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Date: 24 December 2019 DOC welcomes Cardrona Alpine Resort Limited’s decision to halt chairlift construction as it would disturb an extremely significant site for New Zealand’s native lizards.
Date: 23 December 2019 With the reopening of storm damaged State Highway 6 late last week, South Westland Rangers have been busy with the increase in visitor numbers to Glacier Country.
Date: 23 December 2019 DOC is monitoring the wellbeing of a small number of rāpoka/New Zealand sea lions after they appear to have reacted to glue used during an external research programme.
Date: 23 December 2019 A new animated video from DOC and Te Roroa, kaitiaki over Waipoua Forest in the far North, is urging people to clean their shoes and stay on the open tracks when visiting kauri forests.
Date: 23 December 2019 The track to the Cape Kidnappers/Te Kauwae-a-Māui Gannet Reserve will remain closed over Christmas while the results of a risk analysis report are fully reviewed.
Date: 20 December 2019 Dog owners are being encouraged to share the beach and ensure they keep space between their pets and wildlife.
Date: 19 December 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation The vulnerability of New Zealand’s aquatic environments to climate change is highlighted in a new report on Waituna Lagoon in Southland’s internationally recognised Awarua Wetland.
Date: 19 December 2019 DOC is reminding the public to be careful near shorebird nesting sites on the East Coast this summer.
Date: 19 December 2019 Hunters making the most of the holidays by heading into the bush and mountain ranges are being reminded to keep safe by DOC.
Date: 19 December 2019 Last Tuesday (10th December) was a big day for two special Northland kiwi.
Date: 19 December 2019 DOC have rangers and volunteers working in popular recreation and holiday spots in Whanganui this summer to ensure, huts and campsites are in great condition for visitors.
Date: 18 December 2019 Boaties are being urged to bring in broken lines and rubbish from their fishing trips after a dead baby dolphin was recovered from Tāwharanui beach in Auckland.
Date: 18 December 2019 Whanau oriented events are the focus of this year's Central Plateau summer nature programme Mahi Aroha.
Date: 17 December 2019 In a rare event, a Hector's dolphin has been found dead on the foreshore at the head of Piopiotahi/Milford Sound in Fiordland.
Date: 17 December 2019 A Mana Cruising Club crew is sailing across Cook Strait from Wellington to help rid a Marlborough Sounds island of rats and keep it rat-free so its native wildlife can thrive.
Date: 16 December 2019 Walkers enjoying tracks on the Coromandel and Kaimai Ranges this summer will likely encounter friendly DOC and iwi track ambassadors who will be spreading the word on how to prevent the spread of kauri dieback disease.
Date: 16 December 2019 DOC is asking all visitors to the outdoors to ‘Love this place’ as it introduces its behaviour in nature campaign for a second summer.
Date: 16 December 2019 A Taranaki kiwi chick is lucky to be alive thanks to a truckie who saved it from a stoat attack.
Date: 16 December 2019 Extreme weather on the West Coast has continued to stymie efforts to open the middle section of the Paparoa Track, DOC says.
Date: 16 December 2019 Source: Toyota | Department of Conservation Toyota Kiwi Guardians is marking an historic milestone, with the claiming of the programme's 50,000th medal.
Date: 13 December 2019 DOC is assessing the future of foot access to Ball Hut and the Tasman Glacier.
Date: 13 December 2019 The ‘no vacancy’ sign is going up at the takahē homeland in Fiordland’s Murchison Mountains this summer as it becomes full with DOC’s release of a record 41 takahē.
Date: 11 December 2019 The New Zealand Alpine Club and DOC are celebrating 30 years of managing huts together in the West Matukituki Valley, Mt Aspiring National Park.
Date: 10 December 2019 A sighting of the distinctive round dorsal fin of a very rare Hector's dolphin on the Eastern seaboard of the Coromandel Peninsula has excited marine mammal enthusiasts across the country.
Date: 10 December 2019 Millions of bird nerds from around the world will soon have their eyes fixed on coastal Otago’s toroa/northern royal albatross colony, thanks to a new partnership between DOC and New York’s Cornell University/Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Date: 09 December 2019 A DOC Community Fund grant is assisting Forest & Birds’ efforts to protect pekapeka/long-tailed bats in the Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve from high rat numbers.
Date: 10 December 2019 A squadron of Conservation Dogs descended on the Bay of Islands last week.
Date: 09 December 2019 Students from Whanganui Collegiate recently tackled the invasive veldt grass at Gordon Park Scenic Reserve alongside DOC staff and Friends of Gordon Park volunteers.
Date: 09 December 2019 Hobsonville Point Secondary School students are bringing native birds back to their community with DOC funding for a predator control programme.
Date: 06 December 2019 A mountain biker caught cycling through the construction site in the closed area on the Paparoa Track yesterday may be prosecuted.
Date: 06 December 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation Restoration of the Te Hoiere/Pelorus River catchment is getting a significant boost thanks to new government funding support.
Date: 05 December 2019 The Waikanae Estuary Care Group will be stocking up their plant nursery to help restore the Lower North Island’s second most valuable estuarine environment following a $20,000 grant from the DOC Community Fund.
Date: 04 December 2019 Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura and DOC welcome the conviction of a Kaikōura man for killing nine red-billed gulls when he drove over them.
Date: 04 December 2019 Ruahine Whio Protectors are delighted their work to control predators and protect whio in the Ruahine Ranges will receive a substantial boost from DOC's Community Fund.
Date: 02 December 2019 DOC welcomes the sentencing of the three men found guilty and convicted of taking native fish (whitebait) from the Waitutu area of Fiordland National Park.
