NATURE'S IN
TROUBLE
Thousands of New Zealand’s native species are heading towards extinction. DOC is doing everything we can to save them. Nature needs your help too.
Taonga are at a tipping point
More than 4,000 native species are threatened with extinction or at risk of becoming threatened.
28,000 of New Zealand's known species are found nowhere else on Earth.
Kiwi, the national icon. Kākāpō, the world’s only flightless parrots. Kauri, the giants of the ngahere. Māui dolphins, the smallest on the planet.
New Zealand’s nature is special. It’s also in serious trouble.
A higher proportion of indigenous species are facing extinction here than anywhere else in the world.
WHAT WE RISK LOSING
FOREVER
Extinction doesn’t take place in some distant future. Without action, it will happen in our lifetime.
These are just some of the 4,000 native species whose survival is at a tipping point. Once they’re gone, they’re gone for good.
Just 31% of native species are not threatened
They will only stay safe from extinction if we all continue to manage the threats they face.
Without ongoing support, brown kiwi would be extinct in the wild within two generations.
It’s not too late to save what makes us special
The good news is, you don’t have to imagine a future where your grandchildren never meet a kiwi. There’s another way.
When people control rats and stoats, bird numbers climb. When they protect waterways, freshwater species thrive. When they remove possums, deer and goats, forests regenerate.
New Zealanders have pulled many species back from the brink. Our country’s conservation expertise is proven and world leading.
When people act, nature responds
Takahē are an icon of New Zealand conservation. They were once thought to be extinct. You can now see them in the wild.
DOING THE
GOOD MAHI
All around New Zealand, Kiwis are bringing nature back. Here are some of them.
DO YOUR BIT
FOR NATURE
Not sure how to take meaningful action to help nature? We’ve made it easy for you to find small ways to make a big difference.
NEW ZEALAND'S BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY
Te Mana o te Taiao – Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy is for all New Zealanders. It outlines how we'll protect, restore and sustainably use biodiversity here.
WHAT'S GOING WRONG FOR NATURE
Invasive species
Rats, possums and stoats are killing New Zealand’s native birds. Goats and deer are eating our forests. Weeds are smothering our plants. Algae are choking our lakes, and introduced pest fish are crowding out freshwater species.
Changing use of land and sea
Native ecosystems are still being lost through farming, forestry, aquaculture and development. Many ecosystems that remain are so fragmented that native species cannot easily move between them.
Over-exploitation
Unsustainable fishing and harvesting practices extract natural resources at a rate nature can’t keep up with.
Pollution
Sediment and runoff damage and destroy native ecosystems. Plastic in the ocean is killing marine life and seabirds.
Climate change
The warming planet is altering ecosystems, changing where species live and the food available to them.