The Department of Conservation and New Zealand Nature Fund said in a statement they were partnering to save endangered species by matching investment to projects.
The partnership creates opportunities for donors and philanthropists to support high priority conservation projects which are selected and delivered by Doc, with New Zealand Nature Fund raising and managing funds.
Donors can choose to support projects to save the Alborn skink, limestone ecosystems in the Waitaki Valley or tara iti/New Zealand fairy tern, through a nature prospectus launched yesterday.
Doc deputy public affairs director-general Sia Aston said the prospectus was created to accelerate work on threatened species and ecosystems, and the Nature Fund could expertly attract investment to these projects.
"New Zealand’s unique biodiversity is in trouble with more than 4000 native species threatened or at risk of extinction, so we’re innovating to get action for nature.
"There are passionate people in New Zealand and overseas who want to make a difference for nature and we’re making it easier for them to contribute.
"Anyone can donate, and this partnership makes it easy to do."
The initial goal is to raise $4.6million for the three projects which will extend and accelerate crucial conservation work.
The tara iti project will build on existing conservation activities and includes creating new safe breeding sites, predator control and surveys to understand how this coastal bird uses the Kaipara Harbour over winter.
The Alborn skink is threatened by mice and other predators.
With a population of just 40 to 100 individuals, it is at high risk of extinction.
The Alborn skink project will create a 5ha predator-free fenced sanctuary in beech forest near Reefton to protect the skink’s only known population and safeguard its future.
A ground-breaking project to restore the life force of a rare limestone ecosystem in Wai o Toura Scenic Reserve in the Waitaki Valley will save critically endangered limestone plants and reset the ecosystem to be self-sustaining.
This project involves removing weeds, propagating and replanting the threatened plants in their special limestone habitat, and creating a forest buffer around the site to protect against extreme weather and weed invasion.
It will create a blueprint to restore threatened limestone ecosystems in other areas.
Doc and the Nature Fund will work together to raise awareness about these projects over coming months and test donor interest and donation systems before adding further projects next year.
The Nature Fund has raised more than $1.8m from private donors in the past 18 months for conservation work, including $430,000 to help Doc save the remaining 101 southern New Zealand dotterel/pukunui on Stewart Island.
— APL