Date: 02 December 2019 One of New Zealand’s rarest birds, the tara iti/New Zealand fairy tern has been boosted by two chicks successfully hatching last week – one at Pakiri, North of Auckland and the other at Mangawhai, near Whangarei.
Date: 29 November 2019 A DOC conservation dog has been rescued from Campbell Island in the New Zealand subantarctic after being charged at by a sea lion and running away.
Date: 26 November 2019 Source: Offices of the Associate Minister for the Environment and the Minster of Conservation Associate Minister for the Environment, Nanaia Mahuta and Minister of Conservation, Eugenie Sage today announced a new toolkit to support councils to give nature a helping hand to restore indigenous biodiversity and halt further decline.
Date: 25 November 2019 Source: Offices of the Minister of Tourism and Minister of Conservation Kiwi kids are asking visitors to look after our home in a campaign launched by Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage.
Date: 22 November 2019 After a big effort by DOC teams, the Pakihi Track has reopened in time for the summer peak.
Date: 21 November 2019 DOC is hoping floating platforms will help to keep the chicks of a central Christchurch colony of critically endangered tarāpuka/black-billed gulls from drowning this breeding season.
Date: 21 November 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation Innovation and technology are behind five new products to help eliminate predators, Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage and Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today.
Date: 20 November 2019 Results of toxicology testing of dead rats that washed up on North Beach near Westport recently show no presence of 1080.
Date: 19 November 2019 Source: Offices of the Minister of Fisheries and the Minister of Conservation A proposed national plan of action to reduce the number of seabirds caught in fisheries is being circulated for public feedback.
Date: 19 November 2019 The official opening of the new Paparoa Track will go ahead as planned on Saturday 30 November 2019, but the track will only partially open on 1 December 2019.
Date: 15 November 2019 The popular Diamond Lake Track near Wanaka will reopen this weekend following extensive repair work.
Date: 14 November 2019 The long-term sustainability of Coromandel camping holidays is being improved by changes to a number of DOC campgrounds; including reducing the number of people using them, at least in the short-term.
Date: 13 November 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation The recently crowned Bird of the Year, the hoiho/yellow-eyed penguin, is getting a much needed helping hand alongside more than 168 other community conservation projects announced Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage today.
Date: 13 November 2019 Pioneering conservationist Richard Henry’s crucial contribution to saving our endangered native birds is remembered today, 13 November 2019, the 90th Anniversary of his death.
Date: 12 November 2019 DOC welcomes the first North Island business to sign up to the SMART Operator programme that promotes responsible marine mammal viewing activities.
Date: 11 November 2019 To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve, DOC and Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve Committee are holding a Family Fun Day at the reserve this Saturday 16 November.
Date: 11 November 2019 Dog owners are being urged to keep their dogs off Westport beaches after hundreds of dead rats washed up there in the past 24 hours.
Date: 11 November 2019 New research using acoustic underwater monitoring devices has confirmed that Hector’s or Māui dolphins are often present in the Taranaki region.
Date: 08 November 2019 New survey results indicate the kiwi population in Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park is growing.
Date: 05 November 2019 In the Northern Ruahine forest, fluffy whio ducklings and kiwi chicks are emerging from their nests at this time of year. Unfortunately, many of these babies won’t survive the summer without our intervention.
Date: 04 November 2019 Get snapping at Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve and enter your best photos in a competition being run as part of the marine reserve’s 20th-anniversary celebrations this month.
Date: 04 November 2019 Native birds on Mount Taranaki have a greater chance of breeding success this season with high rat and possum numbers knocked down from the predator control operation in June.
Date: 01 November 2019 A brand-new bridge is now open on the popular Te Henga Walkway, a coastal trail in the Muriwai Te Henga area on Auckland’s wild west coast.
Date: 01 November 2019 DOC and electricity lines company Orion have joined forces to protect native plants, birds and power lines on Banks Peninsula in Canterbury by controlling possums.
Date: 31 October 2019 New Zealand’s rarest bird, the tara iti/New Zealand fairy tern, has produced the first egg of the breeding season.
Date: 30 October 2019 Yellow-eyed penguin/hoiho nest numbers have declined in some locations following significant starvation events last season.
Date: 30 October 2019 DOC is implementing an advisory system for 'bad weather days' on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing this summer walking season
Date: 28 October 2019 Concern is growing for Auckland’s resident leopard seal, Owha, who was spotted early Saturday morning bleeding from a severe facial wound.
Date: 25 October 2019 DOC is delighted to be awarded the Great Journeys of New Zealand Industry Enabler Award at the Tourism Awards for its ‘Kiwi Way’ summer behaviour in nature campaign.
Date: 18 October 2019 A highlight of the 50th Conservation Week in Waikato saw over one hundred children from neighbouring schools get together to help restore habitat near Lake Whangape.
Date: 22 October 2019 A posse of helpers is needed to help figure out if the Australasian Bittern population is booming in the Bay of Plenty.
Date: 21 October 2019 A 51-year-old Chinese tourist was found deceased near Red Crater in Tongariro National Park on Sunday.
Date: 21 October 2019 A fatality on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing over the weekend is being acknowledged with a rāhui.
Date: 16 October 2019 Protecting backyard native wildlife just got easier for Taranaki residents as DOC opens the regions first trap library.
Date: 16 October 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation The future for New Zealand’s threatened indigenous freshwater fish looks brighter with the passing of the Conservation (Indigenous Freshwater Fish) Amendment Bill in Parliament today said Minister of Conservation, Eugenie Sage.
Date: 14 October 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation Developed by DOC, ‘A practical guide to trapping’ was launched at a predator trapping course run by Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) at urban ecosanctuary.
