Technical advisor Stuart Cockburn is responsible for kākāpō snarks, track counters, seabird soundscapes, grasshopper detectors and much more.

He also once got into a one-way fight with a great spotted kiwi (the bird started it) and is directly responsible for Nic Toki getting questioned by airport security.

Ever wondered what some of our native species, places and spaces are in Te Reo Māori or Mandarin and how to pronounce them?

2019 is the United Nations Year of Indigenous Languages and we celebrated by launching the Pūkete Taiao o Tāmaki Makaurau app.

Great Walks season opens

The 2019/20 season gets underway this month. We're asking walkers to ensure they're well-prepared and safe when heading off on a Great Walk.

We're also asking for help to protect and care for the beautiful nature you will experience.

Image: DOC

More camping options in our booking system

Ten DOC campgrounds and five huts will be added to the online booking system in time for the 2019/20 summer season.

This means visitors can take their time getting to their destination knowing there'll be space when they arrive.

Image: Dean Wright | ©

Conservation on the Paparoa Track

If you’re hiking or biking the Paparoa Track, keep your eyes open. And not just for the stunning views – many rare and wonderful native species live around the Paparoa Track.

Image: Tyrone Smith | DOC

Opportunity for artists to engage with nature

Wild Creations 2020 is an initiative that gives New Zealand artists an opportunity to be inspired by Aotearoa's natural environment and create new work based on a DOC conservation experience. Applications close 6 December.

Image: Bridget Reweti | ©

Tread lightly for the banded dotterel/ tūturiwhatu

It's breeding season for the nationally threatened tūturiwhatu. Pairs are establishing nesting sites and beginning to lay their eggs.

They often nest on the foreshore of beaches and are so well camouflaged it can be easy to overlook them. This makes them vulnerable to disturbance. 

Image: Ailsa Howard | DOC

The Great Kiwi Morning Tī

October is Save Kiwi Month, a national fundraising campaign led by Kiwis for kiwi.

You can organise a morning-tea for 'The Great Kiwi Morning Tī' with your office, school, business or kiwi conservation group to help fundraise for our precious kiwi. 

On the topic of fish

Recently we put out a blog about 1080, trout and water to draw attention to the research conducted in this space.

1080 operations have no effect on trout or native fish or the water in the streams, rivers and lakes where they live.

Image: Vincent Zintzen

Winter on Auckland Island

We're working with Ngāi Tahu to restore the mauri and natural ecosystems on Auckland Island by removing pigs, mice and feral cats. 

Our 19-person team recently returned from their winter trip, braving cold, wet and windy conditions to learn more about the behaviour of the introduced pests on the Island.

Image: Stephen Bradley | DOC

Rakiura community goes high-tech with pest control

The Stewart Island/Rakiura Community and Environment Trust first adopted a smartphone app called Walk the Line three years ago.

They're using the trapping app for their 210-hectare Halfmoon Bay Habitat Restoration Project.

Image: DOC

Kākā released in Abel Tasman National Park

Visitors to the park will now be able to enjoy seeing kākā on the park's coast with a record number of the threatened native parrots being released recently.

Image: Leon Berard | DOC

Takahē population flying high

Takahē may be flightless but their population is flying high with the official count reaching 418 after a record breeding season that produced an estimated 65 juveniles.

Science-based conservation techniques are behind the Takahē Recovery Programme’s success.

Image: Kerstin Schmidt | DOC

Last albatross chick takes to the skies

The last of the 28 northern royal albatross/toroa chicks have fledged from Pukekura/Taiaroa Head. This has brought the 2018/19 record breeding season to an end.