2011 media releases
Date: 15 December 2011
Elusive, threatened native whio (blue duck) in Whirinaki have been given a major helping hand thanks to Galatea School students.
Date: 23 December 2011
A colony of rare native bats has been discovered beside the Kepler Track Great Walk, Fiordland, thanks to a project supported by Distinction Hotel and the Fiordland Conservation Trust.
Date: 22 December 2011
Completion of remedial works at Cathedral Cove Recreation Reserve has allowed the iconic arch at the Cove to be reopened today, though the Department of Conservation urges visitors to remain vigilant in this naturally hazardous area.
Date: 22 December 2011
Source: Pukaha Mount Bruce Board
It's a white Christmas at Pukaha Mount Bruce with the surprise hatching of a second rare white kiwi at the national wildlife centre.
Date: 22 December 2011
It took 61 days of intensive tracking and trapping to catch a male mouse on pest-free Moturua Island, in Ipipiri (the eastern Bay of Islands).
Date: 22 December 2011
Starting from this January people driving through the Kawarau Gorge will see one of Otago's largest ever campaigns to eradicate wilding pines.
Date: 20 December 2011
The Department of Conservation's Papatowai campground in the Catlins re-opened on 19 December after being closed for several years.
Date: 21 December 2011
People visiting land managed by DOC in the Gisborne, Opotiki and Whakatane region this summer should be well prepared for the outdoors.
Date: 21 December 2011
As the summer holiday season begins the Department of Conservation is encouraging people to 'stop and check before you go' to help protect our precious offshore islands.
Date: 19 December 2011
All the major DOC managed tracks in the Wakatipu basin are now open and cleared for use over the coming summer.
Date: 21 December 2011
Camping spaces have opened at Totaranui campground over Christmas/New Year and the rest of summer. Abel Tasman's southern Coast Track and bays, from Marahau to Awaroa, are also open.
Date: 20 December 2011
Chair Mr Harris invites visitors to Northland to let the Board know what they feel is important to the future of Northland. He also outlines the key themes Northlanders highlighted during information gathering by DOC as part of the Northland Conservation Management Strategy consultation.
Date: 20 December 2011
The Department of Conservation is concerned by several reports of Hector's dolphins being harassed by water craft around Banks Peninsula.
Date: 16 December 2011
Hunters can take up the chance to fly into the Tasman Wilderness Area to hunt during next autumn's roar hunting season.
Date: 19 December 2011
The Abel Tasman Coast Track is open from Marahau to Awaroa, and Totaranui campground is open though with boat access only for the next three months.
Date: 19 December 2011
When the road through Molesworth Station opens on 28 December it will mark the 25th anniversary of the road through the Marlborough high country station being opened to the public in summer.
Date: 19 December 2011
Teacher Jan Finlayson has been appointed to the chairperson role for the Canterbury Aoraki Conservation Board, announced Canterbury Conservator Mike Cuddihy today.
Date: 19 December 2011
The arrival of a new family of takahē at the Te Anau Wildlife Park attracted a large crowd to welcome the birds and enjoy an evening picnic and entertainment.
Date: 16 December 2011
There are some closures in the area due to heavy rain.
Date: 15 December 2011
The Department of Conservation advises that it is actively enforcing freedom camping rules on public conservation land this summer.
Date: 15 December 2011
There are some closures in Nelson-Tasman conservation areas due to damage caused by heavy rain in the region.
Date: 15 December 2011
A DOC officer collected a NZ fur seal pup from the couch of a private home in Welcome Bay, Tauranga last Sunday evening, and returned it to the wild.
Date: 15 December 2011
Summer is the busy time for our dolphins. Lots of people enjoy seeing the dolphins, but they are wild animals and really do need their time out from people. DOC asks that boaties in the Bay respect a few simple courtesies.
Date: 15 December 2011
A formal agreement allowing Fiordland deer hunters to manage an animal control programme in the Wapiti Area of Fiordland National Park is to be made official on Monday 19 December 2011.
Date: 15 December 2011
Doubtful Sound's resident pod of bottlenose dolphins have had the best two breeding seasons for some time.
Date: 14 December 2011
For the third summer in a row, boaties and campers visiting the Bay of Islands will receive free Project Island Song boatie bags that contain information about the project, a free rubbish bag, floating key ring, tide timetables and, as long as supplies last, a free rat trap.
Date: 14 December 2011
The rubbish barge, moored off Moturua Island over previous summers, will not be in operation this summer. An alternate rubbish collection system for boaties, campers and island residents is being trialled.
Date: 14 December 2011
The Department of Conservation (DOC) biosecurity response plan implemented following the sighting of a rat on Mana Island in November has paid off, with confirmation that a lethal dose of poison has recently been consumed.
Date: 14 December 2011
The Department of Conservation will employ a local security company to patrol the Moke Lake campground near Queenstown this summer.
Date: 14 December 2011
New life has been breathed into the old backcountry hut at the head of the Timaru River Valley near Wanaka.
Date: 13 December 2011
Three observant members of the public helped the Department of Conservation apprehend two men taking paua from Wellington's Taputeranga Marine Reserve.
Date: 13 December 2011
A New Zealand fur seal (kekeno) was shot, apparently by a member of the public, while it lay resting on the beach north of the Foxton Beach Surf Club on Saturday.
Date: 12 December 2011
Threatened wetapunga, New Zealand's largest insect, have been released on Tiritiri Matangi Island to help secure the survival of this giant insect.
Date: 09 December 2011
As visitor numbers to Northland beaches increase with the warmer months, the Department of Conservation (DOC) asks you look out for Wildlife Refuge and Nesting Shorebird signs before you walk along the beach.
Date: 12 December 2011
Have you ever looked out to the iconic Moutohora (Whale Island) and wished you could visit? Bill Gardner of Whakatane did, and he had his wish granted when he won a trip to the island.
Date: 12 December 2011
A team of students from Marlborough have taken out the Department of Conservation Big Picture Award in The Outlook for Someday sustainability film challenge.
Date: 09 December 2011
Four wheel drive weekends in the Clarence Reserve area near Kaikoura have been moved to summer-only trips to fit with the holiday period.
Date: 12 December 2011
The new Siberia Hut in Mount Aspiring National Park will be open in time for the holiday break.
Date: 09 December 2011
Stuck for ideas on what to gift your loved ones with this silly season? Why not have yourself a merry little conservation themed Christmas?
Date: 09 December 2011
A Department of Conservation competition has gone global with entries coming in from all over the world suggesting names for a takahē chick.
Date: 08 December 2011
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is inviting public submissions on a proposed concession to construct a Monorail through the Snowdon Forest Conservation Area.
Date: 09 December 2011
The Department of Conservation has found a large area of beech forest in the Dingle Burn Valley near Wanaka that has been defoliated by mountain beech moth caterpillars.
Date: 07 December 2011
Conservation groups and volunteers came together last weekend to undertake the mammoth task of removing wilding pine trees from Wairepo Kettleholes Conservation Area.
Date: 06 December 2011
Two local people apprehended illegally on Moutohora (Whale Island) in the Eastern Bay of Plenty in June were prosecuted and received court diversion; requiring a donation to the Whakatane Kiwi Trust and payment of costs to the Department of Conservation.
Date: 05 December 2011
A Hector's dolphin was seen at Midway Surf Club at 7 am Monday 5th December. The Department of Conservation is keen to hear from any member of the public who might have also sighted the dolphin.
Date: 01 December 2011
The Director-General Al Morrison says all DOC staff are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of their colleagues who died while helping fight a Northland fire overnight.
Date: 01 December 2011
Otago Conservation Board members have expressed shock at the extent of damage caused two months ago by fire in the Matatiaho Conservation Area by Lake Hawea.
Date: 01 December 2011
Source: Department of Conservation, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Wellington Hawke's Bay Conservation Board.
Dedication, passion, persistence, innovation and leadership are attributes of the nine 2011 Encore Award winners, committed to making the Wellington region a better place in which to live.
