This summer, thousands of Kiwis will give their time, energy and goodwill to conservation projects around the motu. Pest traps will be laid and monitored, weeds pulled and many tasks done for the greater good of whenua and people. Here, volunteers gather for a restoration planting day at the Robert Findlay Wildlife Reserve managed by the Pūkorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre, south of Auckland. The coastal strip on the Firth of Thames draws thousands of birds, including migratory kuaka/godwits, kōtuku/white heron, ngutu parore/wrybills and tōrea/oystercatchers. As well as planting, volunteers have built boardwalks and viewing hides, which in turn attract flocks of avian admirers and photographers seasonally.

Photo: Chelsea Ralls