New Zealand

New Zealand Celebrations of the International Year of Biodiversity 2010 – Final Report

New Zealand's Website for the International Year of Biodiversity

Students from the Maori immersion class at Te Kura A Rito O Newton (Newton School) in Central Auckland have won major awards as part of a nationwide photographic competition held to celebrate the 2010 United Nations International Year of Biodiversity.
Website – Photographs – New Zealand National Commission (UNESCO) facebook Fan Page

Dates and Venue	Event
8 - 12 February 2010 Auckland Confirmed	Island Invasives : Eradication and Management / Organized by University of Auckland and Landcare Research
26 February - 22 May 2010 Ashburton	Ō Tū Wharekai photo competition
3 - 5 March 2010 Rotorua Confirmed	National Wetland Restoration Symposium 2010 : Wetland Management and Restoration (Freshwater and Estuarine) / Organized by New Zealand Landcare Research Trust
7 - 12 March 2010 Auckland Confirmed	Fifth IUFRO Meeting on Phytophthora Diseases in Forests and Natural Ecosystems / Organized by New Zealand Landcare Research
11 - 14 April 2010 Auckland Confirmed	Entomological Society's 59th Annual Conference : Global Entomology in New Zealand / Organized by New Zealand Landcare Research Trust / To be Opened By : Hon. Dr. Wayne Mapp, Minister of Research, Science and Technology
11 - 16 April 2010 Auckland	Helping Islands Adapt workshop
16 April 2010 Auckland Confirmed	Auckland Seabirds: Conservation, Restoration and Research Organized by: University of Auckland in New Zealand
17 - 18 April 2010 Auckland Confirmed	BioBlitz 2010 : Finding Nature in the City / Organized by New Zealand Landcare Research Trust, in collaboration with Museum of Auckland, Department of Conservation, and Auckland City and Regional Councils
2 - 8 May 2010 Oxford Confirmed	Fungal Foray / Organized by New Zealand Landcare Research
22 May 2010 Wellington Confirmed	Celebrations for International Day for Biological Diversity
22 May - 26 November 2010 Wellington Confirmed	IYB Photo Competition
22 May 2010 Wellington	Words on a Wing
22 May - 13 September 2010 Canterbury Confirmed	MyBiodiversity Film competition
23 May 2010 Kaikoura	Roam, Rove and Rediscover Kaikoura Peninsula 2010 / Organized by Kaikoura District Council and the Department of Conservation
28 July 2010 Auckland Confirmed	Biodiversity lecture: endangered native fish
25 August 2010 Auckland Confirmed	Biodiversity lecture: urban forest plan
12 - 19 September 2010 Wellington	Conservation Week 2010
15 October 2010 Canterbury Confirmed	Biodiversity Express
18 -22 October 2010 Canterbury Confirmed	Twizel
21 - 25 November 2010 Dunedin	2010 Annual Conference of the New Zealand Ecological Society : Biodiversity : 2010 and Beyond / Organized by New Zealand Landcare Research
29 November - 3 December 2010 Auckland	Australasian Systematic Botany Society (ASBS) Conference / Organized by New Zealand Landcare Research

 
Activity update - Department of Conservation

The Department of Conservation is leading the New Zealand government in the celebration of the International Year of Biodiversity.

Official launch
The Department announced its involvement with the International Year of Biodiversity with a media release on Friday 29 January. The media release (Appendix A) promoted the appointment of a critically endangered native parrot, a kakapo, as Spokesbird for Conservation. The Spokesbird for Conservation is a multi-level campaign involving social media, traditional media and event production to highlight New Zealand’s biodiversity.

The announcement received media coverage in New Zealand, Australia, the US, the UK, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Romania, Russia, Poland and India.

Social media activities include Twitter entries, Facebook page entries, Facebook fanpage, Youtube videos, and dialogue with online communities of interest.

www.Spokesbird.com
www.Sirocco2010.com
www.twitter.com/Spokesbird

Sirocco - world's first Spokesbird for Conservation Watch on Youtube

Websites
The Department’s involvement in the International Year of Biodiversity and information about New Zealand’s biodiversity has been published to the Department’s website .

The multi-New Zealand agency website has been updated to provide a link to the Department’s website for International Year of Biodiversity information.

Events and community engagement activities
The Department is liaising with other government agencies including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry for the Environment, the Ministry of Fisheries and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and will be planning activities in association with local government, organisations such as Landcare Research and Non-Government Organisations.

In April the Department is hosting an international workshop focussing on collaboration of regions with islands around the issue of invasive species management and biodiversity protection.

Our ongoing community engagement work includes aligning our national events programme, such as World Wetlands Day, Seaweek and Arbor Day, with International Year of Biodiversity. A full list of national events is provided (Appendix B).

Conservancies and area offices around New Zealand are linking regional activities and events to the International Year of Biodiversity. Regional Events

Programme of international speakers
The Department hopes to co-host a programme of international speakers throughout the year. This programme will culminate in a forum for government and business leaders during Conservation Week 2010 (September). The programme is currently being planned and more information will be provided throughout the year.

External publications
The Department will provide a feature story about the International Year of Biodiversity for the Statistics New Zealand Yearbook 2010.

Contacts
Key contacts at the Department of Conservation’s International Relations Unit:
Annie Wheeler +64 4 496 1918 [email protected]
Donna Williams +64 4 496 1961 [email protected]