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Te Whangai Trust from Waikato has today been announced as the Supreme Winner of the 2016 Green Ribbon Awards.

Now in their 26th year, the Green Ribbon Awards recognise exceptional environmental achievements by individuals and organisations around New Zealand. 

The Awards were presented at a Parliamentary function today, co-hosted by Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has presented New Zealand’s foremost botany award, the Loder Cup, to Neill and Barbara Simpson of Queenstown.

One of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, the Loder Cup recognises outstanding work to investigate, promote, retain and cherish the country’s incomparable native plant life.

“Neill and Barbara Simpson truly deserve to be honoured with the presentation of the cup at the Green Ribbon Awards tonight,” Ms Barry says.

Glenfern Sanctuary on Great Barrier Island has been bought for the public thanks to a joint bid backed by the Government, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

“I’m pleased to announce that after considerable negotiations the sale of the Glenfern property has been completed and its future is now secure,” Ms Barry says.

“I acknowledge the hard work of local MP Nikki Kaye, who has been strong advocate for the project and its benefits for Great Barrier Island.”

Two young kakapo will be returned to the species’ pest-free island sanctuaries on a special helicopter flight today, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

The chicks, Konini 2 and Wendy 2, will be flown back to Whenua Hou/Codfish Island from Invercargill, with Ms Barry and Ngāi Tahu representative Tane Davis as chaperones.

“This is a milestone not only for Konini and Wendy but for the entire recovery programme,” Ms Barry says,

An ant considered one of the most destructive invasive species in the world has been successfully eradicated from Tiritiri Matangi Island in the Hauraki Gulf, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

“Tiritiri Matangi is one of the few places in the world where Argentine ants have been successfully eradicated, the culmination of 16 years of hard work by DOC staff and volunteers,” Ms Barry says.

New Zealand conservation will benefit from Budget 2016 with a wide range of funding commitments to protect native wildlife and landscapes, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

Suggestions from the Opposition and some NGOs there has been a cut in DOC’s budget are incorrect.

“In reacting to the Treasury documents released as part of Budget Day, the $472m figure for the final total Vote Conservation spend in 2015/16 has been compared with the starting figure for the Vote in 2016/17 - $430m.

Budget 2016 provides $16 million of new operating funding over four years to tackle wilding conifers, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry say.

“These invasive trees are a major threat to our ecosystems, land and farms. They spread fast and are very hard to eradicate once established,” Mr Guy says.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has said bon voyage to the Million Dollar Mouse expedition sailing for Antipodes Island in the Sub-Antarctic on a mission to eradicate mice.

A supply ship leaves Timaru today carrying helicopters and equipment to join a passenger yacht already on its way. A 13-strong team of experts including pilots, engineers and eradication specialists are on board the two vessels.

One of New Zealand’s finest walks has been reopened on Great Barrier Island today, marking the end of work to restore damage caused by the June 2014 storm.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says the official reopening of the Aotea Track by local MP Nikki Kaye completes the Department of Conservation’s repair work on the island.

“The Aotea Track, which runs for 25km through the heart of the island, is one of Great Barrier’s major tourism draws and is important to its economy.”

A multi-million dollar fund set aside to support community conservation will open for a third round of applications on 23 May, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has announced.

The DOC Community Fund was set up in 2014 to distribute $26 million over four years to inspire and enable community-led conservation projects around New Zealand.

“This fund has made a big difference for many smaller groups who would have struggled to do their great work without some timely help,” Ms Barry says.

An eradication programme partly funded by the island’s part-owner Sir Michael Fay and involving DOC expertise has wiped out the population of introduced kiore, ship rats and feral cats.

“Sir Michael’s commitment to this project with DOC has produced a result that they could not have achieved working by themselves,” Ms Barry says.

“Forging a partnership with DOC’s scientific knowledge and the commitment of local volunteers has enabled the island to become a safe haven for native wildlife.”

Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry today announced the 2016 Green Ribbon Awards finalists to celebrate exceptional environmental achievements by New Zealanders.

“We are delighted to recognise these community groups, scientists, schools, councils and businesses for their innovation and achievements in the 26th annual Green Ribbon Awards,” Dr Smith says.

