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Community stories: Taking action for nature Ngā kōrero nā te hapori: Te whakamāui ake i te taiao

See communities around Aotearoa New Zealand taking care of their natural environment – climate crusaders, river cleaners, tree planters, possum trappers.

Volunteer for nature: Want to make a difference? Browse opportunities in your neighbourhood.

  • A black-gloved hand is holding a small pine tree with its roots showing in the air
    Volunteer for nature

    Volunteer for nature

    Get hands-on in nature in Aotearoa New Zealand and help make a difference in your community. Collaborate with your community and act for nature.

  • A hand holding a small part of a leafy tree
    Preserving forest gems, Piako District, Waikato

    Preserving forest gems, Piako District, Waikato

    They shelter so many species, including long-tailed bats, native passionfruit, and tree wētā, but Waikato’s kahikatea | Dacrycarpus dacrydioides forests have been so reduced that only a fragile 1% remains.

  • Men looking at something on the grassy ground. There's a map of New Zealand overlaid on the image on the top right-hand side.
    Regenerative farming, Canterbury

    Regenerative farming, Canterbury

    Healthy soil helps the environment, so farmers in Canterbury are changing the way they farm, and sharing the knowledge with other farmers in the community, even old hands! 

  • Grey sky over farmland. There's a map of New Zealand overlaid on the image on the top right-hand side.
    The loneliest tree: Kaikōmako manawatāwhi

    The loneliest tree: Kaikōmako manawatāwhi

    Saving one of the world’s rarest trees, the kaikōmako manawatāwhi | Three Kings kaikōmako (Pennantia baylisiana): a story of species recovery work for ‘the loneliest tree’ undertaken by Ngāti Kurī and Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research.

  • Cows on a farm. There's a map of New Zealand overlaid on the image on the top right-hand side.
    Restoring farm waterways, Mangakahia, Northland

    Restoring farm waterways, Mangakahia, Northland

    Dairy farmer Andrew Booth replants and nurtures his family farm, restoring farm water waterways and creating new wetlands with volunteers from the Mangakahia community.

  • A drone shot of a suburban house and cars. There is someone standing in front of the house
    Bringing back the birds, Predator Free Miramar

    Bringing back the birds, Predator Free Miramar

    Predator Free Miramar is a volunteer, not-for-profit, community effort to rid the Peninsula of rats and mice, and bring back the birds and the bush to Wellington’s eastern suburbs.

  • A view of cows eating grass on a farm. There's a map of New Zealand overlaid on the image on the top right-hand side.
    Dairy farmers bringing back kiwi, Northland

    Dairy farmers bringing back kiwi, Northland

    Lodore Farm has been producing dairy for 30 years – but that’s not the whole story. A quarter of the farm is native bush, with kauri, rimu, tōtara, and waterfalls, and home to around 50 pairs of North Island brown kiwi.

  • A windfarm on a grey day with a map of New Zealand overlaid in the top right-hand corner
    Sports clubs aceing climate change, nationwide

    Sports clubs aceing climate change, nationwide

    Litefoot is a charity led by top New Zealand sportspeople. Their mission is to transform community sports infrastructure and culture so sports groups become electricity independent, water neutral, and zero waste by 2025.

  • A mountain of green glass from broken bottles
    Glass recycling, nationwide

    Glass recycling, nationwide

    The Glass Packaging Forum is focused on the recovery of glass containers and jars from across Aotearoa New Zealand and returning them to the furnace to complete a ‘full circle’. On average, a glass bottle or jar made in Aotearoa New Zealand contains 69% recycled glass.

  • A person driving a red and yellow electric vehicle in front of a house
    Using electric vehicles at NZ Post, nationwide

    Using electric vehicles at NZ Post, nationwide

    NZ Post are looking after their carbon emissions, and thinking about the future of our planet, by introducing electric-powered vehicles.

  • A waste management truck is in a shed with mounds of empty plastic milk bottles and a person standing in the background
    Waste Management NZ, nationwide

    Waste Management NZ, nationwide

    Waste Management don't just take away your rubbish they turn it into reusable resources (like plastic and paper). They also turn landfill gases into electricity – enough to power 20,000 homes!

  • Children walking away from a building with a map overlaid in the top right corner
    Tree planting, Tokelau

    Tree planting, Tokelau

    Children from Matuala School on Atafu Atoll in Tokelau, are planting and growing pandanus trees at their school to provide shade, grow fruit to eat, secure the ground, and fight climate change.

  • A view across an inlet with the sun shining low on it. There's a map of New Zealand overlaid on the image on the top right-hand side.
    Saving seabirds, Great Barrier Island

    Saving seabirds, Great Barrier Island

    Wildlife Management International are working with fishing company Moana New Zealand, to track and tag black petrels in the Hauraki Gulf. This fishing company is taking action to save species they sometimes catch in their nets/lines.

  • Three people standing around a table, one of them is holding a plant
    Re-establishing flora and birds, Motuihe Island

    Re-establishing flora and birds, Motuihe Island

    Motuihe Island, near Auckland, used to be overrun by pest weeds and rabbits. But the hard work from volunteers at Motuihe Island Restoration Trust means the island is now pest-free.

  • Two people sorting plants and seed on a table.
    Species recovery, Auckland

    Species recovery, Auckland

    The ecology project team at Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust are committed to protecting their whenua (land). The team do lots of planting, clearing of scrub, pulling weeds from trees to give them a better chance at life, beekeeping, and trapping.

