RSS feed to media releases from the Department of Conservation website.bf9607b8-c7af-4dee-8fb7-62af9f9cf727New Zealand Department of Conservation2026-04-23T21:20:56+12:00a7a7d487-6ab2-41f7-b556-eed138c5585d

A new implementation plan will sharpen New Zealand’s focus on restoring biodiversity and supporting nature to recover, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

2026-04-23T11:00:00+12:002026-04-23T11:00:00+12:006fa14472-51e4-4954-932c-87c83fc6287d

A new DNA testing method confirming the sex of newly hatched birds within an hour is improving the recovery efforts for two threatened taonga species, kākāpō and takahē.

2026-04-23T09:00:00+12:002026-04-23T09:00:00+12:00594d24b4-688c-458d-a1ed-34393ff4b177

DOC and the Northland Regional Council (NRC) have partnered to tackle the spread of invasive red-eared sliders with a new purpose-built trap.

2026-04-23T00:00:00+12:002026-04-23T00:00:00+12:0068a97df4-0bb8-4785-a978-de5eb4e36bd0

A little penguin/kororā with one foot has become a regular visitor to Auckland's Viaduct Harbour, causing a growing interest amongst Aucklanders.

2026-04-23T00:00:00+12:002026-04-23T00:00:00+12:00af1a12ce-72c0-44c6-b48c-50ac915c3cec

The scale and impact of community and business conservation efforts on the West Coast are being recognised this Conservation Week – and people are urged to get involved.

2026-04-22T15:00:00+12:002026-04-22T15:00:00+12:0015a51e7b-2471-4f50-944a-5e35f0924f43

A national law firm is helping catch predators – the four-legged kind – in a Conservation Week activity by building traps at work.

2026-04-22T00:00:00+12:002026-04-22T00:00:00+12:00cee08cc3-248f-4424-84e4-5f45013b366d

The pukunui/southern New Zealand dotterel population has recovered by 52 percent following a successful aerial predator control operation on Rakiura/Stewart Island.

2026-04-21T00:00:00+12:002026-04-21T00:00:00+12:00cdb16932-52e8-4eb4-a813-cb0848caa776

A pilot scheme trialling an advanced satellite-enabled remote network of sensors in DOC toilets could be the first step towards a revolution for New Zealand conservation and a route to delivering significant cost, carbon, and time savings for the organisation.

2026-04-21T00:00:00+12:002026-04-21T00:00:00+12:00bb8121ea-dfdd-4523-8580-3513b9d83bc3

New Zealanders heading out naturing into the country's native forests are being urged to keep their senses tuned for the signs and sounds of our iconic national bird – the kiwi.

2026-04-20T00:00:00+12:002026-04-20T00:00:00+12:005bbe1b2d-50c2-4542-90a6-b582aff4e559

Five kea have been taken to hospital recently prompting a call for people to take steps to help protect kea.

2026-04-17T00:00:00+12:002026-04-17T00:00:00+12:00fd02c150-4602-46f6-aca4-afcd1b924412

Visitors to the remote Bridge to Nowhere near the Whanganui River were recently surprised to find abseilers working on the isolated structure.

2026-04-16T00:00:00+12:002026-04-16T00:00:00+12:000c5aea90-becf-4d7b-a4a2-5dcce70f49c4

Conservation Week/ Te Wiki o Te Taiao kicks off on April 20, with hundreds of events happening across the country and a simple call to all New Zealanders: get naturing.

2026-04-14T00:00:00+12:002026-04-14T00:00:00+12:002bf83850-899e-46fc-8499-f3f604e56624

Progress is coming to the Tongariro River Trail, with construction of a new suspension bridge - right next to the existing Major Jones bridge - due to begin on Monday 20 April.

2026-04-14T00:00:00+12:002026-04-14T00:00:00+12:00b8440166-4078-4dd6-8aab-f6f2eac80471

If you’re out naturing on Northland or Auckland’s beaches, spotting a tara iti (NZ fairy tern) is like finding a needle in a haystack.

2026-04-14T00:00:00+12:002026-04-14T00:00:00+12:00a928d60d-1f49-4513-a961-d8111128a0de

The massive new suspension bridge being built up the Hooker Valley at Aoraki/Mount Cook will open in late July/early August this year.