“This year we received a very commendable 106 nominations across the ten categories, with some projects making a positive difference over many years.

The largest pest control operation in New Zealand’s history will be launched this winter in response to a pest plague which threatens vulnerable native wildlife, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

Battle for our Birds 2016 will receive $20.7 million in new operating funding for 2015/16 from this month’s Budget, helping to fight back against an expected pest population boom caused by a heavy forest seeding, or mast.

A kakapo chick rearing facility in Invercargill upgraded with the help of offenders carrying out community work is playing a vital role in the species’ recovery, Corrections Minister Judith Collins and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry say.

The most vulnerable kakapo chicks hatched during this year’s record breeding season are being hand-reared at the site, a converted building offered by the Invercargill City Council.

The centre is needed for chicks which have fallen ill, or were not putting on sufficient weight in the wild.

Amendments to how regulations are made for the Lake Taupo trout fishery will make its management more responsive, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

“The change will allow fishing conditions developed by the Taupo Fishery Advisory Committee, including the key management tools of daily bag and fish size limits, to be approved solely by the Minister of Conservation rather than through the Cabinet process, as was the case,” Ms Barry says.

The successful release of three young Coromandel Brown Kiwi on Motutapu Island off Auckland yesterday is testament to the power of working together, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

"Two female kiwi and one male – who was renamed Ropata in honour of renowned conservationist Rob Fenwick – were brought to Motutapu from Rotoroa Island in double-hulled and masted waka hourua," Ms Barry says.

An application to transfer and release grass and silver carp to a new fish farm site outside Taupo has been withdrawn, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

"Applicant Golden Harvest Aquaculture has written to the Department of Conservation stating they wish to withdraw their current application for a fish farm," Ms Barry says.

The application was still under consideration as the Minister had not formally signed off approval for the transfer and release of carp as part of the consenting process.

The first stage of a record breeding season for the kakapo has come to a close, with the last egg of the year hatched this morning, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

“The future of New Zealand’s own giant flightless parrot is looking much brighter,” Ms Barry says.

“Zephyr 2, hatched on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island shortly before 7am today, is the 46th chick this year – which makes this the most successful breeding season in the 25-year history of DOC’s Kakapo Recovery Programme.”

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has welcomed a renewed commitment to supporting New Zealand’s own white-water rafting duck, the whio, announced today.

The Department of Conservation and Genesis Energy have signed a five year extension to their Whio Forever partnership, begun in 2011.

“This is one of DOC’s most successful partnerships, and it’s made a significant difference to the species’ prospects,” Ms Barry says.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has welcomed the first reading of the Wildlife (Powers) Amendment Bill in Parliament this evening.

A modernisation and upgrade of existing legislation, the bill will give Department of Conservation rangers new powers to intervene and prevent offences against native wildlife such as poaching, hunting protected species and smuggling.

“Under the Wildlife Act 1953, DOC is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of these crimes,” Ms Barry says.

A new “roadmap” for scientific research will look for answers to important questions about how we care for New Zealand’s natural world, Environment Minister Nick Smith and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry say.

Development of the Conservation and Environment Science Roadmap will set out 20-year targets for conservation and environmental research.

“A unified approach to the science will help us make research more efficient, targeted at tangible goals,” Dr Smith says.

2016 may become the most successful kakapo breeding in the history of the species recovery programme, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

The critically-endangered birds are world-famous for their character, rarity and bizarre appearance, a giant flightless nocturnal parrot found only in New Zealand.

“So far this season, 42 out of 54 female kakapo have nested, with 28 chicks alive and well and another 19 fertile eggs still to hatch,” Ms Barry says.

New Zealanders have the chance to honour the nation’s inspirational environmental leaders at the Green Ribbon Awards, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry say, with nominations for the 26th annual awards opening yesterday.

An unprecedented number of New Zealand’s smallest kiwi species will be on the move next week, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

Thirty little spotted kiwi will be flown to new homes in the largest-ever translocation effort attempted by the Department of Conservation to increase the genetic diversity of the birds’ population.

“DOC has worked with iwi from five different rohe [areas], the Kiwis for Kiwi Trust, Cape Sanctuary and Air New Zealand to make this translocation possible,” Ms Barry says.