Wellington green gecko Photo: Department of Conservation / Andrew Morrison
The Tongariro fire earlier this month left nearly 3,000 hectares of the national park's special alpine ecosystem scorched and raised fears for the area's biodiversity. Work is due to get underway in just over a week to begin to to assess the damage, with Department of Conservation staff looking at sensitive habitats such as wetlands.
The world heritage area is home to threatened species such as orchids and moths and butterflies. While it's hoped birds were able to fly out of the danger zone, for ground living animals, such as lizards, it is a different story. Jess Scrimgeour is a Department of Conservation ecologist and biodiversity advisor - who is based in Turangi.
