Conservation Week | 14th – 20th August 2023
This year for Conservation Week we are asking Aotearoa to take action for nature.
Whether it is by picking up rubbish, donating time or money to a local community group, there is always something you can do to help our environment and the native species that make Aotearoa special.
Other actions like cleaning up waterways, protecting marine habitats, getting rid of weeds and replanting with natives all help protect our biodiversity. We have thousands of species found nowhere else which are part of our identity. But many are threatened by invasive predators, habitat loss, or climate change.
Taking action will help protect these species and ecosystems for future generations. This not only benefits nature, but our personal wellbeing and nature’s wellbeing are interconnected. When Papatūānuku thrives, we thrive.
Whakatipu Conservation Week events are hosted by the Department of Conservation and some amazing community groups. Come along to learn, connect and act to make a difference! Find out more about Conservation Week events, dates and information on the Eventfinda website or at conservationweek.org.nz, or call/pop into the DOC Visitor Centre at 50 Stanley Street.
Here is an overview of some of the events in the Whakatipu District:
Ranger Reads: Join our local DOC rangers for a special Storytime to celebrate Conservation Week and ‘take action for nature’!
- Queenstown Library – Monday 14th at 10.30 – 11.30
- Arrowtown Library - Wednesday 16th at 10.30 - 11.00
- Frankton Library - Friday 18th at 10.30 - 11.30
Bring your pre-school tamariki to the local libraries to enjoy a free Conservation Week-inspired storytelling session, read by one of our DOC rangers!
Bookings requested - contact the local library if you would like to go.
Lower Nevis Cultural Landscape talk: Join Dr Matthew Schmidt and learn about the history of the Lower Nevis Valley
Date: Thursday 17th August
Time: 10am
Where: DOC Visitor Centre, 50 Stanley Street
This talk will take listeners through the layers of history in the Lower Nevis and demonstrate that one crucial resource links the success of all the people who have successfully lived in this isolated place.
Dr Matthew Schmidt is the Senior Heritage Advisor Kaitohu Matua Taonga Tuku Iho Southern South Island for Te Papa Atawhai Department of Conservation. He was formally an independent heritage consultant and a Senior Archaeologist for Heritage New Zealand based in Dunedin.
Please RSVP to Juliet Bruce at jbruce@doc.govt.nz.
Pop up Trap Library: learn about the goal of Predator Free 2050 and try backyard trapping free for a month.
Date: Saturday 18th August
Time: 11am – 2pm
Where: Outside Mitre 10
Queenstown locals can borrow traps for free to target particular pesky predators or to give backyard trapping a go! There will be DOC Rangers and Whakatipu Wildlife Trust representatives on hand that can help with any questions, which trap is best for your situation, and give you full instructions on how to use the traps. The Whakatipu Wildlife Trust is running a fund-raising BBQ alongside the pop-up library. Thanks to Bidfood and Pak n Save for providing the BBQ food.
Native Plant nursery sessions – learn new skills and gain knowledge around growing native plants in the Whakatipu and contribute to enhancing our biodiversity!
Date: Wednesday 16th August
Time: 1pm – 4pm
Where: Jean Malpas Community Nursery, Poplar Drive, Kelvin Heights
Join the Whakatipu Reforestation Trust’s volunteer session. No experience is needed as you will have the Nursery Manger to guide you! For more information, head to their website or contact the local DOC Visitor Centre.
What Can You Do To Help Nature?
You can take action for nature in many different ways. Planting natives in your backyard like Kōwhai, setting up birdfeeders to help our native species and attract them to your garden, or borrowing a predator trap from the DOC Visitor Centre’s trap library to place in your garden for free – you can trap ferrets, stoats, possums and rats!
We hope to see you out in nature soon! Ka ora te whenua, ka ora te tangata – when the land is well, the people are well.