2026-04-13T00:00:00+12:002026-04-13T00:00:00+12:009617d95b-08a8-4fbe-8097-9e5f9e5b4eb2

Enjoy the wonder of orca but please keep your distance.

2026-04-13T00:00:00+12:002026-04-13T00:00:00+12:007454e4d6-ba27-41f9-bc9c-55028376ad5a

DOC and NZ Police say they’re encouraged by the sensible behaviour, positive response and correct paperwork they encountered during a pre-Easter hunting compliance operation.

2026-04-08T11:00:00+12:002026-04-08T11:00:00+12:0084e59091-f486-4649-b828-8dd809ef132d

DOC is calling for hunters to report sightings of a pack of feral dogs spotted recently in Waioweka Conservation Area.

2026-04-08T09:00:00+12:002026-04-08T09:00:00+12:007c3b5df2-266e-4255-a217-5d2440f3036f

Read DOC's statement re: Outcome of Wildlife Act investigation focused on stony corals.

2026-04-07T00:00:00+12:002026-04-07T00:00:00+12:007b91959a-51f8-439a-9c3a-64f2ced78f51

Those heading out naturing over Easter are asked to check and clean their gear before getting into the hills, to stop the spread of invasive weeds.

2026-04-02T00:00:00+13:002026-04-02T00:00:00+13:0090c69048-df83-4616-b408-582508b5d5b2

A second rat incursion on predator free Ulva Island this year highlights the value of the island's strong biosecurity surveillance network.

2026-04-02T00:00:00+13:002026-04-02T00:00:00+13:009a473270-b667-4474-a0d2-a04471d4bf40

People out naturing in Southern Fiordland this long weekend should be aware of the ongoing closure of three historic structures.

2026-04-02T00:00:00+13:002026-04-02T00:00:00+13:003c0306b4-987a-40f9-a447-fcfb2a06ac8d

A Kapiti Coast catchment is well on the way to becoming free of koi carp, a noxious introduced fish that leaves a trail of destruction.

2026-04-01T00:00:00+13:002026-04-01T00:00:00+13:007ebda56b-11c6-43c4-91b0-b06879274925

The iconic Mueller Hut in the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park has had a spruce up, which is no easy feat.

2026-03-31T00:00:00+13:002026-03-31T00:00:00+13:003f4d5899-6aba-42a8-982f-a33157530748

Some of the world’s rarest seabirds have a new level of international protection following adoption of a New Zealand-led proposal under the Convention on Migratory Species.

2026-03-31T00:00:00+13:002026-03-31T00:00:00+13:00c7053ca2-501a-48a5-84a0-79b5bc3352c0

A rare kiwi has been captured on a trail camera in the northern Pureora Forest's Waipapa block – the first recorded sighting of the species in the area for more than 25 years.

2026-03-30T00:00:00+13:002026-03-30T00:00:00+13:008395b42c-ad1e-45fa-942a-6e7b1f1be7e8

DOC is appealing for information on the poisoning of threatened and protected native gulls on the Te Anau lakefront this summer.

2026-03-27T00:00:00+13:002026-03-27T00:00:00+13:00d46cc8f0-b744-4451-8218-0e1c371785af

An AI trap network being set up around huts on the Heaphy Track will reduce both pest numbers and time spent maintaining traps on this iconic New Zealand walk.

2026-03-26T15:00:00+13:002026-03-26T15:00:00+13:00edcf5ea2-dae2-453a-80c9-87f17c0f9a84

DOC staff say illegal fishing activity this summer in Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū/Banks Peninsula’s Pōhatu marine reserve is the highest in 10 years.

2026-03-26T13:00:00+13:002026-03-26T13:00:00+13:00104937ba-05e6-40f2-8ec0-c45581be5ba7

Dust off the tramping boots and warm up those clicking fingers - bookings for DOC's Great Walks, huts and campsites for the 2026/27 season open from 12 May.

2026-03-26T00:00:00+13:002026-03-26T00:00:00+13:00a8a5a99d-d506-44c7-b953-758c53ace88e

Hunters operating in New Zealand's remote places during the roar are being asked to keep an eye out for invasive weeds and report any sightings, and to clean their gear before heading out.

