No Images? Click here Our favourite stories from 2017Take a look back at our key stories of 2017. It was a big year for DOC and conservation. Update from LouLou talks about implementation of the new tourism funding, concessions compliance, Cascade Creek Campsite, the Routeburn Track, Rotomaninitua/Lake Angelus and the ‘Hotshots’. RecreationTwo weeks in the South IslandOur ultimate South Island itinerary will help you make the most of your visit to the rugged south. It includes some of the best walks and hikes New Zealand has to offer. Find other short walks and day hikes in your region. Get involvedVolunteer in Nelson LakesBe a volunteer camp host for one or two weeks in picturesque Nelson Lakes. Conservation board nomineesNominate someone you know to represent the public and offer interaction between communities and DOC. The Minister of Conservation is seeking nominations for positions on all 15 conservation boards. Backyard trapping myths debunkedWe clear up the top misconceptions about trapping in your backyard – from "My chickens might get caught" to "Hedgehogs aren't pests". At the recent NZ Flower and Garden Show, only 9% of 1,400 visitors were trapping pests in their backyard. NatureBoom year for blue duck/whioA record number of whio ducklings have been found on Mt Taranaki. Our rangers found 56 ducklings on the eight rivers we survey. It signals a move towards a self-sustaining population of whio on the mountain. Takahē widows' second chanceSeveral takahē received a second shot at coupledom last month in Kapiti Island, Mana Island and Zealandia. Relocations intend to provide companions for birds who lost their elderly mates this year. Look at lizards, but don't touchLeave that lizard in peace is our message to people lucky enough to see one. We've received reports of people taking lizards home as pets and disturbing their habitats. Our workFootage before and after a 1080 operationCameras have captured the effects on bird and pest populations of a Battle for our Birds operation in the Blue Mountains (West Otago). Deer repellent was used, meaning bird and deer survival was high, while rats and stoats were reduced to very low numbers. Rat tracks spark incursion responseWe've launched a search for a rat on Tiritiri Matangi Island Scientific Reserve. Rat footprints were found in two tracking tunnels during a routine check on 8 January. $4.2 million boost for community conservationThe fourth year of funding from the DOC Community Fund has been awarded. More than $4.2 million was granted to 112 projects across New Zealand. Photo of the monthNot all pōhutukawa flowers are red. A rare yellow form was first discovered in 1840 on Motiti Island in the Bay of Plenty. Herb Christophers found this specimen in Black Jack Scenic Reserve in the Coromandel. Photo: Herb Christophers © See more from DOC
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