Conservation and Education
© Raymond Buckmaster / Pukorokoro Miranda Naturalists' Trust

Conservation and Education

Supporting community conservation and environmental education

WWF-New Zealand wants to inspire and enable New Zealanders to care for their habitats and species as part of a healthier society and economy. To help Kiwis rise to the global challenge of how to live sustainably today, without compromising quality of life for future generations. 

We do this by developing partnerships with local councils, iwi, communities and government agencies to increase the effectiveness of conservation at a grass roots level. And providing resources and funding to community-led conservation groups and schools.

© Taranaki Kiwi Trust

Community Conservation Funding

WWF, in partnership with the Tindall Foundation, supports projects that are led by and engage local communities to conserve and restore Aotearoa New Zealand's natural environments and native species.

Many supported initiatives involve youth through hands-on learning opportunities where they can build skills and develop deeper connections with the environment.

Projects we support not only bring people together for a shared conservation goal, but also inspire ongoing environmental action among our local communities.

Our biodiversity is precious, but it is in trouble. The projects we support have a strong focus on protecting our most threatened habitats and species. Together we can have a positive impact on nature.

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© Young Ocean Explorers

Environmental Education

To create long term positive change for our environment, it is important to foster changes in our behaviour.

Environmental education is a critical tool to achieve long lasting social change.

WWF-New Zealand supports environmental education in a number of ways.

Teaching the younger generations about the environment, we are helping equip the next generation with the knowledge and values needed to protect the planet.

Providing information, activities and resources to support environment-focused teaching and learning.

Supporting the Mingma Norbu Sherpa Memorial Scholarship that provides financial assistance to students from remote regions of Nepal to study at Lincoln University.

Scholarship information
Resources

Conservation and Education Stories

Read about some of the community conservation and education projects WWF-New Zealand is supporting around the country.

dune restoration Coromandel beach
Success Story

2023/2024 Conservation Grants

19 Community Conservation and Environmental Education projects receive funding.
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rescued little penguin
Success Story

Waiheke’s little blue penguins given helping hand

Kororā in the Hauraki Gulf have been handed a lifeline thanks to the work of Waiheke’s Native Bird Rescue and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) New Zealand.
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fur seal swimming under water
Press Release

New wave of Kiwi kids to become ocean advocates

A growing number of children will be inspired to care for the ocean thanks to new grants from WWF-New Zealand.
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Boy and older man planting native trees
Success Story

Project #ReBlossomNZ

Approximately 90% of Aotearoa’s wetland areas have disappeared due to land development. Botanica by Airwick and WWF-New Zealand, in a three year partnership, are working to #ReblossomNZ by planting native flowering species to help regenerate and restore the biodiversity of these vital ecosystems.
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close up of kokako
Success Story

Protecting the kōkako

WWF-New Zealand is supporting the work of the Kaharoa Kōkako Trust in Bay of Plenty.
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Clutha flathead
Success Story

Taking Care of Tyre Gully

Through a WWF-New Zealand Community Conservation and Education grant, we are supporting WAI Wanaka’s Taking care of Tyre Gulley project protecting and maintain the stream's current population of Clutha flatheads.

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Long Beach replanting, Otago
Success Story

Building connections between nature and people

When habitats are connected, biodiversity benefits greatly. So do communities.
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dune restoration Coromandel beach
Success Story

Nature-based solutions in action

WWF-New Zealand supported project to re-establish a natural dune at Pāuanui Beach on the Coromandel a good example of nature-based solutions.
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Two kakariki nesting
Success Story

Kākāriki at Pūkaha

Boosting the population of yellow-crowned kākāriki at Pūkaha, Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre. 
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Building traps
Success Story

2022 /2023 Conservation Grants

18 community conservation and environmental education projects receive WWF-New Zealand funding
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Planting project
Success Story

People and nature thriving on the Hokianga Harbour

The Conservation and Education Fund is about enabling community groups to come up with their own solutions to creating harmony between people and nature. In the Hokianga, the Ngāi Tūpoto ki Motukaraka Trust are doing just that.
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Boulder butterfly
Success Story

Bringing back the Boulder Butterfly

The Boulder Copper butterfly used to live across Canterbury, but due to habitat loss, its numbers have declined. It is now found only sparingly in a few locations and was missing from Christchurch. That is until a group of children decided to bring it back.
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