RSS feed to media releases from the Department of Conservation website.bf9607b8-c7af-4dee-8fb7-62af9f9cf727New Zealand Department of Conservation2026-05-14T00:09:02+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+12:0076be9dcb-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+12:0021801959-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+12:00bdfefdf2-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+12:0090c69048-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+13:007b91959a-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+13:003c0306b4-987a-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+13:00