Date: 11 October 2019 The future for whio is looking more secure thanks to a new agreement between DOC, Real Journeys and Genesis.
Date: 11 October 2019 DOC and Blackball residents are getting ready for the long-awaited opening of what will be New Zealand’s first purpose built shared-use Great Walk.
Date: 10 October 2019 The Māori owners of 741 hectares of native rainforest, in western Southland, have worked with the Nature Heritage Fund to permanently protect the forest.
Date: 10 October 2019 The last northern royal albatross/toroa chick has fledged from Pukekura/Taiaroa Head bringing the 2018/19 breeding season to an end.
Date: 09 October 2019 A new visitor experience centre and overhaul and upgrade of dated infrastructure at Punakaiki is one step closer with the call to market this week for proposals from suppliers to complete final designs for the project.
Date: 04 October 2019 Return of the winter field team from Auckland Island brings new insights into the work needed to make the subantarctic island pest-free.
Date: 04 October 2019 Takahē may be flightless but their population is flying high with the official count reaching 418 after a record breeding season that produced an estimated 65 juveniles, the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced today.
Date: 03 October 2019 DOC welcomes the successful prosecution of three whitebaiters who were found guilty of whitebaiting on the Waitutu river in Fiordland National Park
Date: 02 October 2019 Ngā Wairiki, Ngāti Apa is asking that people show respect for the whenua/land after a huge effort to rehabilitate Motukaraka Reserve.
Date: 01 October 2019 Owha, the leopard seal, has been seen at ferry terminals, marinas, boat ramps and beaches in Auckland and Northland for the last four years.
Date: 01 October 2019 The Great Walks season gets underway this month and the DOC’s tips for those making trips include being well prepared to keep safe and to help care for the beautiful natural areas they will experience.
Date: 30 September 2019 DOC and Creative New Zealand welcome submissions for Wild Creations 2020, an initiative supporting artists to engage with nature and conservation.
Date: 27 September 2019 DOC is reminding fishers they can ‘sleep-in’ on Sunday when the hours' people can legally whitebait change with the start of daylight savings.
Date: 27 September 2019 DOC is reminding members of the public to be aware of nesting birds around the area this breeding season, as people spend more time in the outdoors with the longer days and warmer weather.
Date: 25 September 2019 Putting a wider range of accommodation options at visitors' fingertips will allow for an even better camping and tramping experience this summer.
Date: 25 September 2019 The whio aversion programme for dogs brings success in Taranaki's whio population.
Date: 25 September 2019 DOC rangers are planning a strong presence around Rotorua lakes for the fishing season opening day, to promote responsible and considerate behaviour.
Date: 24 September 2019 Eastern Bay of Plenty whitebaiters have largely played by the rules this season but there are some who have been using illegal equipment or techniques.
Date: 24 September 2019 Record number of kākā released in Abel Tasman National Park
Date: 24 September 2019 New Zealand’s latest figures on the trade of elephant ivory across the border show imports have been decreasing, although seizures of ivory without permits have increased slightly in the last decade.
Date: 24 September 2019 Aroha, the rowi kiwi that made headlines last month after she was rescued from a mountain by the local West Coast LandSAR Alpine Cliff Rescue team is on the move again.
Date: 24 September 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation The Government plans to strengthen New Zealand’s measures to prevent international trade in endangered species the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced today.
Date: 23 September 2019 Seven individuals and groups received special acknowledgement for being Bay of Plenty (BOP) conservation heroes at a function at Whakatāne’s Mataatua wharenui on Thursday.
Date: 23 September 2019 The Gisborne i-SITE is now the public front desk for East Coast/Tairawhiti DOC visitor enquiries.
Date: 20 September 2019 Ten tracks on Aotea / Great Barrier Island are being upgraded to prevent the spread of kauri dieback disease.
Date: 20 September 2019 DOC wants those in Whanganui who love and enjoy the outdoors to embrace the essence of the Whanganui Journey while still focusing on safety.
Date: 18 September 2019 In a world first, DOC, with the support of Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development, has launched a nature app that incorporates Te Reo Māori, Chinese and English translations.
Date: 17 September 2019 Charges have been brought against two men for removing bracket fungus from the Waireinga/Bridal Veil Falls Track near Raglan. The men appeared in the Hamilton District Court on Tuesday morning.
Date: 17 September 2019 It’s official – for the first time in more than 70 years, the kākāpō population is a record 213 birds.
Date: 16 September 2019 Whanganui DOC staff are reminding whitebaiters to keep to the rules which remain unchanged for the 2019 fishing season.
Date: 14 September 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation The Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage is celebrating 50 years of Conservation Week or Te Wiki Tiaki Ao Turoa and encouraging people to get involved in conservation.
Date: 13 September 2019 One of Hawke’s Bay’s smallest birds, the tūturiwhatu / banded dotterel, needs extra awareness during their most vulnerable time of year.
Date: 10 September 2019 Auckland’s Harbour Bridge will light up to celebrate 50 years of Conservation Week.
Date: 10 September 2019 A Hector’s dolphin has been spotted in Napier waters and the DOC is encouraging the public to report any further sightings of this rare, small dolphin.
Date: 06 September 2019 A survey of toanui or flesh-footed shearwater in Taranaki has seen great results with hundreds of the birds found on Motumahanga Island offshore from New Plymouth.
Date: 04 September 2019 Source: Offices of the Minister of Conservation and the Minister of Regional Economic Development Work will begin immediately on the Taranaki Crossing Project that will create jobs and boost visitor access to Mt Taranaki, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced today.
Date: 30 August 2019 A rare rowi kiwi who had strayed far from her lowland forest home to a cliff face has been rescued.
