RSS feed to media releases from the Department of Conservation website.bf9607b8-c7af-4dee-8fb7-62af9f9cf727New Zealand Department of Conservation2026-06-03T03:58:04+12:0099ae049c-51e3-4f61-b94f-58bddd8b5c50

Kāi Tahu and DOC have announced Te Au Roa o Te Rakihouia as the name for the Otago region’s new marine reserve network, reflecting ancient voyaging traditions and associations.

2026-06-02T00:00:00+12:002026-06-02T00:00:00+12:008104690b-1628-4a91-ae56-43fb9ca2184a

Some of New Zealand’s most remarkable marine environments and species are set to benefit from significant new protections along the Otago coast, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

2026-06-02T00:00:00+12:002026-06-02T00:00:00+12:006a85767f-fa5d-4e32-aaac-b9a9c67e8d14

Years of dedication to the pursuit of trophy trout underpin this year’s overall winner in the Taupō fishery photography competition.

2026-06-02T00:00:00+12:002026-06-02T00:00:00+12:009d8697b0-3962-4c40-891d-107a7bb6d227

A second New Zealand sea lion/pakake pup has been killed on a southern coastal road this month, prompting an urgent call from DOC to drivers to be vigilant.

2026-05-29T00:00:00+12:002026-05-29T00:00:00+12:000eaf1ff0-e4d3-4962-9168-26735d9b0c6f

Takahē are roaming at the base of Onetahua Farewell Spit in Golden Bay after eight were moved there this week.

2026-05-28T00:00:00+12:002026-05-28T00:00:00+12:00a95c6a06-db0d-424f-8c1f-f28d70660320

Kākāriki karaka/orange fronted parakeet parents Nacho and Trixie have only been together since 2024, but since then they’ve produced 55 chicks - 33 this season alone.

2026-05-21T00:00:00+12:002026-05-21T00:00:00+12:0026b7f0f3-29e8-4bd7-81df-8df70922d4c4

A lucky humpback whale that freed itself from entanglement with a crayfish pot line is a reminder for fishers to set up their pots and lines carefully.

2026-05-20T13:00:00+12:002026-05-20T13:00:00+12:00c2ff22c9-3f67-4ae6-9871-21ec06fa8b67

DOC will prioritise investment in Coromandel’s iconic Mautohe Cathedral Cove as part of a proposal to remove two weather-damaged adjacent tracks.

2026-05-20T00:00:00+12:002026-05-20T00:00:00+12:00fbb7b24b-c7b8-4f7c-a8be-3a1010135d9a

Native migratory fish have been detected nearly 300 km inland from the Whanganui River mouth in recent research aimed at guiding restoration of the river.

2026-05-19T12:00:00+12:002026-05-19T12:00:00+12:00dc46d89e-f7d6-4650-9407-937917083d15

Parts of the old suspension bridge up the Hooker Valley at Aoraki/Mount Cook are being offered for sale as the spectacular replacement structure nears completion.

2026-05-19T00:00:00+12:002026-05-19T00:00:00+12:008b5fa4af-e758-45a3-a4a2-d74c72687f64

DOC has granted Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki and Man O' War a concession to operate tours of the historic tunnels at Stony Batter.

2026-05-18T09:00:00+12:002026-05-18T09:00:00+12:009eb99339-39b7-4ea3-85e0-840b5359c69e

Construction of Oturere Hut on the Tongariro Northern Circuit is on schedule for the start of the Great Walk Season in October, but Mangatepopo Track remains closed following fires in late 2025.

2026-05-18T00:00:00+12:002026-05-18T00:00:00+12:003f1b0126-8405-4d35-bbd7-fdec628a8ad3

Three days of hard work to clean up the old Pouri Hut site in Whanganui National Park has been a fitting send-off for a retiring Pipiriki ranger.

2026-05-14T00:00:00+12:002026-05-14T00:00:00+12:0046362fe4-cf14-44c5-b3c8-d372d79f04bd

DOC is reminding drivers using southern coastal roads to watch out for marine mammals, for everyone’s safety.

2026-05-14T00:00:00+12:002026-05-14T00:00:00+12:00b88cf312-0df6-4b8f-998f-420499a5f2b2

A new sausage bait targeting stoats is shaping up to be a valuable tool to protect kiwi and other native wildlife after impressive results in field trials.

2026-05-14T00:00:00+12:002026-05-14T00:00:00+12:00c9931ae7-853c-454e-a777-3450c9d87369

In what’s described as the highest classroom in New Zealand, Department of Conservation ranger Lisa Winterfeldt sits 1200 metres up a mountain to teach a group of 40 Year 12 students.

2026-05-12T00:00:00+12:002026-05-12T00:00:00+12:00b6373a06-7f95-41fa-8fdb-b1a9ecf551a8

West Coast based Heritage Project Lead Ranger Matt Ainge is preserving New Zealand heritage, one brick at a time.