Date: 01 December 2011
DOC is joining other outdoor recreation organisations in reminding people heading into the backcountry to make sure they tell someone where they are going and when they expect to be back.
Date: 30 November 2011
The Department of Conservation reminds the public that the whitebait season ends in the Eastern Bay of Plenty and East Coast districts today.
Date: 30 November 2011
The fascinating find of a rare white-bodied giant Powelliphanta snail has been made in Kahurangi National Park.
Date: 29 November 2011
Two native freshwater species with declining populations were released on pest-free Motutapu Island on 26 November 2011.
Date: 02 December 2011
An intensive listening survey for Northern Fiordland brown kiwi (Fiordland tokoeka) on the Kepler Track circuit has detected at least 35 individual kiwi living in the area.
Date: 25 November 2011
Well-known for inspiring the sexual advances of Sirocco the kakapo, Carwardine is here to put New Zealand on the map as a wildlife destination for tourists.
Date: 24 November 2011
The Boulder Beach Conservation Area on Otago Peninsula will be closed to the public for three months from 1 December 2011 - 29 February 2012 to protect nesting yellow-eyed penguins/hōiho.
Date: 24 November 2011
Northland Conservation Board's new Chair Mita Harris is looking for strong public input into the region's Conservation Management Strategy (CMS).
Date: 23 November 2011
Work has begun to protect, repair and restore one of the oldest industrial buildings in New Zealand, the 157 year old Coppermine Engine House on Kawau Island.
Date: 23 November 2011
"Don't be alarmed by sightings of 'purple rain' over Canterbury today," Bruce Janes DOC Canterbury rural fire officer is warning Cantabrians.
Date: 22 November 2011
The Department of Conservation (DOC) has set out a network of new traps and monitoring systems after motion sensors detected a rat on Mana Island in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Date: 21 November 2011
A big community effort has cleared 7.5 tonnes of rubbish from Tasman Bay beaches.
Date: 21 November 2011
The Pakihi track section of the Motu Trails cycleway is currently under construction and the public are reminded that the track is closed.
Date: 21 November 2011
A further 15 critically endangered Otago skinks will be released into a fenced sanctuary near Alexandra this week, boosting the population of skinks already thriving at the sanctuary.
Date: 16 November 2011
Fire crews worked overnight to contain a fire that threatened campers and baches at Karikari Beach and Maitai Bay, in the Far North.
Date: 17 November 2011
Fifteen of the world's rarest kiwi species, the rowi, will be returned home to Ōkārito on the South Island's West Coast today (Thursday, 17 November).
Date: 16 November 2011
Pilot whales stranded at the tip of Farewell Spit were unable to save themselves and are now all dead.
Date: 15 November 2011
A Hector's dolphin - the world's smallest and rarest marine dolphin - was spotted in Wellington harbour yesterday after last being seen in 2009.
Date: 15 November 2011
Hundreds of Nelson-Tasman locals will be out collecting rubbish off beaches this Saturday (19 November) in a big community coastal clean-up.
Date: 14 November 2011
Two specially trained DOC rodent dogs are working to help keep the pest-free islands of the eastern Bay of Islands clear of rats and mice.
Date: 11 November 2011
Mitre 10 and the Department of Conservation (DOC) are celebrating the arrival of this year's first takahe chick at DOC's Burwood Takahe Rearing Unit late last month.
Date: 10 November 2011
Source: Pukaha Mount Bruce Board
Manukura, the rare white kiwi making global headlines since she hatched six months ago, today moved into the nocturnal kiwi house at her Pukaha Mount Bruce home where she will soon be able to be seen by the public daily.
Date: 10 November 2011
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is inviting public submissions on a proposed concession to construct a tunnel between Mount Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks.
Date: 10 November 2011
Just ten weeks after being released on Rangitoto and Motutapu a threatened native bird has begun hatching chicks on both islands.
Date: 10 November 2011
A problem with a temperature controlled coolroom has resulted in the loss of a number of Powelliphantia snails at its holding facility in Hokitika.
Date: 10 November 2011
A Nelson man has been fined $1600 for eight whitebaiting offences committed all at once.
Date: 08 November 2011
The first wild kakī/black stilt chick has emerged from its shell and raises hope after a disappointing start to the 2011 breeding season.
Date: 07 November 2011
Source: Department of Conservation, Aorangi Forest Restoration Trust, Greater Wellington Regional Council
Community holds the key to enhancing and restoring the natural environment. This was the resounding message at the launch of the Aorangi Forest Restoration Trust on a remote ridge top in South Wairarapa on 3 November.
Date: 31 October 2011
Minister of Conservation Hon Kate Wilkinson paid tribute to one of New Zealand's leading conservationists during a visit to South Waikato's Waotu district on Saturday.
Date: 01 November 2011
Twenty five items believed to be elephant ivory, and the shell of a Hawksbill Turtle, were seized from an Auckland address last night following the execution of a search warrant.
Date: 01 November 2011
Plans are in place for remedial works at Cathedral Cove that will enable the iconic archway to be reopened to the public.
Date: 01 November 2011
A group of Far North locals have been getting up close and personal with some 'leggy blondes' - New Zealand dotterel - at Rarawa beach recently.
Date: 28 October 2011
Getting wildlife back to the wild is the focus of the Department of Conservation and the National Oiled Wildlife Response Team.
Date: 29 October 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
The achievements of world-renowned conservation innovator Dr Don Merton have been immortalised in an award that will see the continuation of his pioneering spirit in the management of endangered species.
Date: 26 October 2011
The Department of Conservation is seeking comment on a proposal to introduce a hut booking system for the popular Rees-Dart Tramping Track.
Date: 28 October 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Phase II of the Department of Conservation's trials of self-resetting possum traps has been launched in Northland's Trounson Kauri Park, and in the northern Te Urewera National Park, following positive results from tests in Waikato.
Date: 19 October 2011
Conservation dogs showed their skills at local Bay of Islands' schools recently with 'Cody' who is trained to track and catch rodents, 'Ruby' a hunting dog trained to avoid kiwi, and 'Tohu', trained to track and locate kiwi.
Date: 26 October 2011
Wairarapa landowner Mark Round alerted authorities when last year he observed "strange fish" in his pond.
Date: 27 October 2011
Seven critically endangered Haast tokoeka have started a new life on Pomona Island in Lake Manapouri. The release of kiwi on the island is the result of a successful partnership between the Pomona Island Charitable Trust and the Department of Conservation.
Date: 26 October 2011
Auckland appears to be having a rare visit from a leopard seal and the Department of Conservation is warning anyone encountering it to keep well away to ensure they stay safe.
Date: 19 October 2011
DOC is undertaking a major upgrade of the tracks, signage and interpretation on Urupukapuka Island. The project will bring a range of opportunities including greater protection and appreciation of the archaeological features on the island.
Date: 21 October 2011
A massive community effort ended in group hugs and cheers on Ohope Beach east of Whakatane early this afternoon as a stranded pygmy sperm whale headed safely out to sea.
Date: 15 October 2011
The massive Canterbury and West Coast Regional Rural Fire Exercise is heating things up.
Date: 19 October 2011
The Department of Conservation has welcomed the release by the Environmental Protection Authority of the latest annual report on the aerial use of the biodegradable toxin 1080.
Date: 18 October 2011
Queenstown residents living in high fire risk areas will benefit from an exercise being carried out in the town between 25-27 October.
Date: 13 October 2011
The Department of Conservation is working with the National Oiled Wildlife Response Team and the local community to minimise the impact of the Rena oil spill on local wildlife.
Date: 12 October 2011
Peregrine Wines recently toasted the success of their fourth conservation initiative through the Fiordland Conservation Trust and DOC with the transfer of 60 mohua back to Resolution Island, the birthplace of New Zealand conservation.
