These photos show a day in the life of Sirocco on Ulva Island. The cheeky kākāpō gets a health check and gets smoochy with a new friend. Click the image to view the gallery.
Pack a picnic and join the celebrations to mark the tenth anniversary of Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve. Click the image to find out more.
Get active in the park this summer! View and book summer programme events in Tongariro/Taupo. DOC staff and volunteers look forward to sharing their love of the area with you. Click the image to find out more.
A kākāpō who thinks he's human, Sirocco is a conservation ambassador and a media superstar. Click his photo to learn more.
The Conservation blog gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what DOC staff are up to and a chance to send us your comments.
New Zealand has moved to a new mapping system. If you use maps make sure you make the move too. Click the image to find out more.
Find out what Conservation Week events are still happening. Click the image to follow Meet the Locals presenter Nic Vallance through our website and learn what's on in your area.
The whitebait fishing season opens on 15 August, except for the West Coast where it opens on 1 September. Click the picture to learn more.
Click the image to view the most recent series of Meet the Locals videos.
Find out about visiting the conservation areas that provided locations for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films.
You can help DOC by reporting any sightings of humpback whales in the Cook Strait area and southern right whales along the New Zealand coastline. Click the image to find out more about whales and how to help.
Community group funding for restoration projects on public land is now open. Click the image to find out about your eligibility and how to apply.
Five DOC sites have been identified as being among Australasia's top 25 ecological restoration projects. Find out about these sites and the role DOC plays in restoration.
Kākāpō recovery rangers and volunteers who live and work on remote Whenua Hou/Codfish Island write about saving this incredible parrot. Click the image to read their diaries about life on the island and 2009's bumper breeding season.
On Thursday 19 March DOC launched a new and improved online booking system. This system enables you to book some of the Great Walks, huts, campsites and other services. Click on the image to find out more.
Icon sites tell a range of great stories about kiwi identity. Located in beautiful settings visitors can discover some of New Zealand's heritage at the same time as experiencing the outdoors. Click the image to find out more.
Seaweek 2009 took place from 1 - 8 March. There are events and activities happening all over the country and ways to be inspired and take action. Find out how to take a closer look at our marine environment and get involved!
NZ has many amazing places to go, but how do you choose where? Find out about some of NZ's best kept secret outdoor places.
You can make your garden attractive to native lizards, birds and weta. Click the image to find out how to provide them with food and shelter, and ways to protect them.
You might spot any of about 66 species of sharks in New Zealand waters, ranging from the 27cm long pygmy shark to the 12m whale shark. Click the image to find out more.
Funding is available for community groups who want to undertake restoration projects on public land. Click on the image to find out more about the fund and how to apply.
View videos about Wellington Harbour's historic Matiu/Somes Island. Find out about visiting the island and how you can get a copy of the DVD of the videos. Click the image to learn more.
Check out the latest Meet the Locals videos. Learn the surprising stories of New Zealand's wildlife and wild places, and the people working to protect them. Click the image to watch the videos.
Hear first-hand what it is like to volunteer on Raoul Island. Tales of the voyage out, cyclones, whale song, weeds and the secret... click the image to learn more.
You'll now find more than a dozen new native plant pages on the DOC website. Click the image to view them.
In 2008, World Environment Day and Arbor Day combine into one big celebration on 5 June. The theme for World Environment Day is Kick the Habit – Towards a Low Carbon Economy. Click the image to find out more.
The restoration of three of New Zealand's foremost wetlands is getting a boost from this new project. Click the photo to find out more.
Straddling the Seaward Kaikoura Range, Clarence features some of NZ's highest mountains outside the Southern Alps. You can explore the area by foot, mountain bike, horse, 4WD, raft, canoe or kayak. Click the photo to find out more.
Discover New Zealand's nine Great Walks located in some of the country's most beautiful scenery. Click on the picture above to find out about each track and how to plan and prepare for your trip.
"One Ocean - It starts with me" is the theme of Seaweek 2008. Click the image to find out about the people, projects and programmes that are taking place around New Zealand to make a positive difference for the marine environment.
Learn about the parks, conservation areas, historic places and marine reserves that you can visit around the country. Click the image to start planning your summer trip today.
Snow-capped mountains, crystal clear lakes and a popular skifield are included in the largest public park created in more than 20 years. Hakatere Conservation Park in mid-Canterbury is centred around the Ashburton Lakes District between the Rakaia and Rangitata rivers. Click on the photo to find out more.
Frog Week is an opportunity for New Zealanders to learn more about our unique native frogs. Find out what's happening in your region by clicking the photo above.
Join DOC's Nic Vallance as she explores the surprising stories of New Zealand's wildlife and wild places, and the people working to protect them. Click the image to watch the videos.
Tiritiri Matangi, on the Hauraki Gulf, is one of the most successful conservation projects in the world. As an open sanctuary you can visit Tiritiri Matangi and see some of New Zealand's most endangered birds in the wild, including takahe, kokako, kiwi, saddleback and hihi or stitchbird.
Click the photo to find out about Hector's and Maui's dolphins and read the draft Threat Management Plan which seeks to help these species. You can provide further input to the plan and have your say on the best proposed course of action to reduce threats.
Find recreation opportunities in your region that you can enjoy with children over the school holidays.
We have recently added these easy access tracks and short walks in the Canterbury region to the website. They are suitable for people of all ages and abilities, and some can be accessed by wheelchairs and children's buggies. Click the picture to find out more.
Maui's dolphin is the world's smallest dolphin and is found nowhere else in the world. With fewer than 150 left it is New Zealand's rarest dolphin. Recent evidence of a bacteria in a dead Maui's dolphin has prompted concerns for the future of the species. Click the photo to find out more.
The nationally endangered Hutton's shearwater is the only New Zealand seabird that breeds in a sub-alpine environment. To help the species survive, DOC, with support from Ngai Tahu and Whale Watch Kaikoura Limited, is creating a new Hutton's shearwater colony.
Over Easter you can enjoy marine reserves, conservation lands and scenic reserves managed by DOC. Find out what's on offer in the region you're visiting.
New Zealand's largest farm, Molesworth Station illustrates how conservation, recreation and farming can co-exist.
There are hundreds of community conservation projects working in partnership with DOC around the country – from restoring forests, coasts and wildlife to managing huts and tracks and historic places.
Conservation Minister Chris Carter has named the 500th royal albatross chick to hatch at Taiaroa Head/Pukekura on the Otago Peninsula, the only mainland breeding colony of albatross in the southern hemisphere.
The Department of Conservation’s website has been redeveloped.