Originally started by SCOUTS New Zealand in 1969, Conservation Week encourages New Zealanders to help take care of the environment. This may include planting trees, a beach clean up or setting pest traps. There are always plenty of organised activities to partake in. While the Department of Conservation took over conservation week duties in 1987, scouts are still very much involved. Scouts all over the country get tucked in and do their part.
The Cubs from Scotts Own Sea Scouts partnered with DOC and the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony for a very unique Conservation Week project. They made 20 new nesting boxes for the kororā (Little Blue Penguins) at the colony. After the job was done they got to visit the colony and watch a couple of rafts of penguins come home after a busy day fishing!
Other groups learnt how to plant seedlings, cleaned up beaches, did weeding and research some of our native flora and fauna.
2019 marked 50 years of Conservation Week. To celebrate we held a design-a-badge competition for our youth. The winning design was turned into a badge to be sold through SCOUTS Direct and the winner (Josh) was treated to a special conservation experience organised by DOC. Josh wants to be a vet one day, so DOC organised for him to spend a day behind the scenes at Wellington Zoo, at The Nest Te Kōhanga!