Date: 11 October 2011
Mountain bikers have been enthusiastic about the first trial winter-season mountain biking on the Heaphy Track with more than 1700 estimated to have ridden on it over the five-month period
Date: 11 October 2011
Despite a six-hour rescue attempt, Department of Conservation staff were unable to re-float a sperm whale grounded on a Far North beach.
Date: 10 October 2011
The Department of Conservation reminds the public to step lightly on the beach in the Eastern Bay of Plenty as the NZ dotterel breeding season gets underway.
Date: 07 October 2011
A strapping young Northland brown kiwi has been released into his new home supported by the name Ritchie McKiwi.
Date: 06 October 2011
The manu huruhuru (native bird skinning) workshop in Kororareka/Russell provided the opportunity for people to show their natural affection for New Zealand in a practical hands-on way - this year's Conservation Week theme.
Date: 06 October 2011
The first Haast Tokoeka chick to hatch at the West Coast Wildlife Centre emerged from its egg at 10:30am on Sunday morning.
Date: 05 October 2011
The Department of Conservation is concerned factual information about kiwi deaths in the Tongariro Forest has been inaccurately portrayed by anti-1080 campaigners.
Date: 30 September 2011
The Department of Conservation is urging people to give dotterels a little privacy as they move from their courtship phase into family mode.
Date: 29 September 2011
A call is going out for groups to sign up for a big community spring clean of Tasman Bay beaches being run for the second year.
Date: 30 September 2011
DOC says the recent 1080 operation at Ōkārito has decimated rat and stoat numbers in the treatment area, lowering the risk to kiwi and other forest birds of predation during the breeding season.
Date: 29 September 2011
Read an overview of the topics the Northland Conservation Board discussed in September 2011.
Date: 28 September 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson today welcomed the extension of the Kākāpō Recovery partnership between DOC, Rio Tinto Alcan New Zealand and Forest & Bird.
Date: 26 September 2011
A Department of Conservation (DOC) ranger has rescued an endangered olive ridley turtle from a south Auckland beach.
Date: 26 September 2011
The Department of Conservation (DOC) urges farmers to comply with fire permit conditions and take extra care after several recent fires escaped and subsequently burnt onto public conservation land in Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes districts.
Date: 23 September 2011
A small ceremony was performed on Mt Tarawera on Monday to signal the start of the third season of wildling pine control on the mountain.
Date: 23 September 2011
Conservation Minister Hon Kate Wilkinson has announced two new appointees to the Otago Conservation Board and the reappointment of an existing Board member.
Date: 23 September 2011
Agreement has been reached between the Department of Conservation (DOC) and Oceana Gold on the company's proposed Macraes mine expansion.
Date: 23 September 2011
New solar power systems being built on Great Barrier Island will provide Department of Conservation bases with cheaper, cleaner and quieter power.
Date: 22 September 2011
Information obtained from the tag of a dead New Zealand fur seal in Gisborne has assisted DOC in understanding more about the distribution and movements of seal around NZ.
Date: 21 September 2011
Appointments to the Canterbury Aoraki Conservation Board for 2011 were announced today by Department of Conservation Canterbury Conservator, Mike Cuddihy.
Date: 20 September 2011
Weather patterns, climate change, pollution or environment factors are suspects, but there is no definitive answer for the record number of stranded marine turtles arriving on Far North beaches in recent weeks.
Date: 20 September 2011
Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson today announced the appointment of Mita Harris, Tracey Andrews-Smith and Judi Gilbert to the Northland Conservation Board.
Date: 20 September 2011
The long awaited Turere Lodge - the latest addition to comfort tramping near Wellington in the Rimutaka Forest Park - has been officially opened.
Date: 14 September 2011
Rare Waiohine short-tailed bats at the centre of a ground-breaking conservation project are among the native animals on show at the new Te Wao Nui New Zealand precinct at Auckland Zoo.
Date: 28 September 2011
Long time conservation supporter, Linda Campbell of Feilding, is a recipient of a 2011 Conservation Award from the Department of Conservation.
Date: 16 September 2011
Department of Conservation rangers have taken a female orca calf that died after stranding near Whangaparoa peninsula to Massey University's Albany campus to determine the cause of death.
Date: 16 September 2011
Weed control won out over trapping and solid waste disposal projects at the Canterbury Aoraki Conservation Board Award last night.
Date: 16 September 2011
Te Manawa Museums Trust is receiving a Conservation Award in appreciation of the numerous conservation stories they share with the community through the exhibitions, events and education programmes delivered at Te Manawa Museum of Art, Science & History.
Date: 16 September 2011
In celebration of Conservation Week 2011, the Department of Conservation gave the public an exclusive opportunity to win a guided day trip for two to Moutohora (Whale Island).
Date: 16 September 2011
Riccarton Bush in Christchurch will come alive for Conservation Week, with a fabulous fun family day called "Meet our forest families" on Sunday 18 September.
Date: 15 September 2011
The Department of Conservation will today launch an ambitious campaign to help save Northland brown kiwi from dogs.
Date: 15 September 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
New Zealand's Native Trees, the most comprehensive book on the topic to be produced in 30 years, has been officially launched in Wellington tonight with copies to be donated to intermediate and high schools around the country for Conservation Week.
Date: 14 September 2011
Two year 5 students from Queen Margaret College in Wellington have taken action to protect local skinks in an area set for a building development.
Date: 14 September 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
The Lake Papaitonga Scenic Reserve in Horowhenua will be enhanced through the purchase of Preston's wetland by the Department of Conservation.
Date: 13 September 2011
An outstanding Orokonui Ecosanctuary volunteer, a fierce advocate for yellow-eyed penguins in the Catlins, and a business that sponsors jewelled gecko conservation are recipients of this year's Department of Conservation Coastal Otago Conservation Awards.
Date: 13 September 2011
Hundreds of kōwhai trees will be planted throughout Otago from this week in an effort to bring back one of our favourite natives.
Date: 13 September 2011
After a downturn in the size and condition of trout in the Taupo fishery since 2007 river anglers are seeing signs that the Taupo fishery is recovering.
Date: 12 September 2011
The new Pāteke Survival Guide is a resource for landowners, community groups and other parties interested in the recovery of pāteke/brown teal.
Date: 12 September 2011
Conservation Week kicked off in Wellington at the Waitangi Park Weed Swap event on Sunday 11 September, with over 400 native plants given away in exchange for garden weeds.
Date: 12 September 2011
The recipients of this year's Department of Conservation Inland Otago Conservation Awards have been announced.
Date: 12 September 2011
Hundreds of Otago people have signed up for Conservation Week events over the next two weeks.
Date: 09 September 2011
Show New Zealand you love it from 11-18 September by getting involved with Conservation Week! Celebrate our native wildlife, our incredible natural areas and the places that are part of our history.
Date: 11 September 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Tauranga horticulturalist Mark Dean has been awarded one of the country's highest conservation honours, the prestigious Loder Cup for 2011.
Date: 10 September 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson today welcomed the opening of the new $16 million Te Wao Nui native species enclosure at Auckland Zoo, in time for Conservation Week.
Date: 09 September 2011
DOC says it will be looking at ways to further protect kea after the discovery of seven dead birds following a recent 1080 pest control operation on the West Coast.
Date: 08 September 2011
Twelve volunteers and Department of Conservation (DOC) staff have completed planting 3500 native plants around the Fletcher Bay Campsite.
Date: 07 September 2011
DOC and community groups are organising a variety of events across the region. In Northland there's a clear emphasis on celebrating things special to Tai Tokerau.
Date: 08 September 2011
The Waikato Regional Council and Department of Conservation (DOC) are undertaking goat control in the Waiwawa Catchment in the eastern ranges to avoid reinvasion. Hunting teams comprising of both DOC staff and contractors will systematically cover the area of operation from September 2011 to March 2012.
Date: 07 September 2011
Marine mammals are visiting the Coromandel Peninsula coastline more frequently.
