News

Fewer than a thousand matuku-hūrepo | Australasian bittern remain in Aotearoa. Ninety percent of their wetland habitat is gone. Now, a proposed four-lane highway threatens Doctors Hill wetland in Northland, one of the last places these taonga birds can call home.

On Friday 5 June 2026, around 1,000 students from schools across Kirikiriroa Hamilton gathered at Tauhara Park, Rototuna, for Arbor Day 2026. Together with kaiako, parents, and a community of dedicated kaimahi and funders, they planted 10,000 native trees in a single day.

The Endangered Species Foundation has delivered its first online Awhi Awa | Embrace a Stream workshop, connecting Bupa staff with the story of endangered freshwater species in Aotearoa and the actions businesses can take to help protect local waterways. The new online format opens the door for workplaces across the country to engage with freshwater restoration, native fish protection, and practical environmental action.

Earlier this month, the Endangered Species Foundation's Natalie Jessup presented Awhi Awa | Embrace a Stream to Hamilton City Council as a ready-to-deploy solution for urban waterway restoration in Kirikiriroa. Together We Can Turn Things Around.

Ngā mihi to everyone who has purchased or gifted a Chatham shag through our Gift a Shag campaign. Your support is making a real difference for one of the world's most range-restricted seabirds!

Tāngaro Tuia te Ora has formally opposed McCallum Bros’ Te Akau sandmining proposal, citing irreversible impacts on tara iti, fisheries and marine ecosystems.

Native vegetation covers less than 2% of Kirikiriroa Hamilton, and many of the city's remaining ecosystems are under pressure. Across gullies, parks, lakes and along the awa, communities have been working for years to change that.

Tara iti numbers have climbed past 40 adult birds for the first time since Cyclone Gabrielle, with one young bird travelling across the upper North Island.

Recently our General Manager, Natalie Jessup presented at Stormwater 2026 alongside councils, developers and iwi representatives, to talk about the state of freshwater species in Aotearoa, and the work underway to reshape how urban communities relate to fresh water.

This September, leaders at the forefront of taiao restoration will gather in Kirikiriroa Hamilton for the first ever Endangered Species National Hui.

The Fisheries Amendment Bill strips environmental protections from how commercial fishing catch limits are set. It locks in catch settings for up to five years with minimal public input. It hides onboard camera footage from the public - the same cameras that revealed dolphin bycatch was 680 times higher than the fishing industry had self-reported.

Aotearoa freshwater fish are in crisis, with 76% threatened or at risk of extinction. Species like tuna and īnanga rely on connected waterways to survive, yet barriers, habitat loss and degraded rivers are driving decline. Restoring river connectivity, protecting habitats, and supporting iwi-led solutions are critical to ensuring these taonga species can complete their lifecycles and thrive.

Minister urged to intervene over 146 marine mammal sanctuary deaths in just two years. Data obtained by the Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) shows 146 marine mammals, including numerous Hector’s dolphins, Dusky dolphins, and seals, have been killed inside Aotearoa New Zealand’s marine mammal sanctuaries over the past two fishing years.

For Conservation Week, ESF General Manager Natalie Jessup was guest editor of the Sustainable Future newsletter from Newsroom Aotearoa.

After four decades of careful study, scientists have revealed that Hector’s dolphins, one of New Zealand’s most iconic taonga species, reproduce more slowly than previously understood.

The Endangered Species National Hui 2026 is inviting iwi, rangatahi, scientists and community leaders to Kirikiriroa Hamilton this September, and Co-Chair Tāwera Nikau says the timing is critical.

A new report confirms 89% percent of native freshwater fish species now threatened with extinction and our freshwater is at breaking point.

A national hui bringing together iwi, communities, scientists, creatives and advocates will take place in Kirikiriroa this September, responding to the accelerating crisis facing Aotearoa’s most endangered taonga species and their habitats. The Endangered Species National Hui 2026, hosted by Tāngaro Tuia te Ora – Endangered Species Foundation (ESF), will be held on 2–3 September at Wintec, Hamilton, and is focused on moving from collaboration and kōrero, through to collecti

New data from the 2024–25 fishing year shows 67 marine mammals were killed by commercial fishing vessels inside New Zealand’s marine mammal sanctuaries - areas created under law specifically for their protection.

The 2025-26 breeding season for tara iti/New Zealand fairy tern has delivered genuine cause for optimism, with 11 chicks fledging successfully despite a challenging summer of predation pressure, wild weather, and anxious moments.