© Jake Osbourne
Make a donation to help restore our forests and wetlands
© DOC
An excellent year for kākāpō
2026 has been an excellent year for one of the rarest birds in Aotearoa - the kākāpō.
These flightless, nocturnal parrots have an adult population of just 235 individuals and only breed every two to four years when rimu fruit heavily. This summer was a record-breaking year for baby kākāpo, with over 100 chicks hatched.
It will be July before they are old enough be added to the population count – but it is wonderful to see kākāpō, once down to just 50 birds - on the rise.
It is a conservation success story. But success brings a new challenge.
These birds are confined to three small predator-free islands and one small mainland sanctuary.
While they’re back from the brink of extinction they are now running out of the safe, productive habitat they need to thrive.
© Stephen Colbourne
At a turning point
Aotearoa New Zealand - our land, our unique native wildlife and our people - are at a turning point.
Up and down the country, communities are protecting taonga species and regenerating their local forests, wetlands, grasslands and more. These efforts are powerful, but on their own they are not enough to tackle the twin crises of climate change and nature loss.
We need transformational change to match the scale of the challenge.
Will you help? Will you make a donation today to help us expand the habitat for kākāpō and other reviving species?
You can help to connect together all the amazing mahi happening around the country and restore our natural world from mountains to sea.
© Kimberly Collins
Your donation will help
Scale up pest control efforts, removing invasive species – not just predators like rats, stoats and possums - but weeds and introduced plants, protecting vital habitats for native species.
Advance New Zealand's largest nature-based solution, restoring of our native forests and wetlands at scale in order to both mitigate climate change and help us to adapt and become more resilient.
Advocate for an Aotearoa where nature is properly valued, thriving and treated as our country’s greatest asset.
Support a growing movement to bring back the booming call of the kākāpō and the song of our other unique birds.
© Yathursan Gunaratnam
Your Donation Doubled
Make your donation by 30 June, it will be matched by Antipodes Beauty meaning double the impact.
As a New Zealand company that believes in the power of nature — and the importance of protecting it – Antipodes has agreed to match all donations up to $20,000. They know that change at the scale needed is going to require everyone, including businesses, on board.
“I’ve always believed that nature gives us everything we need, but it also needs our care in return. Supporting WWF-New Zealand is about recognising that connection and taking responsibility for protecting the natural world that sits at the heart of Antipodes.”
Elizabeth Barbalich, CEO and Founder of Antipodes Beauty