Date: 24 February 2026
An assessment of the Whangamarino Wetland in north Waikato confirms decades of ecological decline and offers a clear roadmap for collaborative action to restore this internationally significant site.

Date: 23 February 2026
Researchers at DOC are tracking tākapu/Australasian gannets from the iconic Muriwai nesting colony to better understand their flight paths.

Date: 23 February 2026
Deer hunting veteran Allan Jackson is keen to see some new faces at this year's Pureora Hunting Competition prizegiving.

Date: 20 February 2026
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
The Government is investing $3.5 million in the restoration of 3000-plus hectares of Tongariro National Park destroyed by two major fires last year, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

Date: 20 February 2026
A bottlenose dolphin spotted carrying a dead calf on its back in the waters around Te Pēwhairangi/Bay of Islands needs the public to give it space.

Date: 17 February 2026
Source: Department of Conservation and Project Janszoon
An extraordinary contribution to New Zealand conservation was privately acknowledged this week in one of New Zealand's most iconic locations - the Abel Tasman National Park.

Date: 17 February 2026
Research from a predator control operation on Rakiura/Stewart Island to protect pukunui/southern New Zealand dotterel from extinction has provided valuable insights into the impact of 1080 bait on the island's non-target white tailed deer.

Date: 16 February 2026
The first kākāpō chick of the breeding season has hatched on Pukenui Anchor Island.

Date: 14 February 2026
DOC has temporarily closed several tracks on Pirongia following a significant weather event overnight on 13–14 February.

Date: 13 February 2026
With heavy rain and storms expected across the North Island this weekend, DOC is urging anyone planning on naturing in the great outdoors to 'Know Before You Go'.

Date: 12 February 2026
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Long-term tourism concessions that will support jobs, strengthen regional economies, and keep visitor access open at key South Island destinations have been announced by Conservation Minister Tama Potaka.

Date: 12 February 2026
The DOC Community Fund opens for applications on 31 March, with $9.2 m available for community-led projects protecting our most threatened species and ecosystems.

Date: 12 February 2026
After a record December and January, another upswing of visitors to Piopiotahi Milford Sound is expected over Chinese New Year (17 February to 3 March).

Date: 11 February 2026
Dogs are being brought along for the ride by visitors heading into Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, prompting DOC staff to remind the public of the rules.

Date: 07 February 2026
DOC is asking people to keep a lookout for a whale, entangled in a cray pot line, last seen off the Kaikōura coast on Friday, 7 February, near Sharks Tooth in South Bay.

Date: 05 February 2026
Te Ara Mātauranga o Te Kauri launches at Waitangi on 6 February 2026.

Date: 05 February 2026
DOC will begin its Māui dolphin abundance estimate survey later this week, building on vital research to help safeguard one of the world's rarest marine mammals.

Date: 04 February 2026
People planning on naturing in the Coromandel Peninsula over the Waitangi Day weekend will be able to enjoy three of the five idyllic campsites.

Date: 04 February 2026
DOC Taupō Fishery Rangers say they’ve seen a concerning rise in people breaking the rules when fishing for trout in the Taupō Fishing District during the peak summer period.

Date: 04 February 2026
DOC rangers in Twizel were alarmed when a concerned citizen alerted them to mallard ducks preying on pūteketeke chicks in the Mackenzie Basin, recently.

Date: 02 February 2026
A new survey of Waituna Lagoon in Southland shows a significant improvement in health for the internationally important Ramsar wetland compared to a year ago.

Date: 30 January 2026
Coromandel’s Mautohe Cathedral Cove tracks will reopen this weekend after several days of hard work by local DOC staff and Ngāti Hei, and the completion of geotechnical inspection.

Date: 29 January 2026
Source: Department of Conservation, Wellington Zoo and Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō
Three rare mokomoko/skinks from a species not seen for 13 years have been flown from Nelson Lakes to Te Nukuao Wellington Zoo for safe keeping ahead of this year's beech mast.

Date: 29 January 2026
Reports of visitors getting too close to kekeno/New Zealand fur seals on Kaikōura Peninsula has DOC calling for people to give native species the space they need when visiting our coastlines.

Date: 28 January 2026
Two students with aspirations to work in scientific and environmental fields have been the friendly faces of DOC this summer, as ambassadors for nature across Coromandel.

Date: 28 January 2026
A new report on the conservation status of reptiles in Aotearoa shows there are more lizard species than previously thought, and many are threatened or at risk of extinction.

Date: 27 January 2026
A huge milestone has been reached for the toroa/albatross colony on Otago Peninsula with the hatching of the 1000th chick.

Date: 26 January 2026
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
A new DOC cadetship programme has been launched in Renwick to help build a skilled, fit-for-purpose conservation workforce for the future, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

Date: 26 January 2026
People visiting Punakaiki, on the West Coast of the South Island this summer are discovering new ways to get naturing in this coastal destination.

Date: 23 January 2026
Visitors to the Bay of Plenty are asked to check access to their favourite tracks and campsites before heading out this weekend, following extensive storm damage and a continued State of Emergency in the region.

Date: 22 January 2026
Visitors to DOC tracks and campsites in Coromandel this Auckland Anniversary Weekend are urged to use caution and reconsider their plans after recent extreme weather.

Date: 21 January 2026
Conservation Week is on the move – for the first time in its 57-year history, it will be in April this year rather than the usual August/September slot.

Date: 21 January 2026
Several DOC sites across Northland are closed after heavy rain, with more intense downpours, and resulting clean-ups, expected this week.

Date: 20 January 2026
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka has confirmed a decision to grant a long-term concession for the operation of key visitor infrastructure at Milford Sound Piopiotahi.

Date: 19 January 2026
If more time in nature or increasing your exercise were among your New Year’s resolutions, DOC Hauraki has just what you need.

Date: 15 January 2026
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
The Government’s important changes to make it easier to consent the mines and quarries we need to enable more infrastructure become law today, say RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop, Resources Minister Shane Jones, and Conservation Minister Tama Potaka.

Date: 20 January 2026
The successful removal of wild deer from Pukenui/Anchor Island and Indian Island in Fiordland has returned these important sanctuaries to deer-free status.

Date: 12 January 2026
Northland's Waipoua Forest has demonstrated what is possible when people and nature sit at the centre of decision-making.

Date: 12 January 2026
A pod of pilot whales have stranded in shallow waters in the Farewell Spit area.

Date: 06 January 2026
The first kākāpō breeding season in four years is officially underway, DOC and Ngāi Tahu announced today.