Date:  16 October 2017

The event showcases the special places and amazing wildlife in our backyard and it’s on from 10 am to 2 pm at Branford Park in the Maitai Valley.

There will be exciting activities for all ages including making your own predator tracking tunnel, having a go at flax weaving, a scavenger hunt, giant outdoor board games, discovering what freshwater critters live in the Maitai River and adventure games for the under 5s.

It will also be a chance to explore a new Toyota Kiwi Guardians adventure site for kids on the Branford Park Edible Walk. Kids can complete conservation activities at the site and earn a Toyota Kiwi Guardians Medal.

Conservation Week runs from 14-22 October and this year the Department of Conservation wants people to convert their love of nature into action.

“We want to show people that conservation can be done in your own backyard, gardens, parks and marine areas, says DOC Acting Motueka Operations Manager Kath Inwood. “Even small actions can make a difference and getting out in nature improves our health and wellbeing.

“Our predator-free vision of ridding the country of rats, stoats and possums by 2050 starts in your own backyard. It’s great to see momentum gathering as more communities band together to make their own areas predator-free.” 

This Conservation Week, kids are being encouraged to grab a “Love My Backyard’ activity sheet and have a go at activities exploring nature and learning about how to protect it. They can also enter a draw to win prizes. The activity sheet can be picked up at the Nelson, Stoke or Richmond libraries or the DOC Nelson Visitor Centre and it can be downloaded from the Conservation Week website.

The Our Place: Our Nature event is a partnership between DOC, Nelson City Council, Tasman District Council, Nelmac, Bowater Toyota, Big Picture Productions, Enviroschools and Nelson College for Girls Enviro Group who will hold stalls

There will also be stalls by Waimaori stream care, Forest and Bird, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, Natureland Wildlife Trust, Project Janszoon, Friends of Flora, Birds NZ, Predator Free 2050, and Lane Hawkins.

There is limited parking around Branford Park so it’s suggested people walk or bike from home or park on Nile Street and walk from there.

There will be no food for sale onsite so people should bring a picnic lunch and a water bottle to fill up from Nelmac’s free water tanker.  People are asked to take their rubbish home with them.

Information about this and other events can be found at  www.conservationweek.org.nz .

Background information 

• DOC’s partners also get involved in Conservation Week. This includes Genesis, who are encouraging kids to take part in a national competition with its Whio Boot Camp online game. As well as being fun, the game teaches players how a whio lives in the wild, eating, running rapids and hopefully avoiding predators.

• Toyota New Zealand are also getting involved. Our Toyota Kiwi Guardians programme connects kids with nature and rewards them with medals. Conservation Week marks the launch of our new waterways clean-up medal, Toa Tiaki Wai.

• *Engagement figures come from the Survey of New Zealanders 2016.

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