Date: 07 September 2011
A number of science and technical jobs have been cut from DOC's Whanganui, Taranaki and Turangi offices, and some new support roles will be consolidated in a new conservancy office in Taupo.
Date: 07 September 2011
Source: Kakapo Recovery Programme
Two young female kakapo have been found dead - one on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, off Stewart Island, the other on Anchor Island in Fiordland.
Date: 05 September 2011
Kiwi aversion training for dogs, games and activities for all the family, a library display, and a bird pelting workshop (for making cloaks / korowai) - just part of Conservation Week in the Bay of Islands.
Date: 06 September 2011
Joni Mitchell sang of paving paradise to create a parking lot… but a new car park at the Castlepoint Scenic Reserve has enhanced the natural attributes of this slice of kiwi "paradise".
Date: 06 September 2011
The Department of Conservation is to set up new regional service centres in its Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch offices as it moves to re-organise its systems for supporting conservation staff in the field.
Date: 02 September 2011
Mr Scott Slater of Auckland was convicted in the Whakatane District Court for fishing within the boundaries of Te Paepae o Aotea Marine Reserve in January last year.
Date: 01 September 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson will join local rugby legend Tane Norton to plant the first of 5000 native trees at a huge public planting event marking the reopening of Ōtukaikino wetland reserve on Saturday 3 September.
Date: 01 September 2011
The Department of Conservation have been receiving the usual seasonal spate of phone calls from the public concerned about the welfare of seals on Eastern Bay of Plenty beaches.
Date: 31 August 2011
Turtle 'gurus' Dan Godoy and Kenneth MacKay are bringing a very special roadshow including video clips, photos and turtle titbits to the Far North during Conservation Week 2011.
Date: 31 August 2011
New Zealand fur seals coming ashore around Northland are generally resting, or are weaned pups learning their way around the marine world.
Date: 01 September 2011
The Department of Conservation has teamed up with What Now to offer one lucky kid the chance to be a Ranger for a day
Date: 01 September 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson will join local rugby legend Tane Norton to plant the first of 5000 native trees at a huge public planting event marking the reopening of Ötukaikino wetland reserve on Saturday 3 September.
Date: 31 August 2011
The Department of Conservation (DOC) and Genesis Energy today signed a $2.5 million business partnership that will help secure the future of New Zealand's rare endangered whio (blue duck).
Date: 30 August 2011
The Department of Conservation are giving you an exclusive chance to win a guided day trip for two to Moutohora (Whale Island) in celebration of Conservation Week.
Date: 29 August 2011
Two endangered takahē, members of Mana Island's successful breeding population, said farewell to the region last week and headed north to help start a new population on Auckland's Motutapu Island.
Date: 28 August 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson has today (August 28) officially opened the country's newest marine reserve near Warkworth, north of Auckland.
Date: 27 August 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Motutapu and Rangitoto islands have been officially declared pest-free wildlife sanctuaries following a successful eradication programme that first started 20 years ago.
Date: 26 August 2011
The Department of Conservation (DOC) and Gisborne Mountain Safety Council encourage kids ages 3 to 13 years to enter a "colouring in" competition to celebrate Conservation Week 11-18 September.
Date: 25 August 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
The Government has purchased Ngunguru Spit in Northland following years of hard work to secure the iconic coastal habitat so it can be preserved for the benefit of all New Zealanders, Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson announced today.
Date: 25 August 2011
The DOC website is a finalist in the 2011 NetGuide Web Awards.
Date: 19 August 2011
The Department of Conservation in Northland is launching the booklet 'Plant Me Instead' with a weed swap event at the Whangarei growers market on Saturday 8 October 2011.
Date: 22 August 2011
"Velvet the travelling tuna tapestry" has been making her way around the far north and has arrived in Gisborne.
Date: 22 August 2011
Source: The Office of the Minister of Conservation.
Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson today announced eight new appointments to the New Zealand Conservation Authority.
Date: 19 August 2011
Source: Department of Conservation, Greater Wellington Regional Council, and Wellington Hawke's Bay Conservation Board
Applications close on 5 September for the 2011 Encore Awards. They honour individuals, community groups, businesses, schools and landowners whose sustained commitment to environmental restoration, nature and conservation is making the region a better place to live.
Date: 19 August 2011
Sailors Grave (Te Karo) was the site of a nationally significant find of a rare spectacled porpoise.
Date: 19 August 2011
The first of two baiting operations on Ulva Island has been completed as DOC moves to eradicate Norway rats threatening the Stewart Island wildlife sanctuary.
Date: 18 August 2011
Whitebait season got underway on Monday 15th August, and whitebaiter's are being reminded to "Check, Clean, Dry" their nets and other gear between rivers to help protect our waters from the invasive algae didymo.
Date: 11 August 2011
High possum fur prices have led to an increase in recreational trappers. This is great news for protection of our native forests. On the flip side, leg hold traps set on the ground in kiwi areas can catch kiwi.
Date: 18 August 2011
Well trained dogs, whether hunting dog, domestic pet or specialised species dog, are helping to save kiwi on the Coromandel Peninsula.
Date: 17 August 2011
It looks like a bumper season for kiwi in the Whangarei Kiwi Sanctuary! The season started unusually early after a wet summer and autumn softened the ground and made feeding easy.
Date: 17 August 2011
Preliminary autopsy results from five dead kea dumped near Arthur's Pass have confirmed that the birds were shot.
Date: 15 August 2011
The Department of Conservation is reminding Hawke's Bay whitebaiters to check, clean and dry their nets and other gear when moving between waterways. This will help slow the spread of freshwater pests and potentially didymo during the whitebait season.
Date: 12 August 2011
A Far North dog owner describes feeling 'sickened' when he realised the possum he had set his dog on to kill, was in fact a Northland brown kiwi.
Date: 12 August 2011
Whitebait species are particularly vulnerable this year due to earthquake damage to known spawning grounds which may have a harmful effect on fish numbers.
Date: 11 August 2011
A blue penguin was found dead at Sponge Bay, Gisborne around mid-day on 10 August by a local resident. The penguin had received some form of injury and the body was sent to Massey University Wildlife Healthcare Centre.
Date: 11 August 2011
Monday 15 August marks the start of another whitebait fishing season for areas other than the West Coast of the South Island.
Date: 09 August 2011
A report of a seal pup in Hawke's Bay biting a member of the public, who thought they were helping it, has again highlighted the need to be careful with wild animals.
Date: 08 August 2011
DOC is calling for information about five dead young kea discovered at Klondyke Corner near Arthur's Pass today.
Date: 05 August 2011
New Zealand fur seals are making frequent appearances along our coast, but unless a seal is at danger from being attacked by a dog, the best policy is to leave it be.
Date: 05 August 2011
DOC backcountry hut, campsite and hunting block data has been released for Digital New Zealand's great New Zealand remix & mashup competition.
Date: 05 August 2011
"Leave young seals alone to rest," is the plea from the Department of Conservation in response to a seasonal spate of calls about "sick" seals on Wellington and Kapiti beaches to the DOC emergency hotline.
Date: 05 August 2011
Source: Pukaha Mount Bruce Board
Manukura, the first white kiwi chick hatched in captivity, is a girl.
Date: 03 August 2011
A kiwi found within the Whangarei Kiwi Sanctuary this week has been sent to the specialist New Zealand Wildlife Health Centre at Massey University in Palmerston North.
Date: 02 August 2011
The Department of Conservation is concerned at the illegal removal of trees by unknown person from Donner's Bush Scenic Reserve located on Riverside Road, 10 kilometres from the Gisborne city centre.
Date: 02 August 2011
Hunting for native fish and bugs was part of an action packed day for Waiharara School. Students took part in an educational freshwater investigation - the Whitebait Connection (WBC) programme.
Date: 02 August 2011
The Department of Conservation is pleased with the signal sent to 57 year old Opotiki man, Peter Warren, who was remanded in custody after being found guilty of illegal whitebaiting and obstruction.
