A N N U A L R EPO R T

Forest & Bird

Working with others
Greater conservation gains are often
achieved by working with others. Forest &
Bird has continued to initiate and develop
relationships with many environmental,

2010 Report to members

recreational, local government and indus-
try groups, including the national Land and
Water Forum, wild rivers coalition, Feder- (For the year ended 28 February 2010)
ated Farmers, Department of Conserva-
tion, local councils and the Animal Health

A voice for nature

Board.
We are the New Zealand BirdLife In-
ternational partner, and throughout the
year supported and shared conservation
knowledge with our partners in the Pacific.
Forest & Bird continues to promote strong
F orest & Bird has worked to protect our conservation
estate for almost nine decades and has earned respect
among New Zealanders as a fearless advocate for nature.
We understand the economic pressures on New Zealand –
and we are not against development – but it is vital that we
speak up for the native plants and animals and wild places that
policy in New Zealand and internationally are sometimes threatened by inappropriate development.
to counter climate change and the poten- So we rose to the challenges presented by the Government’s
tial impacts on New Zealand biodiversity. pro-economic development direction, which during the Natural New Zealand needs Forest & Bird now more than
Forest & Bird and other environmental and recreational groups past year has sometimes threatened to leave natural New ever, and throughout the year we have been proud to
celebrated our precious waterways at Day on a Wild River events
Zealand high and dry. speak for nature.
around New Zealand.
Wanda Tate was Forest & Bird’s 2009 Golden Spade winner after
planting 2400 trees in a year at Pauatahanui Wildlife Reserve.