Date: 29 August 2019 DOC have recently found two sites where rubbish has been illegally dumped on public conservation land, near the West Coast towns of Greymouth and Reefton.
Date: 29 August 2019 DOC has put in place new permit conditions to protect bottlenose dolphins in the Bay of Islands, Northland.
Date: 28 August 2019 Magnificent views of alpine glacial lakes and the awe-inspiring landscapes of the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana await visitors to the freshly repaired Hooker Valley Track in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.
Date: 28 August 2019 Source: Office of the Minister for the Environment An application from Westpower Ltd for concessions to construct and operate a run of river hydro-electric power scheme on the Waitaha River, near Hokitika, has been declined.
Date: 27 August 2019 Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) helicopters today delivered 50 tonnes of crushed oyster shells to a remote breeding site of the rare native bird, tara iti / New Zealand fairy tern.
Date: 26 August 2019 DOC is protecting rare and threatened bird species living in the Hurunui and Waiau rivers by controlling southern black-backed gulls/karoro, which prey on their chicks and eggs.
Date: 24 August 2019 The access road to the iconic destination of Fox Glacier/Te Moeka o Tuawe in South Westland will be closed for the indefinite future after an engineering report commissioned by DOC and the New Zealand Transport Agency found it was no longer practical to re-establish road access into the valley.
Date: 24 August 2019 Source: Offices of the Minister of Conservation and Minister of Tourism The West Coast’s Glacier Country will receive a significant investment to boost the area’s spectacular visitor attractions, Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced today.
Date: 22 August 2019 With the whitebaiting season underway, DOC is asking for sightings of the pest fish Gambusia across Nelson Tasman.
Date: 21 August 2019 DOC has re-opened ten tracks in Tauranga after successful upgrade work to help prevent the spread of kauri dieback disease.
Date: 20 August 2019 DOC and Fisheries New Zealand would like to thank everyone who took part in the consultation on the Hector’s and Māui dolphins Threat Management Plan review.
Date: 20 August 2019 West Coast kids have a chance to win some great conservation themed prize packages by participating in a “Share your Nature Story” competition currently open for entries.
Date: 19 August 2019 New Zealand’s most endangered birds, the tara iti /New Zealand fairy tern, received a boost to their upcoming breeding season with the creation of three new man-made shell nesting sites in Waipu, north of Auckland.
Date: 16 August 2019 After almost two months of cleaning rubbish, DOC has shut down the Incident Management Centre that was set up at the Fox Glacier DOC office to manage the Fox landfill clean-up response.
Date: 14 August 2019 Source: Offices of the Minister of Conservation and the Minister of Tourism A programme and a recovery plan for the critically endangered kākāpō are among the first projects to receive funding through the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL).
Date: 12 August 2019 A 16-metre fin whale washed up dead at Te Kaha on Thursday last week. The whale was first spotted floating close to shore before washing up with the high tide.
Date: 12 August 2019 This year’s whitebaiting season starts this week, with DOC reminding whitebaiters to follow the rules to protect the whitebait fishery.
Date: 09 August 2019 Source: Department of Conservation and Te Manahuna Aoraki A significant increase in predator trapping is giving 130 young kakī/black stilt released in the Mackenzie Basin this week their best-ever chance of survival.
Date: 08 August 2019 The Department of Conservation (DOC) says an increase in fur seals/kekeno being seen around Hawke’s Bay shores this season is an excellent sign for seal populations around New Zealand, but beachgoers should give them space.
Date: 08 August 2019 The Department of Conservation (DOC) has announced that the massive effort by volunteers to clean-up the Fox landfill spill will end on Sunday after a final push by the biggest volunteer force yet.
Date: 06 August 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation and NZ Conservation Authority Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage and the NZ Conservation Authority have directed DOC to undertake partial reviews of the Conservation General Policy and the General Policy for National Parks, to give better effect to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Date: 05 August 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Associate Minister for the Environment Nanaia Mahuta launch new action plan for biodiversity.
Date: 06 August 2019 This year's unprecedented 'mega mast' is making predator control more challenging than ever.
Date: 03 August 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation Government, iwi and a community organisation have banded together to turn around the fortunes of the nationally endangered hoiho/yellow-eyed penguin, which recently suffered a series of poor breeding seasons.
Date: 02 August 2019 DOC Director-General Lou Sanson is onsite in Fox Glacier to thank volunteers and the New Zealand Defence Force personnel for their work in removing rubbish from the Fox and Cook Rivers and coastline of South Westland.
Date: 01 August 2019 DOC Operation Tidy Fox team has announced that they expect the clean-up to be finished by mid-August.
Date: 31 July 2019 DOC Director-General Lou Sanson has announced that the 2019 winner of the Stephen O’Dea Developmental award is Senior Ranger/Supervisor Suvi van Smit from the West Coast.
Date: 30 July 2019 Whale and dolphin watching tourist operators in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park (HGMP) have funded $100,000 of research into the marine mammals that provide their livelihood.
Date: 26 July 2019 Wednesday 31st July is World Ranger Day and DOC is acknowledging the critical work of its hard-working rangers.
Date: 26 July 2019 DOC rangers have trapped a rat on pest-free Motutihe Island in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.
Date: 24 July 2019 DOC rangers are working to catch a rat found on pest-free Motutihe Island in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.
Date: 23 July 2019 Northern royal albatross/toroa is back in the spotlight as a new Royal Cam star prepares to take to the skies this summer.
Date: 22 July 2019 Rob Roy Track closed due to a slip that has undercut the track.
Date: 19 July 2019 A recent pest fish survey done by the DOC and Northland Regional Council has provided useful advice for planning the battle against two Northland pest fish, koi carp and rudd.