Date: 01 August 2011
Contractors are currently finishing the construction of a new pedestrian swing bridge across Deep Creek, within the Mount Potts Conservation Area.
Date: 21 July 2011
The pest-free status of the islands of the eastern Bay of Islands (also known as Ipipiri) is being greatly enhanced by the combined work of landowners, community groups and agencies on the mainland.
Date: 25 July 2011
The Department of Conservaton is appealing to the public to look out for a southern right whale (tohora) entangled in a craypot line following a sighting of it off the Otago coast on Saturday.
Date: 25 July 2011
A slip is near the iconic Bridge to Nowhere has closed the Mangapurua Track.
Date: 22 July 2011
An exciting restoration project at Smugglers Bay, Bream Head Scenic Reserve, is progressing well. Recently about 300 spinifex plants were planted on a section of the beach where foredunes were absent.
Date: 21 July 2011
The Department of Conservation is working with a local logging contractor to remove wilding pines growing on public conservation land at Bream Bay, Northland.
Date: 19 July 2011
Source: Department of Conservation, Forest & Bird and Rio Tinto Alcan
Sirocco, the kakapo whose frisky behaviour propelled him to global stardom, will launch his career as advocate for Kakapo Recovery during the Rugby World Cup.
Date: 19 July 2011
An island-wide trapping system set up on Kapiti Island after the discovery of a stoat late last year has caught a second animal over the weekend.
Date: 15 July 2011
DOC is disturbed about the death of two North Island weka caught by an unknown possum trapper in the Pakihi Valley, south east of Opotiki.
Date: 14 July 2011
The storm whipping up high seas on the west coast of the North Island is having an effect on many species of seabirds, some of which have been found in an exhausted state as far inland as Hamilton.
Date: 13 July 2011
2011 marks a festival for rugby, what better way to celebrate than to have local rugby legends stamp their mark on NZ rugby history with a native planting event.
Date: 11 July 2011
The late arrival of snow to Fiordland this winter has not softened its blow.
Date: 12 July 2011
Storms wreaking havoc around the lower North Island have blown sea birds inland to areas where they are not typically seen.
Date: 08 July 2011
People with an interest in the proposal for a new Kauri National Park in Northland are being urged to get their thoughts in to DOC. The feedback period for the proposal discussion document closes on 18 July 2011 after a two-month consultation round.
Date: 06 July 2011
73 experienced volunteer planters from Auckland, Dargaville, Kaitaia and across the Bay of Islands planted the final 1650 native plants on Waewaetorea Island in the eastern Bay of Islands on 23 June 2011.
Date: 07 July 2011
The eight DOC personnel based on Raoul Island in the Kermadec Islands say the 7.6 earthquake that struck at 7.03 am on 7 July was a significant jolt but no one was hurt and no damage has been detected.
Date: 06 July 2011
Over the last year, the Department of Conservation has experienced an increase in theft and vandalism to structures in the Waioeka Gorge at campsites and on 'The Waioeka Journey - Te Awa a Tamatea.'
Date: 06 July 2011
The Department of Conservation has renewed its appeal to the public to look out for a humpback whale entangled in craypot line and buoy following a sighting of it off the Marlborough coast yesterday evening.
Date: 01 July 2011
Source: The Department of Conservation, Wellington Hawke's Bay, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Wellington Hawke's Bay Conservation Board
Applications are now open for the Wellington region's 2011 Encore Awards, which honour individuals, community groups, businesses, schools and landowners for sustained commitment to environmental restoration, nature and conservation.
Date: 29 June 2011
An advisory group made of up representatives from the Department of Conservation (DOC), Wellington Zoo, Massey University and Te Papa met today to discuss plans for the future of the emperor penguin that was found on Peka Peka beach last week, and is currently being treated at The Nest - Te Kohanga at Wellington Zoo.
Date: 29 June 2011
A young New Zealand fur seal, rescued from a piece of fishing net last week by Department of Conservation staff, was found dead on Monday at Houghton Bay.
Date: 29 June 2011
A rainbow skink was found by a school girl on Emerson St. central Napier last week. The Department of Conservation (DOC) wants members of the public to inform them of any further sightings.
Date: 28 June 2011
The Department of Conservation is asking the public to look out for a humpback whale with its tail fluke entangled in a craypot line and buoy, possibly heading north from Banks Peninsula.
Date: 27 June 2011
New Zealand artists with a passion for our unique environment are invited to apply for one of three residencies on offer as part of the 2012 Wild Creations artists in residence programme.
Date: 24 June 2011
The Department of Conservation is inviting the public to make submissions on the proposed names for the scenic reserves extending along the Marsden Point to Uretiti coastline.
Date: 23 June 2011
Project Island Song celebrates its two-year milestone this month with pest-free islands at Ipipiri in the eastern Bay of Islands.
Date: 24 June 2011
The Department of Conservation has told its staff of about 1800 today that it will be looking to shed just over 100 jobs across the organisation in coming months.
Date: 23 June 2011
A New Zealand fur seal pup, found entangled in a piece of fishing net, was set free by Department of Conservation staff on Wednesday.
Date: 23 June 2011
DOC is calling on the public to take photos and report any sightings of southern right whales along the New Zealand coastline.
Date: 22 June 2011
Land at Mt Ida near Ranfurly will remain public conservation land following agreement between the parties.
Date: 22 June 2011
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is leaving Kapiti's latest visitor- the young emperor penguin- to its own devices while keeping a close eye on it.
Date: 22 June 2011
It's Volunteer Awareness Week and we're celebrating retiring volunteer Rosemary Tully.
Date: 21 June 2011
Kapiti Coast residents have been treated to a rare visit by an emperor penguin. There is only one other recording of an emperor penguin in New Zealand, at Southland's Oreti Beach in 1967.
Date: 20 June 2011
Recent tests for didymo in 19 rivers in Fiordland National Park have all come back negative, a result that has pleased staff at Fish & Game and the Department of Conservation.
Date: 17 June 2011
A recent survey of potential whitebait spawning sites in the Wairoa district was successful, boding well for the future.
Date: 17 June 2011
The Department of Conservation is holding a series of open days throughout Otago for you to have your say about the future management of conservation land in the region.
Date: 20 June 2011
The winning song has been found in the competition dubbed New Zealand Idol for native birds.
Date: 09 June 2011
The Department of Conservation is pleased to announce that from today there are new vehicle regulations that come into effect for Whirinaki Forest Park.
Date: 17 June 2011
People can get information about proposals for management of the Abel Tasman foreshore at public meetings in Motueka and Richmond later this month.
Date: 17 June 2011
Department of Conservation staff who've been hunting a rat detected on Rangitoto Island in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park are confident the rat is dead after eating a lethal dose of rat poison.
Date: 16 June 2011
The popular Siberia Hut in Mt Aspiring National Park destroyed by fire in March this year is to be rebuilt.
Date: 16 June 2011
There's evidence that kokako have bred on Secretary Island in Doubtful Sound, Fiordland. This is believed to be the first time in more than 30 years that kokako have bred in the South Island.
Date: 14 June 2011
'Conservation Conversations' is a week-long expo of creativity where Northlanders can come together to share knowledge and experiences around freshwater and wider conservation themes.
Date: 13 June 2011
Kokako are set to benefit from the kind donation from Blacktop Construction towards track improvement work in the Kaharoa Conservation Area.
Date: 10 June 2011
DOC and Meridian scooped first prize for environmentally responsible large organisation last night for their collaboration on Project River Recovery.
Date: 08 June 2011
Read an overview of the topics the Northland Conservation Board discussed in June 2011.
Date: 08 June 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
The Government has welcomed the report of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment on the use of 1080 as the most effective tool available for pest management in New Zealand.
Date: 08 June 2011
The Department of Conservation endorses the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's firm support for the continued use of 1080 to protect New Zealand's threatened wildlife.
Date: 08 June 2011
The public is being invited to make submissions on an Abel Tasman Foreshore Scenic Reserve Draft Management Plan.
