental awareness that continue to grow long after participants return to their offices, potentially creating a future where business and conservation naturally grow together.

Listen in as we explore how businesses are uniquely positioned to drive environmental progress in ways that complement traditional conservation efforts.

Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

• The barriers preventing most small businesses from taking climate action to date.
• How to overcome climate complexity by making action easy and rewarding.
• The definition of greenwashing and the importance of transparency.
• How competition and survival instincts can drive a "race to the top" in sustainability.
• Why hands-on tree planting creates profound experiences for business teams.
• The ripple effects when businesses take climate action in their communities.
• Simple ways businesses can start their climate journey today.
• And much more…

👩About Carlos:

Carlos Chambers brings 12+ years of entrepreneurial experience across climate, fintech, and b2b software. He founded and successfully grew Common Ledger, a fintech and data business. Working with small businesses and their accounting data gave him deep insights into the domain. He combines this with his commercial law and climate advocacy background, giving him the ideal foundation of experience, skills and passion to build CarbonInvoice™.

🔗Learn more:

• CarbonInvoice™: www.carboninvoice.com

🎙️Learn more about the podcast at www.conservationamplified.org

What does it take to transform a planting project into a thriving, self-sustaining NZ native forest?

In short, it's a long-term commitment that goes far beyond the initial planting day: The secret to success isn't the day you put trees in the ground, it comes from everything that happens before and after.

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, we welcome Wayne O’Keefe back to share crucial insights and practical tips on the planning, planting and protection phases of reforestation, based on his 20+ years of experience.

Wayne explains why understanding your site's specific conditions and weed pressures is crucial before planting begins, and why selecting the right species in the right place with the right protection makes all the difference long-term.

“We've got to get away from this notion of planting once and walking away. We've got to find the ability and the resourcing to be involved with that site for potentially decades to come.”

So whether you're restoring coastal dunes, creating forest corridors or planting for numerous other reasons, this episode will provide key insights to improve your native planting outcomes and turn your project into a viable habitat.

Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

• Why proper planning is critical for your planting to succeed.
• The importance of understanding your site's unique conditions and identifying potential threats before planting.
• Essential next steps after planting your pioneer species to create conditions for forest succession.
• Why maintenance is the most overlooked yet crucial aspect of successful plantings.
• How to monitor whether your planting is on track to succeed.
• The main reasons why native tree plantings fail.
• Top tips for running volunteer planting days.
• And much more…

👩About Wayne:

Having moved to Aotearoa, NZ in 2001, Wayne quickly developed a passion for our unique biodiversity. Since starting his contracting business in 2002, he has been fortunate enough to work in the community conservation space, supporting and guiding conservation groups and landowners to achieve their conservation goals.

This has helped him to develop a broad understanding of coastal and forest ecology and the challenges we face in caring for them. He is a self-confessed native plant geek and has a particular interest in native forest establishment. Wayne has held roles with the QEII National Trust, Trees that Count, Tane’s Tree Trust, Bay Conservation Alliance, and Whakatāne Kiwi Trust.

🔗Learn more:

• Tane’s Tree Trust: www.tanestrees.org.nz
• Trees That Count: www.treesthatcount.co.nz

🎙️Learn more about the podcast at www.conservationamplified.org

It’s been estimated that more than 2.5 million feral cats call Aotearoa NZ home.

2.5 million!

That's big numbers, making them a growing problem and an increasing threat…

These aren’t your typical domestic house cat. They are wild animals, and they’re having a devastating impact on our native wildlife.

"Comparing a feral cat to a domestic cat is like comparing a wolf to a Labrador"

Feral cats predate on all kinds of taonga species - from lizards to bats to kiwi - and their numbers are increasing every year. In one documented case, a single feral cat killed 107 endangered short-tailed bats in just two weeks.

And their impact extends far beyond predation events, affecting everyday lives through attacks on pet cats, toxoplasmosis in livestock, and even further endangering Māui dolphins through disease transmission.

So, what’s stopping us from solving this problem? There are many reasons, but our emotional connection to pet cats is a big one.

In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, John Bissell, owner of Backblocks Environmental Management and National Predator Control Advisor for Save the Kiwi, shares a balanced perspective on the feral cat debate in Aotearoa New Zealand.

While John strongly supports people's right to own pet cats, he draws a clear distinction between domestic companions and their wild counterparts.

Here are some of the things we discussed in this illuminating chat:

• The definition of feral cats vs. domestic pet cats.
• How trail camera footage reveals that feral cats are everywhere in our landscape.
• How feral cats decimate endangered species populations.
• Feline toxoplasmosis impacts on farming and marine mammals.
• Respectful approaches to feral cat control in areas with pet cats present.
• How human emotion shapes our approach to different predator species.
• Tips for conservation groups navigating the feral cat topic with respect.
• And much more...

👩About John:

John Bissell is the owner of Backblocks Environmental Management, and he is also the National Predator Control Advisor for Save the Kiwi.

John’s main area of mahi is in predator control and threatened species protection. His speciality is in finding and removing the one hard-to-get predator in a large landscape. These lessons have also helped him shape new methods and tricks to help him catch more.

As well as boots-on-the-ground delivery, John’s role is increasingly centred around supporting and training people and projects in this line of work, and he is equally passionate about this side of his mahi. John refers to himself as a NZ predator hunter, and he will happily tell story after story of the many other good people out there doing the same.

🔗Learn more:

• John’s website: www.bbem.co.nz
• John’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/nzpredatorhunter
• Save the Kiwi’s website: www.savethekiwi.nz

🎙️Learn more about the podcast at www.conservationamplified.org