Date: 17 July 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation New Zealand’s rarest mainland forest bird, the kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeet, is having its best breeding season in decades due to a beech seed bonanza, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage said in Christchurch today.
Date: 17 July 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation 31 appointments and 24 reappointments to 15 conservation boards across New Zealand were announced today by the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage.
Date: 17 July 2019 The future for kākāpō could look more fertile thanks to advancements in artificial insemination.
Date: 16 July 2019 More predator control is needed to protect a nationally-important mohua/yellowhead population from local extinction.
Date: 15 July 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation The epic 12,000 km journey made by some of New Zealand's favourite migratory birds from the Coromandel to the Arctic is set to become safer.
Date: 14 July 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation Southland’s 61 km Hump Ridge Track is set to be New Zealand’s next Great Walk the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced today in Tuatapere, Southland.
Date: 13 July 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation A significant milestone in the journey towards achieving Predator Free Rakiura has been welcomed by the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage today, with the signing of a commitment to rid the island of pests.
Date: 12 July 2019 The most popular hut in the Tararua Ranges has been rebuilt and is back open for business after a small opening ceremony today.
Date: 12 July 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation The Minister for Conservation, Eugenie Sage, is celebrating the discovery of a new, genetically distinct subpopulation of the critically endangered Haast tokoeka by DOC staff on the West Coast near Haast.
Date: 11 July 2019 Seven hundred years of history of one of Aotearoa’s most unique island landscapes have been brought together for the first time.
Date: 10 July 2019 Ten tracks in the Bay of Islands will be permanently closed this week to prevent the spread of kauri dieback disease.
Date: 08 July 2019 Amidst a chilled winter day, DOC and the Bay of Plenty community gathered to commemorate the mighty kauri tree in New Zealand's Mural Town of Katikati.
Date: 05 July 2019 More NZ fur seals/kekeno are turning up on Whanganui beaches and we're asking you to give them space and leave them be.
Date: 04 July 2019 An attack on a NZ fur seal by a pack of dogs at Ocean Beach, Hawke's Bay, has resulted in a local woman facing charges under the Wildlife Act.
Date: 01 July 2019 Recent reports of unpermitted drone use over Mangatutu Hot Springs in the Kaweka Forest Park have raised safety concerns.
Date: 01 July 2019 A network of 700 automated kill traps is standing guard over a unique population of native frogs near Te Puke, part of a joint effort to make ‘leaps’ in their population growth.
Date: 28 June 2019 DOC and hunters are targeting Himalayan tahr over the next two months to protect the majestic landscapes and native plants of the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana.
Date: 28 June 2019 Land in Wairoa Gorge in Nelson Tasman, that contains forest of high ecological value and an internationally renowned mountain bike park, has been gifted to the people of New Zealand.
Date: 28 June 2019 An alliance of councils, iwi and the Department of Conservation in the top of the South Island plans to work collectively to restore natural landscapes.
Date: 27 June 2019 DOC has moved swiftly to improve its visitor safety systems after an internal investigation showed significant failures in the way it assessed the Cape Kidnappers track.
Date: 26 June 2019 DOC are asking the public to be careful at Wainui Beach in Gisborne if leopard seals are resting on the southern end of the beach.
Date: 26 June 2019 Source: DOC, University of Auckland and University of Otago Scientists and DOC are appealing to the public to report sightings of a rare but increasingly regular visitor to our shores, the southern right whale or tohorā (eubalaena australis).
Date: 25 June 2019 Although seals are marine mammals, they spend a lot of their time on land – particularly between June and September.
Date: 24 June 2019 DOC is asking people to keep a lookout for a humpback whale entangled in line seen off the bottom of the South Island on Saturday 22 June.
Date: 18 June 2019 An image captured by Dennis Smith will grace the front of the 2019/2020 'credit card style' full-season licence.
Date: 18 June 2019 A week since Great Walk 2019/20 bookings opened (on 11 June 2019) 9,000 bookings have been made says DOC.
Date: 17 June 2019 DOC is sending a strong message to tourism operators that they must comply with the law when operating on public conservation land.
Date: 17 June 2019 The Government is taking action to expand and strengthen the protection for Māui and Hector’s dolphins with an updated plan to deal with threats to these native marine mammals.
Date: 13 June 2019 Rats, stoats and mice in Rotorua’s Eastside area are about to be tackled thanks to the delivery of more than 200 trap boxes, handmade by inmates at Springhill Prison.
Date: 11 June 2019 Great Walks 2019/20 bookings open over several days this week, starting with Heaphy and Milford tracks today. This includes bookings for the new Paparoa Track.
Date: 07 June 2019 Fans of the 1349 steps to the Hakarimata Summit at Ngaruawahia will find a few less to run up this weekend.
Date: 07 June 2019 DOC welcomes the prison sentence handed down today to the man convicted of blackmail for sending threatening letters to DOC staff in Taranaki.
Date: 07 June 2019 DOC Rangers are preparing for an annual influx of calls relating to seals – although Rangers say many of these calls are misplaced.
Date: 05 June 2019 A section of the Ngā Tapuwae o Toi walkway, on Kōhī Point Scenic Reserve will be closed to the public from 6 am to 6 pm Tuesday 11 June, to allow DOC to carry out a controlled deer-shooting operation.
Date: 04 June 2019 A solo male whio/blue duck has been captured on camera in the Tararua Ranges indicating that the whio population in the lower North Island is on the rise.
Date: 04 June 2019 Python skin handbags, crocodile watchstraps, and traditional medicines containing turtles have been seized in New Zealand as part of an international operation against the illegal trade in reptiles.
Date: 30 April 2019 DOC is urging people to take extra care on walking tracks this weekend after heavy rain in the upper Clutha area.
