Gerry McSweeney - Conservation, Tourism, and Penguins

Gerry McSweeney is a lifelong tramper, former president of Forest & Bird, and founder of Wilderness Lodges at Lake Moeraki and Arthur’s Pass. Jerry reflects on his early days with the Christchurch Tramping Club, hard river crossings and tramping with trains, and how tramping shaped his lifelong commitment to conservation.We hear stories of endurance epics in the Southern Alps, the importance of predator control, and the transformation he’s witnessed in New Zealand’s forests and birdlife over decades. Gerry also shares his passion for Fiordland crested penguins, thoughts on tourism and guiding, and his favourite huts and hidden valleys.It’s a conversation that weaves together tramping adventures, conservation battles, and a deep love of Aotearoa’s wild places.https://www.wildernesslodge.co.nz/new-zealand/the-lodges/conservation/