Valuing our people and Protecting our conservation estate

our support
Forest & Bird volunteers got their hands dirty planting, weed-
ing, doing pest control and bird counts around New Zealand.
They got out and explored our wild places. They made plan-
ners and courts aware of the importance of protecting nature,
and they shared conservation messages in their communities.
Nationally, our volunteers were honoured with Pestbuster,
Golden Spade and Old Blue awards, and branches presented
awards for local achievements.
Our grassroots membership is vital in our successful advo- Forest & Bird member Christine
Heatherbell-Brown collects mining
cacy for nature in New Zealand. We began work on introduc-
submissions in Wellington.
ing a new membership database, with benefits to members,
branches and staff. Native forest is cleared away for
Stockton coal mine on the West Coast.
If Forest & Bird is to face head on the conservation challenges
of the 21st century we need to increase our network of sup-
porters and donors. With this in mind, we began planning a
donor recruitment programme
With the range of initiatives in place to further strengthen For- F orest & Bird led the drive to protect national parks
from the Government’s proposals to open them to
mining. After Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee announced
Forest & Bird supported the Department of Conservation,
local councils and the Animal Health Board in their pest
control, especially in the Bay of Plenty, Southland and
est & Bird’s foundation, I am certain that we can continue our
in September his plans to remove national parks and the Canterbury. Our tireless brigades of volunteers around New
critical work as a voice for nature.
other most precious conservation areas protected under Zealand carried out pest control at Forest & Bird and other
Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act, Forest & Bird went reserves.
to work to protect the heart of our conservation estate. In other initiatives, several Forest & Bird branches launched
We launched a campaign to tell all New Zealanders about a campaign to restore the beauty of the Kaimai-Mamaku
the threats to national parks and called on them to speak forests, and kokako were introduced to Ark in the Park in
Barry Wards up for their ongoing protection. The campaign compelled September – the first time the kokako’s ringing call has been
Forest & Bird President the Government to backtrack on some of its mining plans. heard for 60 years in the Waitakere Ranges.
Forest & Bird maintained its focus on pest control to ease Forest & Bird represented nature in
the pressures on our native birds and other species and legal and planning forums on areas
the forests in which they live. With Federated Farmers, we including the West Coast Shearer’s
launched 1080: The Facts website to explain the value Swamp, Mangatu native forest near
of 1080 and other forms of pest control in stopping the Gisborne and Mt Cass in North Canterbury,
march to extinction of our most vulnerable native species. where a wind farm is planned.
 Protecting our rivers Protecting our marine
Pressure on our rivers, especially in the South Island, environment
is increasing. Forest & Bird has been at the forefront Endangered Hector’s and Maui’s dolphins are now
of efforts to protect our few remaining wild rivers from better protected after a judicial review confirmed
being destroyed by dams for hydro electricity and stricter fishing measures, for which Forest & Bird
irrigation. advocated.
Forest & Bird joined others in opposing a massive Forest & Bird went into bat for other marine crea-
hydro dam on the West Coast’s Mokihinui River, and tures, including little blue penguins (with the Places
is continuing efforts to protect the river and its native for Penguins community project in Wellington making
inhabitants from destruction. significant progress) and critically endangered fairy
Canterbury is at the epicentre of demands on our terns (for which Forest & Bird is working on protect-
rivers, and Forest & Bird worked on ensuring the ing their increasingly limited Northland habitat).
greatest protection for the Hurunui River under a Forest & Bird launched the fourth Best Fish Guide,
water conservation order. We have been involved in with more than 62,500 of the popular pocket guides
the Canterbury Water Management Strategy, which to sustainably caught fish already distributed.
is trying to solve the region’s water problems. We
The technical work on identifying all New Zealand’s
will continue to speak for Canterbury’s rivers and
marine important bird areas was completed, and
freshwater species under the new Environment Can-
Forest & Bird successfully engaged in the marine pro-
terbury regime.
tected area planning forums for the West Coast and
Forest & Bird joined the Land and Water Forum as the sub-Antarctic islands.
the voice for natural rivers among industry, farming,
We also launched a project with the Pew Founda-
iwi and recreational interests working on national
tion and WWF to work towards an expansive marine Forest & Bird is advocating for better protection of endangered Hector’s
water quality and allocation issues. dolphins. Photo: DOC
reserve around the Kermadec Islands.
We initiated a wild rivers coalition that now brings KCC officer and Places for Penguins co-ordinator Jenny Lynch shares her
Forest & Bird is fighting to protect the Mokihinui River from destruction love of nature with children.
together 10 national environmental and recreational
by an 85-metre dam. Photo: Billy Lobban
Intensive irrigation is threatening the Mackenzie Country. Photo: Chris Woolmore
organisations. Sharing our message
Forest & Bird commissioned a fresh new logo,
which encapsulates our catchphrase, “Giving Nature
a Voice”. In November, our patron, Governor-
General Hon Sir Anand Satyanand, and Lady Susan
Satyanand helped us celebrate our distinguished 86-
year history and look forward to a bright future.
Ogilvy New Zealand has generously helped us with
the logo and other work to highlight the professional
work of Forest & Bird.
In online developments, we built a strong following on
our Green Room web forum and ventured into social
media with a Forest & Bird page on Facebook. The
Helen Bain Bird of the Year poll reached another record, attract-
22.9.71 – 29.12.09 ing more than 11,000 online votes and propelling the
We pay tribute to Communications Manager Helen kiwi to the winning position. Governor-General Hon Sir Anand Satyanand highlights
Bain, who died in an accident while horse riding on We launched a new KCC website, with games, quiz- Forest & Bird’s conservation messages.
29 December 2009. zes and fun ways to learn about and appreciate our
During her 3½ years with Forest & Bird, Helen wild places, plants and animals. After 20 years, KCC
brought a new level of professionalism to our magazine had a makeover and became Wild Things,
communications, propelling Forest & Bird magazine with more colour and a more engaging look for kids.

Protecting the Mackenzie Country to new journalistic heights and the first themed issue
– on wild rivers – in November 2009.
In late November, Forest & Bird led a successful Day
on a Wild River event at 10 rivers around New Zea-
Forest & Bird identified threats to the remaining natural areas of the Revamped Forest & Bird and KCC websites were land to celebrate wild rivers and highlight the need to
Mackenzie Basin in South Canterbury, and advocated for a halt to more testimony to Helen’s determination to spread the protect them from development.
intensive irrigation and dairy farming and privatisation of large areas until conservation message to a wider and younger
now under pastoral lease. Work began on rebuilding Forest & Bird’s Ruapehu
audience. lodge. The new lodge, worth almost $1 million, will
We made submissions at resource consent hearings for intensive irriga- With her feisty spirit, irreverent sense of humour be a base in Tongariro National Park for exploring a
tion and cubicle farming discharges. and prolific writing, Helen raised Forest & Bird’s special wild place. In South Auckland, progress was
A postcard and e-card campaign to the Prime Minister public profile, and we are thankful for her enormous made on upgrading Olive Davis cottage in a Forest &
and other ministers asked the Government to save the contribution to conservation. Bird reserve, with the aim for it to become a home for
much-loved Mackenzie Country. nature conservation projects.