Date: 31 May 2019 DOC has decided to halt the West Coast Te Tai o Poutini Conservation Management Strategy (CMS) amendment process while it works with iwi, conservation and recreation groups to ensure the legal process is robust.
Date: 30 May 2019 DOC has reopened access to the Franz Josef Glacier Valley.
Date: 29 May 2019 DOC says a recovery group is needed to provide the direction on preventing the extinction of the fairy tern/tara iti, New Zealand’s most endangered bird.
Date: 28 May 2019 A Hastings man has been delivered a prison sentence for taking kina and pūpū (common cat’s eye) from Te Angiangi Marine Reserve in Hawke’s Bay.
Date: 26 May 2019 The sight of a southern right whale like Matariki in Wellington wasn't just a fluke – a report confirms their population status is continuing to improve.
Date: 22 May 2019 A recent survey in the Pongakawa Ecological Area has indicated a robust and healthy population of North Island kōkako – one of New Zealand’s more highly threatened birds.
Date: 20 May 2019 Source: DOC and Te Roroa The Four Sisters walk has temporarily closed due to the discovery of the kauri dieback pathogen in the area.
Date: 17 May 2019 A small population of our rarest kiwi returned to their traditional West Coast home on 9 May after growing up on Mana Island in the lower North Island.
Date: 16 May 2019 Source: Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage today released a new Tourism Strategy that aims to enrich New Zealand-Aotearoa through sustainable tourism growth.
Date: 16 May 2019 Changes are needed to make New Zealand's whitebait fishery sustainable, according to 90% of respondents to a DOC survey.
Date: 16 May 2019 The Oparara Ugly Whio Security Site target of 50 whio pairs has been surpassed with 53 pairs and 31 fledglings counted in a recent survey of rivers in the site north of Westport on the West Coast.
Date: 16 May 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation For the first time, Aoraki Mount Cook National Park's annual visitor numbers have exceeded 1 million, says Conservation Minister Hon Eugenie Sage.
Date: 15 May 2019 Ten new interpretative panels unveiled on Matiu/Somes on Saturday 11 May tell the story of Taranaki Whānui and their unique connection to the island.
Date: 13 May 2019 A fatality on the Ohakune Old Coach Road track over the weekend is being acknowledged with a rāhui.
Date: 11 May 2019 Source: Offices of the Minister of Conservation and Minister of Fisheries Action is underway to enhance the protection of our precious marine biodiversity in the face of the global biodiversity crisis.
Date: 10 May 2019 DOC Director-General Lou Sanson has welcomed the honouring of Senior Ranger Paul Hondelink and Pilot Nick Wallis with a public service award.
Date: 10 May 2019 Source: DOC and New Zealand police With the change of seasons, it’s important to consider the risks of hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in the winter months.
Date: 09 May 2019 Great Walk 2019/2020 bookings will open over several days from 11 June, starting with Heaphy and Milford tracks.
Date: 08 May 2019 The once rare mohua/yellowhead has for the first time become the most common native bird counted since predator control began in the Landsborough valley in South Westland.
Date: 07 May 2019 Commercial businesses making a living off conservation land at the taxpayers’ expense are coming under heat.
Date: 06 May 2019 DOC is working with Emergency Management Southland and Milford Sound Tourism Limited to address surface flooding at Milford Sound.
Date: 01 May 2019 DOC says that the high number of dead native trees being seen across the top of the South Island is likely caused by drought stress.
Date: 30 April 2019 Our Tools to Market funding is available for innovative ideas that make a real difference to predator control technologies.
Date: 26 April 2019 The first stage of Zero Invasive Predator’s (ZIP) trial using aerial 1080 to remove predators in the Perth River valley is complete with two monitored kea reported to have died.
Date: 20 April 2019 DOC is closing off the unofficial walkway that leads from Matapouri Bay over Rangitapu Headland to Mermaid Pools.
Date: 18 April 2019 Fiordland’s whio are in the midst of a population comeback thanks to an ongoing programme of predator control.
Date: 17 April 2019 DOC and Northland Regional Council are working together in the battle against pest fish, koi carp and rudd, and need public assistance with surveillance.
Date: 17 April 2019 Kiwi chicks in a North Island forest are more likely to survive following aerial 1080 to control pests a newly published long-term study shows.
Date: 16 April 2019 DOC staff rescued a juvenile mollymawk from a paddock west of Greytown yesterday after a concerned local spotted it while walking her dog.
Date: 16 April 2019 Newly released time-lapse footage from one of New Zealand’s most popular Great Walks shows how fine weather can quickly morph into thick cloud, rain, hail or snow and why recreationists need to be prepared.
Date: 16 April 2019 The illegal removal of the jawbone of a 11 m sperm whale washed up on a beach north of Okarito is disappointing and disrespectful says DOC and iwi.
Date: 15 April 2019 DOC is upgrading the Hakarimata Summit Track in the Waikato region to prevent the spread of kauri dieback.
Date: 12 April 2019 A rare, but very friendly, black tīwaiwaka/fantail has recently been sighted at Whanganui’s Gordon Park Scenic Reserve.
Date: 11 April 2019 Fifteen shore plover, have been released on pest-free Motutapu Island to help secure the survival of this critically endangered native bird.
Date: 11 April 2019 Southlanders will have an opportunity to see some of the world’s rarest birds this weekend at a kākāpō chick viewing session.
Date: 11 April 2019 Four-week old kūpapa is the 96th Coromandel brown kiwi to be released on pest-free Motutapu Island as part of a programme to secure the survival of this rare brown kiwi.
