In this section:

Conservationist names 100th kākāpō

Date:  16 November 2009
A well-known New Zealand conservationist, Don Merton, has been given the honour of naming the 100th kākāpō.

Largest takahē release into the Murchison Mountains

Date:  12 November 2009
Sixteen juvenile takahē have been released into an extensively trapped area in the Murchison Mountains, Fiordland National Park. This is the largest release of juvenile birds into the Murchison Mountains.

Southern right whales – something really special

Date:  22 October 2009
Sightings of southern right whales off the coast of Te Waewae Bay and Bluff could show the fragile population is recovering.

Bait stations keeping Eglinton rats under control

Date:  21 October 2009
Monitoring of rat numbers following the first month of ground control using bait stations in key parts of the Eglinton Valley has returned encouraging results.

Funding allocation boosts community conservation projects

Date:  15 October 2009
Local community restoration groups are again the big winners as $600,000 is invested in native planting projects throughout the country as a result of the second round of the Community Conservation Fund allocations.

Didymo controls back in force five years on

Date:  15 October 2009
Today marks the five-year anniversary of the discovery of didymo in New Zealand. On 15 October 2004 NIWA scientist Cathy Kilroy first noticed “weird, brown, fungusy stuff” in the Lower Waiau River in Southland.

New look for Waipapa unveiled

Date:  05 October 2009
One of New Zealand’s most historic lighthouse reserves has been upgraded and will be officially opened on Saturday 10 October.

Kākāpō chicks move into the wild on Whenua hou (Codfish Island)

Date:  31 August 2009
The last five kākāpō chicks have been released from their temporary outdoor pens and are now roaming free on Whenua hou (Codfish Island).

Southland’s sea mammals slain

Date:  13 August 2009
A New Zealand sea lion and a leopard seal have been found dead on the same stretch of Southland coastline.

Waitutu Forest under serious threat from possums

Date:  10 August 2009
High possum numbers in Waitutu Forest, Fiordland National Park are having a significant impact on the forest’s unique biodiversity.

Fiordland no exception to avalanche activity

Date:  03 August 2009
Given the number of incidents in the past few weeks, backcountry adventure seekers are warned that Fiordland is no exception to avalanche activity.

Bookings open for two years on Fiordland’s Great Walks

Date:  13 July 2009
Tuesday the 14th of July is expected to be busy for the Department of Conservation (DOC) Great Walks team in Te Anau as bookings open for the world famous Milford, Routeburn and Kepler Tracks.

Stowaway threat to island sanctuaries

Date:  10 July 2009
A mouse that stowed away on board a boat threatened to wipe out 2 years of restoration efforts when it landed on pest-free Rona Island in Lake Manapouri.

Kakapo chicks safely home to Codfish Island (Whenuahou)

Date:  10 July 2009
The last four kākāpō chicks have returned home to Codfish Island (Whenuahou) from the hand-rearing facility in Invercargill.

Renovation rescue - Martins Bay Hut now open

Date:  10 July 2009
The upgrade of the Martins Bay Hut on the Hollyford Track has been completed bringing five years of hut redevelopment on this popular walking track to a successful end.

DOC close to solving endangered southern right whale mystery

Date:  09 July 2009
DOC is close to solving one very large mystery. DOC is working towards cracking the genetic code of the nationally endangered southern right whale (tohora) using biopsy samples.

Battle to protect native birds in Fiordland National Park

Date:  03 July 2009
Fiordland Explorer Charters have established a pest control programme in the Wilmot Pass area of Fiordland National Park.

Getting along with the neighbours

Date:  26 June 2009
Department of Conservation staff made several trips to Bluff this week in response to a New Zealand sea lion coming ashore along Marine Parade.

New hut vandalised

Date:  24 June 2009
The Department of Conservation is requesting help from the public to identify persons responsible for a deliberate act of vandalism that damaged the new hut at Rodger Inlet on Lake Monowai.

Storms drive seabirds inland

Date:  11 June 2009
The Department of Conservation has received numerous calls from people who have found exhausted seabirds blown off course.

Grass greener for takahē

Date:  28 April 2009
The takahē recovery effort has been given a $55,000 boost thanks to Mitre 10.

Kākāpō chicks move to Invercargill

Date:  09 April 2009
Twenty one kākāpō chicks have been taken to a special hand-rearing facility in Invercargill to secure their chances of survival.

Good response to draft planning documents

Date:  20 March 2009
More than 300 submissions have been received by the Department of Conservation on the two draft planning documents for Stewart Island/ Rakiura.

Pateke/brown teal return to Fiordland

Date:  12 March 2009
New Zealand's rarest waterfowl have returned to Fiordland after a 15 year absence.

Conservation planning for Stewart Island/Rakiura

Date:  05 March 2009
The submission deadline for two draft conservation planning documents for Stewart Island/Rakiura is fast approaching.

Take a look down under during Seaweek

Date:  27 February 2009
It will be heads down, tails up at New Zealand's beaches next week, as thousands of people take part in Seaweek activities all around the country.

Kākāpō chicks hatch on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island

Date:  26 February 2009
The Kākāpō Recovery effort is one step closer to bringing the world’s kākāpō population to 100 after the successful hatching of two kākāpō chicks.

Kākāpō breeding season update

Date:  10 February 2009
It has been a busy couple of months for the kākāpō recovery team. Here is an update of what has been happening.

Kākāpō rediscovered after 21 years

Date:  10 February 2009
A male kākāpō last seen 21 years ago on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, just off Stewart Island, has been rediscovered, adding his genetics to the small but increasing kākāpō population.

Community involvement saving wetland

Date:  03 February 2009
The Awarua Waituna Community Advisory Groups’ (AWAG) initiative to improve water quality in their local wetlands catchment has seen nearly 50km of fencing installed.

Fertile kākāpō egg kicks off breeding season

Date:  14 January 2009
At least one fertile kakapo egg has been laid on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, signalling the start of the kakapo breeding season.

 

back to top