2026-03-26T00:00:00+13:002026-03-26T00:00:00+13:00ab24515b-7696-4497-b604-e8b6102a4304

Wellington Te Whanganui-a-Tara is set to become New Zealand’s first predator-free city, as the Government steps up the next phase of Predator Free 2050, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

2026-03-25T15:00:00+13:002026-03-25T15:00:00+13:0072e13e68-0705-4bab-80e4-7ab8e2778991

One of the world’s rarest wading birds, the kakī/black stilt, is feeling the love from one of New Zealand’s largest red meat processors, Alliance Group.

2026-03-25T10:00:00+13:002026-03-25T10:00:00+13:0008994453-a227-443c-94ae-0e0bbca15663

The application period for potential operators wanting to run commercial farming in Molesworth Recreation Reserve has closed.

2026-03-23T00:00:00+13:002026-03-23T00:00:00+13:008a669328-f641-49a1-9496-b32b3b6d6602

The popular Mangakara Nature Walk in Pirongia Forest Park has reopened today as DOC continues clean-up, repair and assessment work after the wild storm that swept across Waikato in February.

2026-03-23T00:00:00+13:002026-03-23T00:00:00+13:002e16752a-a514-4a28-b78f-59469f08c0c7

An ambitious plan to reduce rabbits and hares inside a DOC scientific reserve near Christchurch to protect rare native plants begins today with a targeted bait laying operation using helicopters.

2026-03-20T00:00:00+13:002026-03-20T00:00:00+13:00093e4537-a338-4269-9192-68c467b3e8ca

Applications for the Westland Tai Poutini National Park aircraft landings allocation process have opened and will close 5 pm Friday 24 April 2026.

2026-03-20T00:00:00+13:002026-03-20T00:00:00+13:0065f40d16-ab3e-42f4-aef7-f199f0afd25f

Ka tipare a Taranaki ki te raukawakawa, he tohu aroha nui ki te iwi kua ngaro.

2026-03-20T00:00:00+13:002026-03-20T00:00:00+13:0082dbfaa1-c22f-47fa-890d-fd810e48de39

DOC and Meridian Energy have renewed a longstanding partnership supporting the world-leading Kākāpō Recovery Programme for a further three years.

2026-03-19T00:00:00+13:002026-03-19T00:00:00+13:006037f807-a786-4c87-b29b-a49e8a31da31

Proposals are being sought from experienced operators to restore and operate the historic Chateau Tongariro and its associated buildings, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

2026-03-19T00:00:00+13:002026-03-19T00:00:00+13:00757a2bec-4ba5-4efa-8922-2f212a0bd754

The first three kiwi were transferred back to the Hauraki-Coromandel region as part of a 10-day muster.

2026-03-18T11:00:00+13:002026-03-18T11:00:00+13:00e1ec0ba6-670b-46af-ab08-82c7ee6e1c88

The 2025/26 summer visitor season has wrapped up, with more New Zealanders exploring a wider range of conservation areas despite storm disruptions.

2026-03-18T10:00:00+13:002026-03-18T10:00:00+13:0005cb1cfd-8e74-48d1-ab08-27432b641d8f

The fire-charred ground at Tongariro has revealed some unexpected good news, with DOC ecologists discovering an abundance of a threatened plant species.

2026-03-18T09:00:00+13:002026-03-18T09:00:00+13:0044fc3a5b-2186-401a-ad50-f7c6f14ef1aa

Final necropsy results for a deceased Māui or Hector's dolphin that washed up on a remote Port Waikato coastline could not determine the cause of death.

2026-03-16T00:00:00+13:002026-03-16T00:00:00+13:005fea9488-946d-4acf-b65e-fb2578d51234

A high-tech tool has been used to control the invasive pest plant royal fern at Whangamarino.

2026-03-12T00:00:00+13:002026-03-12T00:00:00+13:00802c09a1-8795-4175-9ba6-74f4642be3a7

An unusually large flock of young kea visiting Aoraki Mount Cook National Park has become part of a trial to track the movements of this far-flying parrot.

2026-03-11T10:30:00+13:002026-03-11T10:30:00+13:007a5165ad-cf49-4559-b536-de52a93a5ded

For the first time, eggs from the critically endangered kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeet have been retrieved from a Nelson predator free sanctuary and flown to Christchurch for hatching.

2026-03-11T10:00:00+13:002026-03-11T10:00:00+13:0066cb9642-c540-46fd-b55e-8123b76f7919

The Kauri Walks tracks in Waipoua Forest are closed for naturing from March until the end of October 2026.

