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Aotearoa has a vast supply of unique native species unlike anywhere else on Earth – nature which needs protection. With over 4000 species either threatened with extinction or at risk of becoming threatened, it is more important than ever to band together to keep our beautiful country safe. Luckily, with the help of organisations, community groups, and individuals, there is plenty being done – and you can help.
Conservation Week 2026 runs between 20th-26th April. While nature is in need of help every week of the year, this is a prime opportunity to think about what actions we can take. These can range from small individual changes, to community activities that promote appreciation and practical aid for New Zealand’s natural world.
Over and over again, we have seen the results of humans stepping in to help prevent native species from being lost. The takahe, for example, was once thought to have gone extinct – now you can see them in the wild. There are plenty of projects that work specifically to bring back species on the brink of extinction:
As the Department of Conservation says: “When people act, nature responds.” For more information about how kiwis are working to support the recovery of native species, visit https://www.doc.govt.nz/always-be-naturing/natures-in-trouble/
Something as simple as spending time in nature – going for a hike in the bush, or stargazing, or simply sitting listening to the sounds of the birds in the trees – is not only proven to be good for our mental wellbeing, but it also can give us an appreciation for nature and how it improves our lives as humans – and inspire us to want to repay the favour. Take friends and family out for a nature walk and see if you feel the effects.
Across the country, community groups and initiatives are putting on events in support of Conservation Week, from guided nature walks, to bioblitzes, to controlled hunts of introduced predators, to beach or park clean-ups. These small actions can have a big impact on the safety of the species in the area, and on our awareness of the wide variety of life found in our communities.
A bioblitz is a type of field survey with narrow time and location parameters, usually 24 hours to identify and record as many species as possible within a specific location. This race-against-the-clock model can help encourage community engagement by helping it feel more like a game while also being incredibly helpful in accounting for diversity in our ecosystems.
If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, there are also many lectures and seminars around as well. Education is an important part of the ideology of Conservation Week: the more we know, the better equipped we are to take action. Find out what your local community centres, zoos, reserves and sanctuaries are doing for Conservation Week and get involved. Check out https://www.doc.govt.nz/news/events/conservation-week/events/ for some ideas, or look to your local community Facebook groups for guidance on what is happening in your area.
As individuals, we can still get amongst Conservation Week, even if there are no specific events in our areas. This can start right in your backyard and neighbourhood by doing things like:
While this dedicated week is an awesome initiative, it is not just one week in April that nature is in need of help. This is also a great time to set some conservation goals to work towards through the rest of the year. Do you want to encourage a specific type of bird you’ve noticed in your garden? Or perhaps you want to catch a certain number of pests throughout the year. Maybe you would like to attend a nature seminar once every month or two? These are great things to be thinking about during this week. How do you want to continue to support our native species?
It can feel overwhelming trying to figure out how to help our native species, but there are so many ways we can do so as individuals and as a community. We are so lucky in this country to have such unique and diverse life. Conservation Week is a chance to appreciate that, learn about it, and act to protect it. For more information about how you can get involved, visit the Department of Conservation’s page for the initiative at https://www.doc.govt.nz/news/events/conservation-week/
