Over 50 years ago, plans to raise the level of two of the country’s most scenic lakes sparked a green awakening in New Zealand. The government’s original proposals called for a 30-metre rise in the level of Manapouri and a 6.5-metre rise of Te Anau, creating a single “superlake”, to harness the hydroelectric potential of the lakes.

Read Damning the Dam from the 100th issue of New Zealand Geographic

Native flora and fauna is widely considered ‘good’, while introduced species are ‘bad’. Contesting this notion has made Wellington ecologist Jamie Steer a target.

Steer says that he doesn’t need kiwi fossicking in his garden for the species to be safeguarded, that he wouldn’t swerve to hit a possum, and that we’ve failed to ask if removing introduced predators is a good idea. Instead of eradicating them, couldn’t we just learn to live with them?