Department Of Conservation

By Nina Mercer, Planning and Performance Advisor Crawling around in the dirt on the forest floor isn’t something I’ve done a lot of, but that’s because I’ve never snailed before! And snailing must be one of the more rewarding pieces of conservation work I’ve done in a long time. Essentially snailing is surveying sites for our native Powelliphanta snail.

Budget 2026 for DOC is made up of two components: Targeted new funding Baseline savings. An additional $9.786 million of funding over five years, and $1.047 million ongoing, has been provided for implementation costs arising from the Stafford v Attorney-General High Court decision (including in tagged contingency). This funding ensures the continued seamless operation of the Abel Tasman Great Walk and other visitor experiences affected by the Stafford v Attorney-General High Court decision.

Browsing pressure can remove preferred plants from the forest understory, changing how forests regenerate over time and removing precious habitat and food for many of our native species. Left: outside an enclosure fence in Kaweka Forest Park, where browsing is high. Right: inside the fenced area, showing vegetation recovery. Photo: Kellie Mayo. If you spend time hunting or naturing in the bush, you’ll know this feeling.

Seeing a stoat den lined with feathers from rare native birds motivated Elaine Murphy to become a scientist at the Department of Conservation over 30 years ago. Elaine has since spent most of her career studying introduced predators and finding ways to protect native species.

May 23rd is World Fish Migration Day – a worldwide celebration of free-flowing rivers and the life they support. We have some very special fish here in Aotearoa, and this year we’re literally shining a spotlight on five species of galaxiid that move between freshwater and the sea during their lives. A year-old giant kōkopu about 50–60 mm long. At this age they don’t look anything like a whitebait but still don’t have the spots seen on adults, and so can easily be confused with banded kōkopu.

Surprise, surprise, the Great Walks booking opening is the biggest event in our booking calendar, with thousands of people from all around the world logging in on each opening day to nab spaces for Great Walks huts and campsites, high demand lodges, sole occupancy and popular campsites. 📷: Tramper on the Kepler Track in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand│ J T Strother Booking for DOC facilities for the 2025/26 season open between 12 May and 16 June 2026.

It’s cooling down around the country, so how do you stay warm – and safe – in a DOC hut? Media and Communications Advisor Krysia Nowak explores how to optimise your fireplace game. A warm fire can make all the difference after a cold tramp! πŸ“·: Bobs Hut | C Rudge. Staying warm Many DOC huts have fireplaces to keep you toasty warm at the end of the day (you can check the DOC website or Plan My Walk to find out which huts).

By Tōrea Scott-Fyfe It started right at the beginning of the trip. Eight DOC workers and three Ngāi Tahu contractors squeezed around a small Airbnb table, eating nachos. We were from all sorts of backgrounds; some of us already knew each other well, others didn’t know anyone.

It’s Conservation Week (20–26 April). She’s in her autumn era now. Cosy. Slightly introspective. Crunchy-leaf soundtrack. 🍃 Which brings us to the question… Have you done any naturing lately? Naturing = doing one small, normal-life thing that helps nature. On purpose. Without announcing it like you’ve invented trees. ➔ Quiting your job to become a DOC ranger. ➔ Purchasing a $400 hiking jacket for your annual “one walk.” ➔ Posting a moody fern and calling it climate leadership.

This evening we sit in a close circle, focussed on an A3 laminated map on the ground. We scribble coloured marker lines over the map, which depicts the landscape around Camp Cove. To discuss our plans, we have to raise our voices. Heavy rain hammering our canvas shelter makes it hard to hear. The map we are looking at shows about 1,500 hectares of Maukahuka/Auckland Island.