Date: 07 June 2011
Department of Conservation researchers and former whalers are to team up again this winter to count whales in Cook Strait.
Date: 01 June 2011
DOC is reviewing the Northland Conservation Management Strategy and is seeking public input on proposals for a Kauri National Park.
Date: 01 June 2011
They came in their hundreds, each clutching a bag of weeds to exchange for a free native plant. "Hawke's Bay's inaugural Weed Swaps held at Greenmeadows New World and Hastings Countdown this weekend was an unparalleled success" said organizer Gabriela Gomez Fell from the Department of Conservation.
Date: 01 June 2011
Arbor Day and World Environment Day will be celebrated this Queen's Birthday weekend with a native coastal planting at Tolaga Bay and 'the best things in life are free theme event organised by the Tairawhiti Environment Centre in Gisborne.
Date: 25 May 2011
The annual national kiwi listening programme launched in Northland this week, with up to two hundred people staying up for hours each night around the region.
Date: 30 May 2011
This month the Department of Conservation staff and volunteers successfully surveyed two sites for the nationally endangered Powelliphanta 'maungaharuru' a native carnivorous snail in the Maungaharuru Ranges.
Date: 30 May 2011
A fine weather window saw the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Ngatiwai Trust Board complete an operation to eradicate kiore (Pacific rats) off Taranga (Hen) Island.
Date: 25 May 2011
The Department of Conservation has approved granting a concession to New Zealand Energy Limited (NZEL) for parts of a hydroelectric scheme on public conservation land at Lake Matiri, near Murchison.
Date: 20 May 2011
"The transformation of Dickey Flat Campsite near Karangahake in the Coromandel is going really well, improving the way it's used and perceived by the public", says Jeff Milham, the Department of Conservation's Visitor Assets Programme Manager in Tauranga.
Date: 23 May 2011
Auckland company, Blacktop Construction, is assisting conservation work on Motuihe Island. The company has spread five truckloads of recycled bitumen chips on sections of the island's roads.
Date: 24 May 2011
Source: Pukaha Mount Bruce
The most successful kiwi breeding season in the history of New Zealand's national wildlife centre has ended on an extraordinary note with the surprise hatching of a white kiwi chick.
Date: 18 May 2011
An annual count of the Kaimanawa horses on NZ Army managed areas and adjacent private land has confirmed that herd is robust and maintaining its numbers.
Date: 23 May 2011
After a summer of tough fishing which caused some serious concern amongst anglers as to the long term health of the Taupo Fishery, it has rebounded significantly in recent months.
Date: 23 May 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
The Department of Conservation will receive $1.5 million in Budget 2011 to help the Te Araroa Trust substantially complete the Te Araroa Trail Long Pathway from Cape Reinga to Bluff, Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson says.
Date: 20 May 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson has welcomed the release today of a discussion document to kick-start public consultation on the proposal to establish a new national park in Northland's Waipoua Forest.
Date: 20 May 2011
A public discussion document is being released today, marking the start of a two-month public consultation on the Kauri National Park proposal.
Date: 15 May 2011
Source: Office of the Acting Conservation Minister
New laws and policy to better manage freedom camping were announced today by Environment Minister and Acting Conservation Minister Nick Smith.
Date: 17 May 2011
DOC and the Ngatiwai Trust Board, who have joined efforts to eradicate kiore (Pacific rats) off Taranga (Hen) Island, advise that 'Project Restore' begins this Thursday, 19 May 2011.
Date: 05 May 2011
Seals look for a warm, safe place to rest during the cold winter months. During this time, you are more likely to see them coming ashore. DOC Manawatū Rangitīkei has already followed up on two injured seals reported at local beaches.
Date: 17 May 2011
Three Hamilton men were each fined $2500 today in the Taupo District Court for hunting offences committed at the time of the fatal shooting of Rosemary Ives at a DOC campground near Turangi last October.
Date: 17 May 2011
As part of New Zealand Music Month, Sirocco - the famous kakapo and official Spokesbird for conservation - is putting out the call for the musically talented to help our native birds hit the charts.
Date: 16 May 2011
Department of Conservation staff follow up on historic pest fish records.
Date: 16 May 2011
Following three days of searching by a team of four divers, the Department of Conservation is pleased to announce that Southland Lakes remain free of the 'space invader' aquatic weed known as lagarosiphon.
Date: 13 May 2011
Recent work that strengthened the piles is the first stage of a number of improvements planned for the Category 1 historic building. This includes work on the interior linings, rebuilding the Magistrate's Bench and other prominent courthouse furnishings and reinstating some of the old original detail to the finishing timbers.
Date: 12 May 2011
Department of Conservation staff are still trying to get to some of the more remote areas to assess damage from last week's weather bomb, says Hawke's Bay Area manager Jan Hania.
Date: 11 May 2011
Three Department of Conservation (DOC) scientists have joined an expedition to the Kermadec Islands that expects to find new species of animal and plant life.
Date: 11 May 2011
Toilet equipment is not generally seen as a desirable reminder of a day out, yet the Far North's Raetea Reserve toilets have fallen prey to someone with strange taste in souvenirs.
Date: 10 May 2011
Rat tracks seen in rodent detecting tunnels have sparked a major search and trapping operation by the Department of Conservation (DOC) on Rangitoto Island in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.
Date: 10 May 2011
For the first time, nominations for the Department of Conservation Otago Conservation Awards can be made online. "This makes nominating someone deserving you know quicker and easier", said Otago Conservator, Marian van der Goes.
Date: 06 May 2011
Two German men were sentenced in Dunedin District Court today after they pleaded guilty to separate charges of hunting protected wildlife and possessing four rare jewelled geckos.
Date: 05 May 2011
Work by the Department of Conservation to stabilise the Young Australian Water Wheel site in the Carrick Range above Cromwell means the historic relic will be around for many years to come.
Date: 04 May 2011
DOC has received the necropsy results from Massey University for blue penguins washed up dead on East Coast beaches last month.
Date: 03 May 2011
The Department of Conservation in collaboration with the Bream Head Conservation Trust and the Northland Regional Council have recently begun a foredune restoration trial at Smugglers Bay, Whangarei Heads.
Date: 02 May 2011
The Department of Conservaiton is pleased with the prosecution of Matiu Hohua aged 39 of Whakatane for breaching the Whitebait Fisheries Act.
Date: 02 May 2011
In the early hours of Saturday morning a huge whale thought to be a pygmy blue whale stranded at Waiinu beach, Waitotara on the South Taranaki Coast.
Date: 26 April 2011
Nominations are open for the Otago Conservation Awards, which are run by the Department of Conservation (DOC) each year to celebrate Conservation Week in September.
Date: 20 April 2011
The Department of Conservation is moving five grand skinks from the high country near Wanaka to Peacock Springs Wildlife Park in Christchurch, in a bid to save the critically endangered species.
Date: 15 April 2011
After reaching agreement with Port Otago over consent conditions that address the Department of Conservation's concerns, the Department has agreed to neither support nor oppose Port Otago's Project Next Generation.
Date: 21 April 2011
The Department of Conservation (DOC) and Bike Wanaka are pleased to announce the official opening of the Deans Bank multi use track.
Date: 28 April 2011
An endangered population of kaka in the Waitutu Forest, Fiordland, has been boosted by a record breeding season following a pest control operation with 1080 toxin.
Date: 27 April 2011
Dogs were the main players of the day at the Te Teko Rugby grounds on Easter Sunday as local hunters descended on the grounds to have their dogs run through kiwi aversion training.
Date: 26 April 2011
Mountain bikers can ride the Heaphy Track for five months from Sunday 1 May.
Date: 26 April 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
The amount of time New Zealanders spend volunteering for conservation work is exceeding expectations, with thousands of people wanting to make a difference, says Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson.
Date: 20 April 2011
The Department of Conservation has charged three men with hunting offences in relation to the fatal shooting of Rosemary Ives at a DOC campground near Turangi last October.