  • Children walking on a tree-lined path. There's a map of New Zealand overlaid on the image on the top right-hand side.
    Bat tracking, Waitākere Ranges

    Bat tracking, Waitākere Ranges

    Auckland Council are funding community projects to track native bats in Auckland's Waitākere ranges in an effort to understand the threats the unique animals are facing.

  • A lake with a man-made channel in the middle of it with water flowing down both sides
    Saving whitebait and eels, Auckland

    Saving whitebait and eels, Auckland

    Watercare Services test water quality for native fish and elvers (baby eels) and relocate them from the lower dam, to the upper dam, where they’ll be safe from fishing. They also catch eels that are migrating back to Tonga in the higher dam and relocate them downstream so they can make their way to sea.

  • Two small birds on the beach with a map of New Zealand in the top-right corner
    Protecting beach birds, Piha

    Protecting beach birds, Piha

    Dotterels (tūturiwhatu) have only started nesting in Piha in the last two years. This community are building nest covers for the dotterel nests. Vehicles and dogs can destroy nests, so these covers make the public more aware of nest locations.

  • A steel structure with blue sky behind and a map of New Zealand overlaid on the right-hand corner
    Saving longfin eels, Bay of Plenty

    Saving longfin eels, Bay of Plenty

    Bill Kerrison is a true kaitiaki of tuna (eels) in New Zealand.

  • The mast of a boat with sails and map overlaid with a map of New Zealand on the top-right
    Waka plastics trawl, Hawke’s Bay

    Waka plastics trawl, Hawke’s Bay

    Te Karu o Te Ika Voyaging Trust and 5 Gyres Institute are using the waka (boat) Te Matau a Māui to help measure the amount of microplastics in the ocean. This is the first microplastics trawl in Aotearoa New Zealand’s waters.

  • A woman in safety gear chainsawing weeds around the base of a tree
    Tackling invasive weeds, Tongariro

    Tackling invasive weeds, Tongariro

    Project Tongariro is committed to restoring the mauri of their unique central North Island landscape. Tackling invasive weeds like honeysuckle, blackberry, and willow is just one of the ongoing tasks that helps native plants and birds thrive again.

  • A bank of trees with a map of New Zealand overlaid on the top right corner
    Culling invasive trees, Manawatū

    Culling invasive trees, Manawatū

    The Palmy Pine Pulling Posse are devoted environmentalists who cull invasive pines that stop native bush from growing.

  • Several small lizards in a pile
    Protecting native lizards, Kāpiti coast

    Protecting native lizards, Kāpiti coast

    Ngā Uruora Kāpiti Project is a community-based conservation project. Their aim is to create bird-safe native forest running from Pukerua Bay to Paekākāriki, but also to increase the population of native lizards.

  • People walking through bush with a map of New Zealand overlaid on the right-hand side
    Stream clean-up, Porirua

    Stream clean-up, Porirua

    Cleaning rubbish from local awa (rivers) plays an integral role in protecting our ika (fish) and other living things in our water.

  • People planting plants along a small waterway with houses in the background and a map of New Zealand overlaid on the right-hand side
    Stream planting project, Lower Hutt

    Stream planting project, Lower Hutt

    As well as removing rubbish, Rata Street School are planting trees by their local awa (river).

  • A map of New Zealand overlaid on an interior shot of a hairdresser
    Cutting back on waste, Wellington

    Cutting back on waste, Wellington

    Scout Hair Salon are doing their bit for the environment – from recycling their tin foil and composting gathered hair, to using ethically conscious product ranges.

  • Kids and one adult standing in a stream setting up a barrier to catch plastic
    Clearing plastic, Wellington

    Clearing plastic, Wellington

    Scots College are kaitiaki (guardians) of their local awa (stream). They want to stop pollution in the river and stop plastics getting out to the ocean.

  • Four people planting and weeding plants on the side of a sand dune
    Planting Harakeke, Westport

    Planting Harakeke, Westport

    Buller High School have been revegetating the Cape Foulwind Walkway with harakeke. They’ve planted over 9,000 plants!

  • A sunny day with a large rock covered in plants in the foreground. There's a map of New Zealand overlaid on the image on the top right-hand side.
    Mena the penguin detective, Kaikōura

    Mena the penguin detective, Kaikōura

    Mena is a DOC conservation dog who’s trained to sniff out little penguin nests so conservation groups can protect them.

  • A girl in a pink tshirt is walking off screen and there's a map of New Zealand overlaid on the top right
    Possum trapping, Banks Peninsula

    Possum trapping, Banks Peninsula

    Little River Ruru Rescue are protecting their native birds (including ruru) by catching possums, stoats, and rats.

  • People in boats on a lake with a map of New Zealand overlaid on the right-hand side
    Helping lake birds breed, Lake Wānaka

    Helping lake birds breed, Lake Wānaka

    Members of the Glebe Recovery Project provide floating nests for grebes to breed and raise chicks. Their efforts have meant 200 chicks have hatched.

  • A photo of a beach with a map of New Zealand overlayed on it
    Beach life survey, Dunedin

    Beach life survey, Dunedin

    How much life is there in one square metre of sand?

  • Children bending over a bucket in the bush, there's a map of New Zealand overlaid in the top right-hand corner
    Counting moths, Invercargill

    Counting moths, Invercargill

    Ahi Pepe MothNet is a citizen science project that aims to engage teachers, students, and whānau with moths – and through moths with nature and science. Here, Te Wharekura Arowhenua School show is how it’s done.