2026-05-08T00:00:00+12:002026-05-08T00:00:00+12:00d2abab09-9cec-4f2d-be56-fd0925f0dfb8

Faster decisions, more jobs, and stronger protection for nature are at the centre of a landmark overhaul of New Zealand’s conservation system, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

2026-05-07T16:00:00+12:002026-05-07T16:00:00+12:00155ea45b-087a-4dac-8ac6-c9290e31d110

The Government is investing up to $7.1 million to upgrade six Great Rides cycle trails, strengthening regional tourism and safety, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston and Conservation Minister Tama Potaka say.

2026-05-07T11:00:00+12:002026-05-07T11:00:00+12:00a07a8936-7573-494d-a80c-0774e901a19e

Pioneer Energy is closing public access across its Wye Creek dam and South Branch pipeline while critical work is undertaken to understand how to make these structures more suitable for public use.

2026-05-07T00:00:00+12:002026-05-07T00:00:00+12:00fcba0dfd-3b29-4798-93a1-1960dd863423

Marine monitoring is underway on reefs and seafloor areas across the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana in the first year of new marine protections.

2026-05-06T12:00:00+12:002026-05-06T12:00:00+12:00ddd2df5b-0605-4be6-bb71-d170daa6fb78

A popular gateway to Kahurangi National Park should be reopened by Spring with repairs to a damaged road now underway, and tramping tracks have been upgraded for when people can get back out naturing.

2026-05-04T00:00:00+12:002026-05-04T00:00:00+12:0040c6cf6d-cff8-4c59-97af-fec455775407

A recent dip in mohua/yellowhead numbers in a remote South Westland forest shows how closely its fortunes are tied to predator control.

2026-05-04T00:00:00+12:002026-05-04T00:00:00+12:00902a25f6-109e-4618-9209-6fbe5dd56d1e

Waihohonu and Mangatepopo huts in Tongariro National Park can now be booked for winter adventures, with each operating as a serviced hut until the next Great Walk season begins.

2026-05-01T00:00:00+12:002026-05-01T00:00:00+12:007ecd3b76-49d7-4eca-9000-d841b8d3b8de

A weka on a walkabout around Wānaka likely self-introduced itself to the area by swimming from an island in Lake Wānaka.

2026-05-01T00:00:00+12:002026-05-01T00:00:00+12:00a13c1b33-41a5-456d-8db7-029a9b51bc2c

An intense week of musters in the Waiouru Military Training area has seen 58 wild Kaimanawa horses rehomed and nearly 100 mares given contraceptive treatment – but there's still more to do this year.

2026-05-01T00:00:00+12:002026-05-01T00:00:00+12:00aa651d8b-d15e-490c-928e-aa5b44dde6af

DOC is calling for any information about an alleged dog attack on a colony of little penguins/kororā.

2026-04-30T00:00:00+12:002026-04-30T00:00:00+12:0021801959-ef1a-43cb-b0f6-2e2be9eb10b5

Department of Conservation ranger Gary Hayes didn’t have time to think as he went to aid of a horse stuck in a float, close to death.

2026-04-30T00:00:00+12:002026-04-30T00:00:00+12:0076be9dcb-8d18-4975-a8f4-2d8768d90c3c

In rare, good news for a tiny Canterbury fish clinging to survival, DOC rangers have discovered a new population of the fish and created an ‘insurance’ population.

2026-04-30T00:00:00+12:002026-04-30T00:00:00+12:00bdfefdf2-f51d-49f6-90b1-7790865bf2db

More young women are heading out hunting and this has been reflected in the results for this year’s annual Pureora Hunting Competition.

2026-04-29T00:00:00+12:002026-04-29T00:00:00+12:007f53e044-df5c-4e8b-9f6b-ea0d9dd48e78

Taranaki duck hunters are reminded to carefully identify targets this season to ensure they are not shooting an endangered species.

2026-04-29T00:00:00+12:002026-04-29T00:00:00+12:00bd73f33b-61fa-4ce9-a38b-0c39c5e331ba

For the first time in more than a century Otago’s pakake /New Zealand sea lion population has produced more than 35 pups, putting it officially on track to breeding colony status.

2026-04-29T00:00:00+12:002026-04-29T00:00:00+12:00b09ed567-1e0b-4554-9cbc-b340b595c00f

Rare native Hochstetter’s frogs thought to have escaped from captivity during a flood in the 1970s have been breeding secretly in Lower Hutt for nearly 50 years – before being rediscovered by a young conservationist exploring the creek behind his house.

2026-04-28T00:00:00+12:002026-04-28T00:00:00+12:009b23e1e2-ab13-4aa5-b7c5-2c96ef976d55

New Zealand's native moths and butterflies are facing mounting challenges, with 60 years of world-leading evidence pointing to significant species declines in the eastern South Island.

2026-04-28T00:00:00+12:002026-04-28T00:00:00+12:0045feb52c-610c-4a34-8dd5-5ed2f22b187f

Canterbury based charity Hunters4Hope is helping manage wild deer in DOC reserves on Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū/Banks Peninsula - with the venison going to those in need.

2026-04-24T00:00:00+12:002026-04-24T00:00:00+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+12:00