2026-03-11T00:00:00+13:002026-03-11T00:00:00+13:006abbd07e-33d2-454e-93e7-a40f1e1218ca

Several tracks in Pirongia Forest Park have reopened as DOC continues the clean-up across the maunga.

2026-03-10T00:00:00+13:002026-03-10T00:00:00+13:004f7eea00-4bf3-47c6-8362-71e89ea66f5f

Newly discovered historic photos are shining a light onto dramatic changes in the West Coast marine environment.

2026-03-06T00:00:00+13:002026-03-06T00:00:00+13:00b30259c6-becb-4768-98ac-1a5a718a69ed

Field work for a project to better understand Hector’s dolphins in the Otago region will restart next week.

2026-03-06T00:00:00+13:002026-03-06T00:00:00+13:008dd2dd20-9e53-4485-aa31-709ba4adc7a0

The Shepherd’s beaked whale that was refloated near St Heliers in Auckland on Tuesday 3 March was found deceased on the afternoon of Wednesday 4 March off Hobsonville.

2026-03-05T00:00:00+13:002026-03-05T00:00:00+13:0055dd5e72-3187-40af-99cb-8950b956388e

A company providing visitor transport to and from the Tongariro Alpine Crossing has had its DOC concession suspended for two weeks after ignoring a Hazardous Weather Warning.

2026-03-03T00:00:00+13:002026-03-03T00:00:00+13:009990cfa8-1109-4817-815e-a90c11111d80

Visitors to the southern parts of Coromandel Forest Park and landowners with adjacent properties are being urged to report deer sightings as an eradication operation gets underway.

2026-03-03T00:00:00+13:002026-03-03T00:00:00+13:005fb992fb-36df-411d-b3e5-c90e9d7c3346

A deceased Māui or Hector’s dolphin found washed up on a remote Waikato coastline is being necropsied to try and learn more about threats to the species.

2026-03-03T00:00:00+13:002026-03-03T00:00:00+13:00da5db0ad-1eaa-4327-80e1-5fc21158b6f5

Sections of some tracks across Pirongia Forest Park in Waikato may be closed for several weeks as DOC staff continue assessments for visitor safety and decide how any repairs will be managed.

2026-03-02T00:00:00+13:002026-03-02T00:00:00+13:0020630ed5-0c41-4bf8-ac1d-e3c64424bd79

DOC is encouraging the public to have their say on a proposed amendment to the Te Pēwhairangi (Bay of Islands) Marine Mammal Sanctuary.

2026-03-02T00:00:00+13:002026-03-02T00:00:00+13:006c4b5803-d009-4207-a5de-01632eb94132

A section of the Motatapu Track has been rerouted to avoid a large, slow-moving slip, DOC says.

2026-02-27T00:00:00+13:002026-02-27T00:00:00+13:00dcb4a539-02a8-4f10-9687-94678d48ea28

A Tauranga local has captured stunning close-up images of five rare leatherback turtles in the waters close to Mount Maunganui this week.

2026-02-27T00:00:00+13:002026-02-27T00:00:00+13:0050d9779e-b2d1-44a8-b1a6-b81a12644274

Six jewelled geckos have been repatriated to New Zealand this month in a curious trans-national case involving the potential illegal smuggling of a rare and threatened taonga species.

2026-02-26T00:00:00+13:002026-02-26T00:00:00+13:005b9714cc-eebd-49b7-ada4-9078cc49e048

The only remaining building of a once-bustling historic gold mining town has been damaged in a disappointing display of vandalism.

2026-02-26T00:00:00+13:002026-02-26T00:00:00+13:008aee522c-d118-4263-905b-65d4a56b164d

Fire and Emergency New Zealand and DOC have signed a new three-year Operational Service Agreement.

2026-02-25T11:00:00+13:002026-02-25T11:00:00+13:00e519fa31-0cbf-4ecb-a64f-9aad92d8d4f9

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.

2026-02-24T00:00:00+13:002026-02-24T00:00:00+13:009b4b7d82-f026-4172-884d-0924e921d400

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

2026-02-23T00:00:00+13:002026-02-23T00:00:00+13:00dfdb08d4-3db1-4d4f-9b1e-91f5c417105f

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

2026-02-23T00:00:00+13:002026-02-23T00:00:00+13:00