Date: 20 April 2011
Walks, mountain biking, horse riding, picnicking and the chance to savour spectacular views are on offer at Whareroa Farm on the Kapiti coast. It opens to the public with a day of celebrations on Saturday 30 April.
Date: 20 April 2011
Mountain bikers can again ride Abel Tasman National Park's Gibb's Hill Track for five months from Sunday 1 May, having been given continued winter access to the track after a two-year trial.
Date: 19 April 2011
The track to Cathedral Cove is now open to the public. Contractors completed the reinstatement and construction of the final flight of steps down to the beach last week. The Cathedral Cove arch remains closed as the arch is a known rock fall risk.
Date: 14 March 2011
Whakaipo Bay has been chosen as one of seventeen sites New Zealand wide to host a major community planting event during the Rugby World Cup 2011.
Date: 15 April 2011
Families keen on a bit of outdoors fun this Easter are invited to come up to Arthur's Pass National Park and become Kiwi Rangers!
Date: 08 April 2011
A restoration project on Motuihe Island reached a major milestone with primary school children planting the 300,000th native tree on the island since the project began in 2003.
Date: 11 April 2011
The Department of Conservation says New Zealand has lost an internationally acclaimed conservation pioneer with the death of Don Merton at the weekend.
Date: 08 April 2011
The Department of Conservation is very pleased with the outcome following last week's prosecutions in Whakatane District Court of Travis Tane and Terrance Nathan.
Date: 07 April 2011
The Department of Conservation has made decisions on additional lands applied for by heli-hunting operators for short term permits.
Date: 01 April 2011
Source: Tuhua Trust Board
The first orange-fronted parakeet / kakariki to fledge in the wild north of the Cook Strait in about 130 years has been confirmed on Tuhua (Mayor Island).
Date: 05 April 2011
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is investigating a report that a commercial fishing boat appeared to be fishing in the Motu Manawa/Pollen Island Marine Reserve in Auckland's Waitemata Harbour.
Date: 06 April 2011
Te Tapatoru a Toi (Joint Management Committee) have recently farewelled and thanked former committee members Dave Field, Anthony Olsen and Don Herdman for their valued contribution and hard work throughout their term on the committee.
Date: 05 April 2011
Twenty four South Island robin/kakaruai have been released at the Cleddau River delta at Milford Sound.
Date: 01 April 2011
A survey of whitebait spawning sites is underway in the Wairoa region, in a continued effort to safeguard the fishery for future generations of whitebaiters.
Date: 29 March 2011
The Department of Conservation will launch its second Tauira Kaitiaki Taiao Maori Conservation Cadetship programme in Waikato this week.
Date: 29 March 2011
A new toxin for the control of mammalian pests, thought to be the first registered in the world for at least twenty years, has been developed in New Zealand.
Date: 29 March 2011
The Department of Conservation today announced the opening of Breast Hill Track above Lake Hawea.
Date: 26 March 2011
Three rodent detecting dogs will screen everyone heading to Rangitoto and Motutapu Islands on Saturday March 26 for the Dual sports event in which competitors mountain bike or run across the islands on formed roads and tracks.
Date: 25 March 2011
Read an overview of the topics the Northland Conservation Board discussed in March 2011.
Date: 24 March 2011
Some kererū/wood pigeon are being deliberately injured in Otago, requiring weeks of hard work to rehabilitate them.
Date: 23 March 2011
The Director-General of Conservation says a rare block of significant native forest will be secured under a land exchange agreement proposed with the company seeking to develop Porters Ski Area.
Date: 21 March 2011
A combined DOC, NIWA and Auckland University research team has returned to Stewart Island / Rakiura this week in an attempt to learn more about the white shark.
Date: 17 March 2011
A Department of Conservation rodent detecting dog has caught and killed a rat that was on a van about to be ferried to Motuihe Island, a pest-free island in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.
Date: 21 March 2011
The road to Milford Sound, which travels through the Eglinton Valley, is now one of the most accessible places in the country to see and hear mohua/yellowhead.
Date: 18 March 2011
It wasn't just rubbish that Gannet Beach Adventures collected this year on its annual Cape Kidnappers Seaweek beach clean up. It also gathered the $600 profit from the day's tractor ride and donated it to the Red Cross Christchurch Earthquake Appeal.
Date: 17 March 2011
The brilliant use of colour, beach material and clever use of words produced some impressive winning entries in last month's Seaweek pictures and stories competition "My connection to the sea."
Date: 16 March 2011
The popular Siberia Hut on the Gillespie Pass Circuit Track in Mt Aspiring National Park burnt to the ground today.
Date: 17 March 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
The Minister of Conservation has granted approval for the staged installation of up to 200 tidal turbine power generators in the Kaipara Harbour.
Date: 17 March 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
The protection status of Canada geese as a game bird will be changed to allow farmers, park owners and aviation managers to cull these birds themselves, Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson announced today.
Date: 17 March 2011
The annual Pureora hunting competition is set to roar into life again with trophy stag hunting about to begin. Everyone who holds a valid DOC hunting permit for Pureora between the dates of March 21st and April 17th is automatically entered in the competition, where hunters vie for a range of prizes from our generous sponsors.
Date: 15 March 2011
The ecological restoration of Taranga (Hen) Island is a step closer now that the Northland Regional Council has given approval to undertake a rat eradication project called "Project Restore".
Date: 14 March 2011
Over 300 Far Northerners took the plunge into Seaweek 2011 via a touring roadshow that provided a glimpse into 'the world that lies beneath the waves'.
Date: 14 March 2011
Friday marked another momentous day at Tongariro National Trout Centre in Turangi, with the official opening of the Genesis Energy Freshwater Aquarium.
Date: 11 March 2011
Along with the rest of Christchurch, the Department of Conservation's Canterbury operations have been heavily affected by the tragic 22 February earthquake.
Date: 10 March 2011
Whio are the flavour of the month for March. And no, not literally (apparently they taste awful).
Date: 09 March 2011
A slideshow of remarkable marine photography is coming to Whangarei as part of Seaweek celebrations for 2011. Dr Roger Grace's international marine photography show has been specially organised for Seaweek in Northland, and was launched in the Bay of Islands on Tuesday 1 March.
Date: 09 March 2011
Two Gisborne men have received prison sentences for illegally taking crayfish, kina and paua from an East Coast marine reserve.
Date: 09 March 2011
The logging of the old pine trees on the Lookout Track on conservation reserve near the State Highway 1 bridge Turangi is well underway.
Date: 07 March 2011
Ninety-six rats have now been caught on Ulva Island since a rat population was detected just after Christmas last year. An aerial spread of bait containing rat poison (brodifacoum) has the highest chance of succeeding.
Date: 09 March 2011
The Department of Conservation is concerned that the lack of cooperation and vandalism on the Cathedral Cove track, Coromandel Peninsula, will put visitors at risk and is urging the public to heed the warnings.
Date: 09 March 2011
Two German nationals are facing wildlife and theft charges following a joint operation involving the Department of Conservation, Police, and Customs.
Date: 08 March 2011
The Department of Conservation has proudly launched the latest addition to its fleet of working boats, the 'Matuku'. Kaumatua Sid Kingi blessed the new boat last week at Doves Bay, wishing her and her crews safe passage in their work around the Bay of Islands.
Date: 08 March 2011
The first kākāpō chicks of the season have hatched with three new arrivals bringing the total population of the critically endangered parrot to 123.
Date: 01 March 2011
Source: Genesis Energy
While the importance of protecting kiwi from extinction is well known throughout New Zealand, the fate of another iconic bird hangs in the balance.
Date: 07 March 2011
Every year Dave Cade (aka Didymo Dave) helps the Iron Men on the tough up hill section of the bike race by banging his pot and yelling support until he is hoarse.
Date: 02 March 2011
A rubbish-free coastline is the aim of the Dunedin Coastal Cleanup being held this Sunday, 6 March, as part of Seaweek 2011.
