Volunteers drive positive change. Whether it is planting trees, campaigning, or pest control, a team of dedicated volunteers has backed Forest & Bird’s work to protect te taiao nature since its launch on 28 March 1923.
This year, Forest & Bird is celebrating a century of conservation mahi and the support of its volunteers with an array of exciting events, and we would love for you to join us.
If you are a keen philatelist, you might like to create a design for our stamp challenge – details are on the Forest & Bird website and entries close 2 July 2023.
You might also want to get your hands on our gorgeous centennial stamp collection – available to purchase online at NZ Post Collectables: www.collectables.nzpost.co.nz/forestandbird.
Forest & Bird’s centennial conference is taking place at Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington on Saturday 29 July.
For the first time since 2019, we are hosting a full day of discussions and debates on the biggest conservation challenges we face, centred around the need for courageous leadership during the climate and biodiversity crisis.
Most importantly, in June, Forest & Bird is launching a special project to celebrate Aotearoa’s conservation heroes.
Forest & Bird’s Chief Executive Nicola Toki says the dedication of volunteers today is a continuation of the love for nature that drove Captain Ernest “Val” Sanderson to launch Forest & Bird 100 years ago.
“Forest & Bird was started by a volunteer. The dedication of one passionate individual, inspired by his local wildlife, who campaigned for change. That same spirit remains at the heart of Forest & Bird today. We are continuing to campaign for change,” says Ms Toki.
“Now our impact is multiplied by thousands, thanks to individual volunteers across Aotearoa uniting under the Forest & Bird banner. Sanderson and his legacy prove we can make a difference for our wild places and wildlife – especially when we come together.”
Full details about the project will be announced on Forest & Bird’s Facebook page and website during Volunteer Week from 18-24 June.
See www.forestandbird.org.nz/centennialcelebrations and www.facebook.com/forestandbird/