Date: 10 April 2019 A tuatara survey by DOC and Ngāti Awa points to a healthy population of tuatara growing on Moutohorā (Whale Island). It’s a success for DOC and Ngāti Awa who jointly manage the island.
Date: 09 April 2019 The Paparoa Track will now open on 1 December 2019, replacing the previous opening scheduled for the end of September 2019.
Date: 08 April 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation Monitoring by DOC has confirmed the predicted mega mast or heavy seeding in New Zealand’s forests this autumn, Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage said today.
Date: 05 April 2019 Source: Lyttelton Port Company Native geckos are set to find a new home in Riccarton Bush as part of a Lyttelton Port Company project supported by DOC.
Date: 05 April 2019 The deer ‘roar’ is underway and DOC is urging thousands of hunters descending on public conservation land to keep safe.
Date: 04 April 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage says the latest report on how New Zealand is tracking against national and global biodiversity targets demonstrates the importance of increased investment in conservation.
Date: 04 April 2019 A humpback whale is now free of the fishing gear that entangled it after the rope was cut from it late yesterday by the Kaikōura large whale disentanglement team.
Date: 03 April 2019 New Zealand Defence Force personnel, past and present, were recognised as part of this week’s planting day at Whakaipo Bay Recreation Reserve.
Date: 03 April 2019 DOC is about to start work on the rebuild of Manson Nicholls Memorial Hut located at Lake Daniell near Maruia on the West Coast of the South Island.
Date: 02 April 2019 Due to the efforts of the two horse rehoming groups, DOC has made the decision to go ahead with the planned muster of up to 80 Kaimanawa horses.
Date: 29 March 2019 DOC is asking people to keep a lookout for a humpback whale entangled in fishing gear seen off the Otago coast yesterday afternoon.
Date: 29 March 2019 Ongoing dumping of rubbish and even animal carcasses is making what should be a family-friendly Whanganui park into an eyesore.
Date: 28 March 2019 A new report assessing the risk to DOC locations from coastal flooding reinforces the need to plan for the effects of sea level rise.
Date: 26 March 2019 Three Abel Tasman National Park islands are now predator free again after a 2017 operation successfully eradicated mice on the islands, says DOC.
Date: 26 March 2019 DOC is upgrading four Auckland tracks to prevent the spread of kauri dieback.
Date: 25 March 2019 Conservationists, environmentalists and people wanting to up skill in predator control are being invited to join a two day workshop being held in Rotorua, focused on predator trapping methods.
Date: 20 March 2019 DOC is concerned by evidence of illegal fires near Grassy Flat Hut on the Styx River and thanks members of the public for raising the alarm.
Date: 20 March 2019 DOC is seeking the views of the public on draft amendments to the West Coast Te Tai o Poutini Conservation Management Strategy (CMS) 2010.
Date: 13 March 2019 A little penguin (kororā) attacked by a dog at Himatangi Beach recently will never be able to return to the sea. The penguin, which is now recuperating at Palmerston North’s Central Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery Centre, has permanently lost sight in one eye.
Date: 13 March 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation A total of 64,400 hectares of conservation land in the Mokihinui River catchment on the West Coast north of Westport, including 15 km of riverbed, is being added to Kahurangi National Park.
Date: 11 March 2019 Source: Hihi Conservation Charitable Trust and DOC A record number of hihi or stitchbird have fledged on pest-free Tiritiri Matangi Island in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park during the latest breeding season.
Date: 08 March 2019 A recent discovery by a member of public that was reported to DOC, could have had some devastating consequences for unsuspecting visitors to the Hapuawhenua Viaduct.
Date: 08 March 2019 A minimum of 70 Kaimanawa wild horses need to be removed from the Waiouru Military Training Area, Central North Island in the next couple of months and rehoming groups are now keen to hear from prospective owners.
Date: 07 March 2019 A new online training programme has been launched to help the public identify myrtle rust at home.
Date: 06 March 2019 Waikanae River, north of Wellington, has been chosen by DOC as a priority river catchment for restoration from mountains to sea.
Date: 05 March 2019 DOC’s Himalayan tahr control work, vital to protecting the unique alpine landscapes of the South Island, resumes this week.
Date: 04 March 2019 DOC are inviting hunters and the community to join in family-friendly events and activities for the annual deer hunting competition in Pureora Forest Park.
Date: 01 March 2019 The Fox Glacier access road has been destroyed by a major landslide.
Date: 28 February 2019 Thirteen common dolphins were found dead yesterday after stranding near the entrance to Tory Channel in the Marlborough Sounds and another two dolphins stranded there this morning.
Date: 28 February 2019 Three young whio were released into the Wangapeka-Fyfe Whio Security Site this week as part of a new programme to boost whio numbers.
Date: 27 February 2019 Sea Week is a great opportunity to show your care for local beaches, says DOC Whanganui Community Ranger Jaycee Tipene Thomas.
Date: 26 February 2019 DOC is working closely with Hastings District Council who are managing the response to the landslides at Cape Kidnappers.
Date: 26 February 2019 A kahu/harrier hawk found in Wairoa this week died a slow miserable death and DOC is appealing to the public for information.
Date: 25 February 2019 DOC is advancing its knowledge of the distribution of roroa/great spotted kiwi with the use of technology that cuts down on time listening to forest sound recordings.
Date: 21 February 2019 A count of rāpoka/New Zealand sea lion pups born in the subantarctic islands this breeding season has shown mixed results for the species, DOC says.
Date: 21 February 2019 DOC has given permission for Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP) to undertake a predator removal programme over 12,000 ha of conservation land in the Perth River valley in South Westland.
Date: 21 February 2019 Rangers and staff from DOC will be part of Te Matatini ki te Ao 2019 celebrations at Westpac Stadium in Wellington this weekend.
