Forest & Bird

Event location: Coutts Island Road, Belfast New Zealand Event type: Planting Volunteer activity: Planting Conservation area: Region: Help restore Native Biodiversity to “The Sanctuary”, a 30 Hectare ECan Reserve on the banks of the Waimakariri River off Coutts Island Road. Forest and Bird North Canterbury Branch along with ECan Rangers, are planting native trees and plants to provide a habitat and food for native birds, lizards, insects and fish.

Forest & Bird strongly opposes aspects of the Conservation Amendment Bill - we argue that the Bill undermines the core purpose of the Conservation Act 1987, which is to preserve and protect New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage.

Luke McClean, lecturer Environmental Science at University of Auckland (AUT) will share some of his research on brood parasitism in birds. This is a  subclass of parasitism and phenomenon and behavioural pattern of animals that rely on others to raise their young. In New Zealand the pīpīwharauroa (shining cuckoo) arrives in early September, a unique summer visitor to Aotearoa, migrating from the tropics.

Supporting Forest & Bird is one of the best things you can do for New Zealand's environment. We need people like you to support us, so that nature will always have a voice.

Sarah Manktelow is a conservationist and artist. Here she explains why Denniston is a plateau worth painting. Forest & Bird Magazine A version of this story was first published in the Winter 2026 issue of Forest & Bird magazine. What if a tea towel could spark the conversations that help save an ecosystem?

When a Forest & Bird-led team of scientists tramped into Deep Stream for a mini bioblitz, they found a remarkable landscape teeming with life. By Lynley Hargreaves Forest & Bird Magazine A version of this story was first published in the Winter 2026 issue of Forest & Bird magazine. "This is bonkers,” exclaims PhD student Tommy Copeland.

Award-winning botanical artist and author Sandra Morris is helping raise awareness of Denniston’s little known day-flying moth. By Caroline Wood Forest & Bird Magazine A version of this story was first published in the Winter 2026 issue of Forest & Bird magazine.

Conservation area: Resource type: A worm's biggest nightmare is our greatest delight. And a once threatened species can be brought back to life. By Jasmine Starr Great news: Aotearoa has giant carnivorous snails! I tend to jump up and down with joy every time I see a snail (or ngata, in reo Māori). And while I do that for a lot of animals, this one is especially deserved.

Protect our conservation land Imagine if Aotearoa New Zealand's native plants and animals had a giant home where they could live safely and be protected. That's what conservation land is! The government want to change the law to make it easier to develop public conservation land. Around 30% of NZ or approximately 8.6 million hectares is held as conservation land. This means the land and species we love could be at risk from harmful activities like mining. Why is conservation land so important?

Forest & Bird says a new law passed last week is another threat to public conservation land, favouring trophy hunting tourism over public access and protection of native species in New Zealand’s national parks. Pests like deer and tahr eat native plants, decreasing species diversity and affecting the food sources and habitats that native species need to survive. Last week, the Game Animal (Herds of Special Interest) Amendment Bill passed its third reading in Parliament and will become law.