Browse our latest press releases, advocacy updates and success stories.
Image
Success Story
A Community Comes Together for Pekapeka
Long tailed bats (pekapeka), one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most threatened and least seen native mammals, have been brought into focus for communities across the Mangatarere catchment and the wider Wairarapa.
Beneath the waters of Waiheke Island and along the slopes surrounding Karioi, community conservation projects are helping young people build the skills, confidence, and connection needed to care for Aotearoa’s environment.
First new marine reserves in over a decade set to come into force
The first new marine reserves in Aotearoa New Zealand in over a decade have officially been rubber-stamped, with new protections along the Otago coast set to come into force on 1 July.
Major UN climate resolution ramps up pressure on New Zealand
Climate advocates say the Government’s backing of a major Pacific-led climate motion at the UN General Assembly exposes a growing gap between New Zealand’s international climate positioning and its backsliding at home.
Sir David Attenborough would hate this 100th birthday gift: Conservation reforms an ‘attack on nature’
Drastic new conservation reforms fundamentally rewrite the purpose of conservation in Aotearoa and shift public conservation land from being protected for nature to being opened up for commercial exploitation, says WWF-New Zealand.
Biodiversity plan ‘greenwashing’ over failure to plug funding gap
The Government’s new biodiversity plan leaves a massive nature funding gap unaddressed and amounts to little more than greenwashing, warns WWF-New Zealand.
Teaching the Next Generation of Environmental Guardians
Community groups in Aotearoa are empowering the next generation of environmental guardians by connecting tamariki, rangatahi, and communities with nature through hands-on learning, leadership, and conservation action.
Set-net fishing ban a win for hoiho – but urgent action needed
The Government’s extension of an emergency fishing ban in Otago to protect the hoiho is a welcome step but the move must be a bridge to something stronger.
Celebrating a decade of community conservation in Ōtautahi
A community group in Christchurch is celebrating a decade of conservation work that has transformed a former 'red zone' into a thriving space where “hope is planted in the soil”.
Government ‘burns down climate architecture’ with reckless methane target
WWF-New Zealand has blasted the Government’s ‘abysmal’ new methane reduction target, saying it ignores international scientific consensus, dismantles New Zealand’s flagship climate law, and effectively abandons the cross-party consensus on tackling climate change.
‘Hollow victory’: Hauraki Gulf protections pass into law – with loophole
WWF-New Zealand is celebrating new protections for the Hauraki Gulf – but says Ministers should be ashamed of their late-stage amendment to allow commercial fishing in protected areas and recent decision to abandon the phase-out of bottom trawling from the region.
From the rehabilitation of kororā / little blue penguins to the restoration of native streams, WWF-New Zealand and the Tindall Foundation have championed hundreds of ‘flax-roots’ community-led conservation projects over the years.
WWF-New Zealand is proud to have played a key role in the eradication of thousands of mice from Antipodes Island - known as ‘Operation Million Dollar Mouse’.
A sanctuary for native wildlife in the Hauraki Gulf is thriving thanks to a progressive predator-free vision – in partnership with WWF-New Zealand – dreamed up more than 40 years ago.
A rewilding vision for Porirua East featuring kākā and kererū flying over reforested hills is on its way to becoming a reality thanks to a local men’s group.
Fisheries ‘reforms’ a further blow to hopes for a transparent and sustainable industry
Proposed changes to the Fisheries Act will undermine the integrity and efficacy of New Zealand’s fisheries management system and the public’s right to have a say in it.
Protecting the guardians of Aotearoa’s native forests
Across the country - from the predator-proof hills of Whakatū Nelson to the forested corners of the Wairarapa - passionate locals, iwi, and volunteers are rallying together to protect some of our most precious (and sometimes elusive) native species.
International climate ruling sends warning shot: NZ must step up for the Pacific
A landmark ruling from the International Court of Justice sends a clear message: Aotearoa New Zealand must uphold its responsibilities to Pacific nations on the frontline of the climate crisis.
Government’s biodiversity plan is ‘light on detail and heavy on vague intentions’
The government’s plan to tackle Aotearoa New Zealand’s biodiversity crisis lacks ambition and fails to match the scale and urgency of the challenge, says WWF-New Zealand.
Kiwi releases, art installations, and growing microgreens are just some of the activities that rangatahi are involved in through local conservation groups.
Protected corals destroyed in 6-tonne bycatch 'disaster' from single bottom trawl
It’s been revealed that a New Zealand bottom trawling vessel has pulled up six tonnes of protected stony coral in a single trawl - making it the worst reported case of coral destruction in New Zealand waters in over a decade.
Predator-free groups make way for native birds to thrive again in remote areas
Conservation groups are joining forces in remote parts of the country to bolster predator free efforts and protect taonga species such as the black robin and whio/blue duck.
‘No BS’ or ‘No Biodiversity Spend’? Budget fails nature and climate yet again
Aotearoa’s environment is yet again the loser in the Government’s 2025 Budget, with major nature funds scrapped and millions in handouts to fossil fuel companies.