Date: 01 March 2011
Source: Department of Conservation and Centre for Marine Environmental & Economic Research
As sizes of popular recreational fish increase at Wellington marine reserves we can also expect to see changes in behaviour and habitat for certain species.
Date: 01 March 2011
DOC pest control experts are looking at changes to DOC's rat bait distribution systems after the death of six native parrots in a Wairarapa reserve.
Date: 28 February 2011
Hunters can take up the chance for a short time this autumn to fly into the Tasman Wilderness Area in the heart of Kahurangi National Park to hunt.
Date: 26 February 2011
The Department of Conservation with weed buster Woody Weed made a big impression in Pukawa last weekend.
Date: 23 February 2011
Find out what's happening in Otago during Seaweek, New Zealand's annual celebration of the sea.
Date: 22 February 2011
Seaweek 2011 will take the Far North on a photographic journey from oceans to icebergs with marine photographer, Dr Roger Grace. He took time out of his preparations to answer a few questions about his work and what sort of images people can expect to see.
Date: 21 February 2011
A stunning new visual roadshow of the underwater world will be visiting the Bay of Islands during NZAEE Seaweek, February 26 - 6 March 2011.
Date: 20 February 2011
A pod of pilot whales stranded at the southern end of Mason Bay on Stewart Island, this morning.
Date: 18 February 2011
The historic Skippers Point School in spectacular Skippers Canyon near Queenstown is getting a makeover this week.
Date: 18 February 2011
The Otago Conservation Board is urgently seeking nominations to fill three general Board vacancies.
Date: 17 February 2011
A guide for anyone wanting to help with jewelled gecko conservation on Otago Peninsula's is being launched 18 February 2011.
Date: 18 February 2011
Come and discover a 'mud-delicious watery-wonderland' with a free family fun day at Duvauchelle showground, Banks Peninsula, Canterbury, Sunday 6 March.
Date: 16 February 2011
DOC pest control teams have caught a stoat on Kapiti Island.
Date: 14 February 2011
A stunning new visual roadshow of the underwater world launches in Northland during NZAEE Seaweek 2011.
Date: 15 February 2011
Slow and methodical work is winning the war against a voracious ant threatening some of New Zealand's rarest and most unique native wildlife.
Date: 14 February 2011
A new conservation management strategy for Stewart Island and the first management plan for Rakiura National Park has been approved by the New Zealand Conservation Authority.
Date: 14 February 2011
The Department of Conservation would like to inform the community that the Lookout Track, which starts from the State Highway 1 Bridge Turangi, will be temporarily closed.
Date: 14 February 2011
Mountain biking on Kahurangi National Park's Wangapeka Track has resulted in a Wakefield man being fined $900.
Date: 11 February 2011
The Department of Conservation (DOC) encourage children ages 3 to 12 years to enter the Seaweek Pictures and Stories Competition "My connection to the sea" now underway.
Date: 10 February 2011
Thanks to 40 students from Hurunui College in North Canterbury, three young great spotted kiwi / roroa will be released into the Nina valley this Saturday.
Date: 10 February 2011
The whio/blue duck population in Arthur's Pass National Park are being counted in a survey this week carried out by the Department.
Date: 10 February 2011
Thanks to the efforts of some recreational hunters, the Department of Conservation (DOC) has successfully prosecuted a commercial helicopter operator for illegally heli-hunting in a recreational hunting area (RHA).
Date: 10 February 2011
A Porirua man, with previous fisheries offences, was convicted in court this week after pleading guilty to illegally taking marine life from the Taputeranga Marine Reserve off Wellington's south coast.
Date: 07 February 2011
Taiaroa Head's currently oldest albatross - White-blue-green (WBG), based on her colour bands - may not have the most exciting name. The 42-year-old matriarch's life to date, however, is another story - it's been riddled with bad luck.
Date: 07 February 2011
Stand aside Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver and Masterchef - Northland's own version of popularist cooking is coming to the Northland Field Days.
Date: 07 February 2011
Department of Conservation staff in Kaitaia are in the throes of planning a major control operation after confirming the presence of highly invasive Argentine ants at Tapotupotu campground in the Far North earlier this week.
Date: 03 February 2011
The Department of Conservaiton (DOC) is pleased with the successful prosecution of 41 year old Computer Programmer Lance Gordon Warren of Auckland who appeared before Judge Harding in the Whakatane District Court last week.
Date: 02 February 2011
It is the time of the year to celebrate local wetlands with World Wetlands Day, the 2nd of February. An intergovernmental convention on conservation and wise use of wetlands was signed by at Ramsar, Iran in 1971.
Date: 03 February 2011
Minister of Conservation Hon Kate Wilkinson today announced the appointment of Papara (Caroline) Carroll to the Wellington Hawke's Bay Conservation Board.
Date: 28 January 2011
What better occasion then World Wetlands Day (WWD) 2 February to think about the importance of wetlands and forests. You can find out more about them by attending a screening in Gisborne of "Water Whisperers Tangaroa" and getting involved with a working bee at Sisterson Lagoon.
Date: 18 January 2011
Unprepared snorkellers at a popular marine reserve north of Auckland are getting into difficulties in the water, with growing numbers needing rescuing.
Date: 29 January 2011
Source: Offices of the Minister of Conservation and the Minister for Environment
Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson today called for public input into a proposed National Policy Statement on New Zealand's indigenous biodiversity announced at the Bluegreens Forum in Akaroa.
Date: 29 January 2011
Source: Offices of the Minister of Conservation and the Fisheries Minister
Three huge marine reserves totalling 435,163ha are to be established in the Subantarctic Islands, Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson and Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley announced today.
Date: 28 January 2011
A major weed control operation to aerially spray invasive pest plants in Otago's largest wetlands is part of the programme the Lake Waihola Waipori Wetlands Society is undertaking for World Wetlands Day next week (February 2).
Date: 28 January 2011
Department of Conservation (DOC) and TVNZ 7 have just completed shooting the latest (third) instalment of "Meet the Locals", a series of mini-documentaries that feature some of New Zealand's most amazing native critters - and the people passionate about saving them.
Date: 27 January 2011
The Department of Conservation is proposing to formally name the conservation areas along the Marsden Point - Uretiti coastline, as shown on the map.
Date: 27 January 2011
A stunning photo of a kākāpō, taken by a DOC ranger, has picked up first prize in an international competition to photograph endangered birds.
Date: 21 January 2011
Rescue was not possible for ten pilot whales found stranded this morning in the Parengarenga harbour near the top of New Zealand.
Date: 20 January 2011
Residents and visitors in Otago and Southland have the chance over the next few weeks to have their say about how DOC manages conservation land in the area using an online mapping tool.
Date: 19 January 2011
Seaweek 2011 in the Northland region will feature a roadshow from photographer Dr Roger Grace, education workshops based on the popular End of the Line movie, a free community snorkel day and a participatory workshop for schools.
Date: 18 January 2011
A young Riponui kiwi found in December with a serious neck injury flies back to Whangarei tomorrow (19 January), with the help of airline wings.
Date: 18 January 2011
New Zealand will join 160 other countries, some as far flung as Botswana, China and Iran in marking the occasion, with a dawn celebration on the shores of Lake Ngatu in the Far North.
Date: 17 January 2011
Despite La Nina weather patterns creating a tough breeding season for seabirds nationally, New Zealand's most northern population of grey-faced petrels are beating the odds.
Date: 13 January 2011
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Hunters can now go online at any time from any computer and apply for a hunting permit on conservation land anywhere in the country, says Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson.
Date: 13 January 2011
A legendary kākāpō which played a vital role in the recovery of the species has been found dead.
Date: 12 January 2011
A recently-hatched kiwi chick found in Nelson Lakes National Park just before Christmas has sadly been discovered dead.
Date: 10 January 2011
Twelve rats have been caught on 'rat free' Ulva Island in the last two weeks.