About us

WWF - What’s in a name?

As we’ve grown we have also changed our name from the World Wildlife Fund to the World Wide Fund for Nature to reflect our focus on protecting the environment as a whole, rather than protecting species in isolation. Increasingly, to avoid confusion across languages and cultures, we are known simply as “WWF”.

Children of Waiheke on shellfish monitoring survey, learning how to protect nature in their backyard

WWF-New Zealand is the local office of the WWF International Network, the world’s largest and most experienced independent conservation organisation. It has close to five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries.

WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future where people live in harmony with nature by:
• conserving the world’s biological diversity
• ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable
• promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption

WWF-New Zealand’s conservation programmes achieve this by encouraging all New Zealanders to be environmentally-responsible, and by advocating for all our native species to be protected so they thrive once more through their natural range.

We use the best available science and partnering with government, businesses and people to encourage everyone to be environmentally responsible. WWF-New Zealand campaigns for healthy oceans now and in the future, inspires action on climate change through its Earth Hour campaign, protects New Zealand’s endangered Hector’s dolphins, and partners with local volunteer conservation groups to restore native habitats across the country.

How WWF began

WWF was born into this world in 1961.

It was the product of a deep concern held by a few eminent men who were worried by what they saw happening in our world at that time.
Since those early days WWF has grown up to be one of the largest environmental organisations in the world. What this means is that WWF's reach is global yet local. It combines localised, practical actions and field projects with broader initiatives to influence environmental decision-making and industrial practices, based on sound conservation policies and constructive dialogue.

Currently there are more than 1300 WWF conservation projects underway around the world.

...and how we work today

The vast majority of WWF projects focus on local issues.

This means that in the same way we support environmental education for Kiwi kids and work with local communities to protect endangered Hector’s dolphins, WWF is also helping create school nature gardens in Zambia, establishing giant panda reserves in China or working with fishermen in Brazil to identify and protect marine turtle nests.

The importance of partnerships.

Almost all our work involves partnerships.

In New Zealand and around the world our approach is the same. We work with scientists and conservationists in the field to make sure we have the best knowledge available. We team up with local non-profit agencies and other global NGOs. We form relationships with village elders, local councils and regional government offices. And in this day and age of globalisation, critically, we work with businesses who are willing to change.

But we couldn’t hope to achieve all this without partnership with you.

Your support gives us the mandate to lobby for improved legislation to protect the environment, and provides vital funds to help build a future in which people live in harmony with nature.

Conservationists and the fishing industry are working together to address the problem of seabird deaths in fisheries.
Southern Seabird Solutions helps fishers to share and adopt responsible fishing practices and techniques to reduce seabird deaths and injuries.

Rebecca Bird, Marine Programme Manager, WWF-New Zealand

Partnership helping save New Zealand’s albatross

South American fishers read factsheets on how to fish seabird-safe - a joint effort between Southern Seabird Solutions Trust and Pro
Delphinus.

Tens of thousands of seabirds including albatross are killed each year by fishing operations. WWF believes the best way to stop seabird numbers declining further is to join forces with organisations that can make a real difference. That’s why we are part of Southern Seabird Solutions, which unites fishers, industry, government and WWF in the common cause of saving seabirds.

Southern Seabird Solutions exists to help fishers fish smarter, ensuring seabird-friendly fishing is practised throughout New Zealand fleets and internationally, so more seabirds return to New Zealand shores safely.

"Working in effective partnerships can deliver real and lasting conservation benefits. In New Zealand, conservationists and the fishing industry are working together to address the problem of seabird deaths in fisheries", explains Rebecca Bird, Marine Programme Manager for WWF-New Zealand.

“Regulation is clearly important, but so to is the need for fishers to understand why and how to reduce seabird deaths. Southern Seabird Solutions helps fishers to share and adopt responsible fishing practices and techniques to reduce seabird deaths and injuries.”

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