Date: 20 February 2019 Last year's aerial 1080 operation at Mokaihaha Ecological Area has helped enable native bird populations to grow, including a special population of kōkako.
Date: 19 February 2019 DOC is currently investigating an historic underground diesel plume discovered in Milford Sound/Piopiotahi.
Date: 19 February 2019 Waikawau Bay Campground in the Coromandel will be closed from 1 March to 30 June 2019 for a $2.1Million upgrade on water facilities.
Date: 18 February 2019 DOC and local iwi made the decision to euthanise a pygmy sperm whale, suspected of stranding itself, at Te Kopua near Raglan.
Date: 18 February 2019 The Government has announced it is ending tenure review and opening consultation to change the way Crown Pastoral lease land is managed by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ).
Date: 15 February 2019 DOC is closely monitoring conditions and will keep areas open wherever it is safe to do so but will be closing some tracks as fire risks increase.
Date: 14 February 2019 DOC rangers and volunteers have been given a lovely Valentine’s Day gift with more than 100 whio ducklings sighted on a recent survey in the Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tane Conservation Park in the central North Island.
Date: 13 February 2019 Citizen scientists have recorded nearly 2,000 observations at Wellington's Taputeranga Marine Reserve.
Date: 11 February 2019 About 50 small seabird chicks from the Chatham Islands have been translocated by a volunteer conservation group to predator-free Mana Island, off the Porirua coast.
Date: 05 February 2019 The Acheron Road through Molesworth Station will close on Sunday 10 February due to extreme fire risk. No public access through the Acheron Road will be permitted from this date.
Date: 01 February 2019 DOC is appealing for information from the public about the shooting of endangered black-billed gulls at Sulphur Bay in Rotorua.
Date: 05 February 2019 A long, dry summer has hardened the ground, making it difficult for kiwi in the Bay of Islands to probe for food, so kiwi are searching for food in the daytime which leaves them more vulnerable.
Date: 04 February 2019 DOC has paused its review of two national park management plans while it works through the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision relating to Ngāi Tai.
Date: 04 February 2019 The death of a juvenile little blue penguin/kororā, killed by a dog near the Whangawehi stream at Mahia Peninsula, has prompted DOC to remind owners to control their dogs.
Date: 04 February 2019 Passengers from a cruise ship will be in for a treat today – pulling up alongside Kāpiti Island Nature Reserve.
Date: 02 February 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation New research highlights the importance of New Zealand’s wetlands for one of our most secretive native birds, the Australasian bittern or matuku, Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage said today on World Wetlands Day.
Date: 01 February 2019 "Pets kill wildlife too” is the message from DOC and Taranaki Regional Council after results show two blue penguins found dead by New Plymouth’s Breakwater were victims of dog attack.
Date: 01 February 2019 A female bottlenose dolphin is currently carrying a dead calf in the Bay of Islands and DOC staff are asking for boats on the water to give them space.
Date: 01 February 2019 The first kākāpō chicks of the season have hatched, heralding the start of what’s hoped to be the biggest boost to the critically endangered population on record.
Date: 30 January 2019 DOC is concerned about the potential smuggling of little blue penguin/kororā in Hawkes Bay, after receiving information about the capture and removal of two birds from a burrow at Perfume Point in Napier.
Date: 29 January 2019 Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation Edward Ellison has been announced as the new Chairperson of the New Zealand Conservation Authority.
Date: 24 January 2019 The newest star of DOC’s internationally renowned Royal Cam live stream has hatched to blustery conditions at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head on Otago Peninsula.
Date: 24 January 2019 DOC is working closely with the Hastings District Council, NZ Police and the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council who are managing the emergency response to the slip at Cape Kidnappers.
Date: 23 January 2019 The deaths of several black-billed gulls/tarāpuka late last year has Rotorua DOC staff very concerned.
Date: 23 January 2019 DOC welcomes the conviction of a Richmond man for killing a kea and says it is an important reminder that killing legally protected kea is unacceptable.
Date: 22 January 2019 Bright lights on cruise ships pose a risk to seabirds flying at night in the Hauraki Gulf so DOC is working with international cruise industry to help keep the birds safe.
Date: 21 January 2019 The deadline is coming up for the public to provide feedback on the draft Aoraki/Mount Cook and Westland Tai Poutini national park management plans.
Date: 18 January 2019 Waitangi the tītī/Cook’s petrel has returned to his nesting site at Poutiri Ao ō Tāne for a second year, and this time has brought friends with him.
Date: 18 January 2019 A red billed gull had to be euthanised after being caught on a fishing line and hook at Cathedral Cove today.
Date: 16 January 2019 The administration and routine maintenance of Maungauika/North Head Historic Reserve will transfer from DOC to the Tūpuna Maunga Authority on Friday 18 January 2019.
Date: 16 January 2019 The release of 20 whio on the West Coast today has grown the population of the Central Southern Alps Whio Security Site, inland from Hokitika, which has also increased in size.
Date: 10 January 2019 Source: Auckland City Council A potential sighting of a stoat on Great Barrier Island/Aotea has set off alarm bells and sparked an immediate incursion response.
Date: 10 January 2019 A necropsy (post-mortem) carried out on three of the six New Zealand fur seal/kekeno pups found decapitated late last year has ruled out the possibility of foul play.
Date: 07 January 2019 The popular Kaiaraara/Duke’s Nose track in the Whangaroa Harbour, Bay of Islands, has been reopened the public after extensive work on the steep rocky track was completed.
Date: 04 January 2019 A campfire lit in front of a total fire ban sign on pest-free Burgess/Pokohinu Island near Auckland could have endangered breeding seabirds, skinks and other native species.
