Our People
Landcare Research
Landcare Research is a Crown Research Institute driving innovation in New Zealand's management of terrestrial biodiversity and land resources. We specialise in the sustainability of land environments, optimising primary production, enhancing biodiversity, increasing the resource efficiency of businesses, and conserving and restoring the natural assets of our communities.
WWF - New Zealand
WWF-New Zealand is part of WWF, the global conservation organization. WWF-New Zealand works to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. Through WWF's global reach, local presence and scientific rigour, it establishes innovative partnerships and seeks ambitious solutions for a living planet.
Forest & Bird
Formed in 1923, Forest & Bird has over 20,000 members in 50 branches throughout New Zealand. Many of them will be working on a conservation project near you and at this moment. This page shares some of their stories. Each year our members plant over 200,000 trees, spend hours weeding and eradicating pests on our land and on public land. Our members do this because they love nature and want to ensure that their and our grand-children will get the chance to experience it. Forest & Bird is New Zealand’s leading conservation organization, we are independent and receive no funding from the government. Established to protect our native forests and birds, we now work to protect all native species and wild places on land and in the sea.
Hikurangi Foundation
The Hikurangi Foundation is a national charity with a mission to help New Zealanders take positive practical action on climate change. We take a strategic look at the opportunities for effective action on climate change and then work to bring people and resources together to make great things happen. We support innovation and learning and try to reach all walks of life. In our first two years of operation we have catalysed over 25 projects that make our lives better with more than 45 partners up an down the country.
Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation (DOC) works with individuals, schools, organisations and business to look after New Zealand’s natural, historic and cultural heritage. DOC also partners with central and local government agencies and iwi Maori to achieve conservation and aims to make New Zealand the greatest living space on earth. With a lot of help from others, DOC manages about one third of New Zealand including all national parks and other conservation lands and waters and all protected species wherever they occur.
Enviroschools
The Enviroschools Foundation support three programmes, Enviroschools, Te Aho Tū Roa, Youth and Community. All aim to empower and enable individuals, families and schools to work together to create healthy, peaceful and sustainable communities. Building strong connections and trusting relationships is at the heart of this, as is fostering a culture of creativity and sharing. More than 720 schools, kura and early childhood centres are currently involved in the Enviroschools network. Check out some of their wonderful stories and innovative work on this page.
Bush Telly
Christchurch-based Bush Telly produces programmes that support conservation in New Zealand. Its items on our natural history and local conservation efforts include interviews with leading conservationists and authors, practical demonstrations, and the science that sits behind conservation. Bush Telly produced its first 50 programmes on a stand at the 2009 Ellerslie International Flower Show. The exhibit, comprising four television sets, won the Supreme Design Award at the show.
QEII
QEII National Trust (QEII) helps private landowners to protect significant natural and cultural features on their land through open space covenants in perpetuity. Features protected include landscapes, forest remnants, wetlands, grasslands, threatened species habitats, and cultural and archaeological sites. Nearly 109,000 hectares are now protected voluntarily by over 3,800 private landowners. QEII plays a key role in the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy as it is uniquely placed to advance the protection in perpetuity of threatened environments occurring on private land.
Living Legends
Living Legends is a community conservation project that is coordinating 17 native tree planting projects throughout New Zealand during Rugby World Cup 2011. Each planting is being run in conjunction with a provincial rugby union and is dedicated to a regional ‘Rugby Legend’ who has been selected by the union. These Rugby Legends are people who have made a significant contribution to rugby in New Zealand.
University of Exeter, Victoria University, Swansea University
Understanding the potential of New Zealand peat bogs to study past climate change. We are a group of academics from universities in New Zealand and the UK who are starting work on a new project in New Zealand studying peat bogs throughout the country. In our broader research, we look at how climate has changed over approximately the past 15,000 years and try to understand how this relates to the functioning of the climate system under natural conditions. Ultimately, we can use information like this to improve the climate models used to predict future change. We would love to do more of this work in New Zealand, but there are currently not many methods available for us to do so. Our new project aims to test whether a new method, studying the isotopes in restiad peat moss, will work. If it does, then we can take cores down through the peat bogs, that accumulate slowly over many thousands of years, to study New Zealand’s past climate. Follow our posts and blogs over the coming year to find out how we get on.
West Coast Blue Penguin Trust
The West Coast Blue Penguin Trust is a charitable trust formed in 2006 by local residents concerned at the decline in blue penguin populations. Its aim is to conserve blue penguins and other coastal birds on the South Island’s West Coast , as well as their habitat. The Trust raises funds for further research on the penguins and works with the community to raise awareness through education and advocacy. Blue Penguins are a near threatened species in slow decline and need our protection from traffic, dogs, coastal development and predators.