Kakabeak Photo:
Graeme Atkins is on a mission to protect endangered plants on the North Island's East Coast, in particular the beautiful, bright red ngutukaka - or kakabeak - of which only 100 plants survive in the wild.
He is a former DOC ranger on the East Coast, who founded Tairawhiti Ngutukaka - a community organisation dedicated to growing ngutukaka from seed and protecting them from pests and predators.
Now, he's putting on the inaugural Tairawhiti Ngutukaka Festival next month, in and around Ruatoria, Tolaga Bay and the far east coast.
He tells Paddy Gower his vision is to see the East Coast flourishing with the sight of ngutukaka in the wild once again.
