Bird flu can affect any type of bird. Photo (c) Geoff McKay.

Bird flu, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza HPAI, is a highly contagious virus that can affect any type of bird.

If bird flu gets to New Zealand, the Department of Conservation has a plan to mitigate risks to threatened native birds which focuses on actions to detect the virus, reduce the spread and protect threatened species.

Here are some simple ways you can help wildlife:

• Keep pets away from wildlife.
• Stay away from nesting birds on beaches and rivers.
• When visiting national parks, nature reserves or agricultural areas keep shoes and clothes clean to avoid spreading disease.
• Report groups of three or more sick or dead birds, marine mammals or other wildlife to the Ministry for Primary Industry’s hotline: 0800 80 99 66.
• Don’t touch, handle or collect dead or dying birds.

Once HPAI is spreading among wildlife populations in New Zealand, it will be here forever with periods of high outbreaks. Where a significant outbreak occurs, access to the sites may be restricted or, as a last resort, it may be closed while the outbreak is managed. DOC expects this would be more likely to happen at breeding colony sites, ponds and waterways with high bird populations where the area is accessed easily by a significant number of people.

For more information, please visit the Department of Conservation or Ministry for Primary Industries web pages.

Advanced hut loving at Komata Hut with Megan and Cat. Photo (c) Megan Dimozantos. 

FMC President, Megan Dimozantos, along with the team of volunteers who relocated Komata Hut, had the pleasure of hosting Cat Wilson, Director of Heritage and Visitors for DOC, on a rafting trip down the Ngaruroro River to do some hut-lovin' on Komata hut. The team did a cleanup and also finished off some bits and pieces from the restoration. Thanks to River Valley Lodge for guiding rafts for the team at a super affordable rate.

"Komata hut is a really special place for these volunteers. They have forged a very special connection with each other, and it was such a privilege to be able to share that with Cat over a couple of days, “ said Megan. “Absolute kudos to Cat for scratching around in the bush with me to paste contorta stumps, and then volunteering to clean the long drop! I've been blown away looking at all the hard mahi the community has put into our huts during November. It's so humbling."

There's still time to register and head out this weekend to do some hut loving! Visit our web page, where you'll also find the checklist to take with you.

Are you aware of any Fast track Approvals Bil projects, that might impact the recreational opportunities and experiences? There is a lack of information about the projects proposed through FtAB. We are therefore asking our outdoor community for any information about any proposed projects with potential implications for recreation opportunities, in particular on public conservation land.

To better understand the process of FtAB, FMC has recently attended updates from DOC, but the lack of information about the proposed projects remains an issue. We have therefore requested information from Ministry for the Environment via the Official Information Act on three projects that are of concern to FMC. These are the Remarkables ski area expansion and Doolans expansion, Tukituki water security project and Waitaha hydro project. The Ministry has replied it will release this information at the end of the year.

If you have any information to share with us, please get in touch with Allan Brent allan.brent@fmc.org.nz

Public land and nature should be accessible to all, not just the wealthy. Photo (c) Jacqui Dick.

“Conservation isn’t about profit; it’s about ensuring our land is protected in perpetuity,” said FMC's president Megan Dimozantos in a response to the government's announcement of the conservation law reform this month.

FMC supports conservation law reform but we do not support proposals that could restrict New Zealanders' access to their nature. We are also concerned about the areas of the proposals that would cement control of conservation issues almost entirely to the Minister for Conservation, which could undermine democratic processes critical to New Zealand’s conservation.

Access charges suggested in the proposal would disproportionately impact families, lower-income communities, and conservation volunteers, making our backcountry areas inaccessible to many, and impacting the amount of conservation work carried out across the estate. Our public conservation land should be accessible to all, not only to the wealthy, and its management and protection should be funded by the government.

Read more about FMC's stance on the conservation law reform on our web page.

November kept the executive board busy with some important advocacy work.

A great example of several NGOs working together on some big issues is the attempt to protect public access and recreation opportunities under the Health & Saftey law reform. Along with Aotearoa Climbing Access Trust and eleven other organisations, FMC wrote a submission to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to highlight the consequences the legislation has by creating a perceived or actual liability risk for landowners or managers. By proposing clear legislative changes, we want the responsibility in outdoor recreation to remain of those participating in it, not of landowners or land managers.

Through our submission to LINZ, we have also advocated for stronger recreation and access and a broader environmental focus in the way how LINZ manages Crown's land in the future. More diverse recreational opportunities have also been the focus of our submission on the draft Te Hiku o Te-Ika-a-Māui/Far North Conservation Management Strategy.

Isla and Louise, last year's recipients of FMC Expedition Scholarship, celebrating their first week in Tararua.

In late October we were delighted to award four training grants and eleven expedition scholarships.

We received a high number of expedition scholarship applications this year and we were thrilled to award them in late October to support some epic adventures throughout Aotearoa in the coming months. The various planned expeditions range from a few days to a month in duration and include a canyoning first descent, Southern Alps traverses, and exploration of Kahurangi National Park. We hope you are as excited as we are to read about these next year in Backcountry magazine or our Wilderlife blog.

The training grants were awarded to help clubs with some outdoor first aid and bushcraft courses. Keep an eye out for write-ups and photos from the recipients and for the new round of applications in the coming year.

FMC's team with BCT guests on top of Mt Vernon after the meeting - a warm-up for the summer season. Photo (c) Sophie Tucker.

FMC Executive Board and staff are taking a bit of a break during festive period and are looking forward to seeing you out in the hills. We will close the office on Tuesday 24 December 2024 and reopen on Monday 13 January 2025. Phone messages and emails will be responded to after the office reopens.

“We must closely guard the welfare of our National Parks and Reserves. These should not be regarded as the property of our minister or the government. They belong to the people of today and tomorrow. We must fight for their protection if necessary.” Fred Vosseler – Inaugural FMC President (1932)

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