Happy Conservation Week! It’s a time to celebrate all the great mahi that people all over Aotearoa do to protect our natural environment – our unique species and ecosystems that make this place so special.
Conservation Week also finds me inside, locked down in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s a bummer – I was meant to do some seabird monitoring at Tāwharanui this week as part of our restoration work there, tracking how the population of ōi is growing, and training up some new volunteers on the ins and outs of seabird work. I was also meant to take a trip out to Tiritiri Matangi to enjoy the birdlife through my lens while catching up with friends and family.
The focus of Conservation Week this year is looking at nature anew – taking a fresh perspective on something a lot of us take for granted. I’m guilty of that as much as anyone else. While I find myself constantly amazed by the wildlife around me when I’m out doing research, the day-to-day urban wildlife seems a little lacklustre. Which is a shame, because it’s what we encounter every day – it’s our vital link to the natural world. So I’ve been taking time to appreciate the little things, like the mosses growing on the scoria boulders in my urban garden (while listening to the audiobook of Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer).
Like the two tiny riroriro that sing out a few times each day, flitting up through the tangle of pōhutukawa branches. I even wrote a blog about the tūī visiting the freshly blooming karo in my garden. I want us all to focus on appreciating these experiences just as much as the full immersion in nature that we love – because right now for some of us, it’s all we have.
The DOC website has a great list of activities to get stuck into this week, and I’d encourage everyone to pick one (or more, if you’re keen!) and go for it. They’re not just for kids! There’s even a photo competition! If you’re not in Level 3 lockdown, there are events that you can get involved in – but please remember physical distancing is still important. For those of us in lockdown – get out for a walk and find a little patch of nature near you. Listen to the birds. Remember that despite everything feeling strange right now, the natural world is carrying on as normal. Do some backyard trapping to give your native species a chance to thrive.
So what are you doing for Conservation Week?
