During the South Island component of the programme, we often spend a few days exploring the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project. This is a Mainland Island project, administered by DoC. The project has huge community support and buy-in. Local schools, residents, and friends of Rotiti all assist with predator control and monitoring activities.

The project relies on control (to low levels), rather than eradication of introduced mammalian predators. Students learn about the intricacies of predator-prey cycles, ecology of southern beeches (Nothofagus spp), and the dilemmas surrounding the ethics of using poisons for conservation outcomes.