Three of New Zealand’s largest islands are joining an international conservation initiative aimed at creating safe havens for unique native wildlife found nowhere else in the world.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) is partnering with global conservation organisations to raise $137 million for ambitious restoration projects on Maukahuka/Auckland Island, Rakiura/Stewart Island, and the Chatham Islands as part of the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC).

Led by Island Conservation, Re:wild, and UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the IOCC aims to restore at least 40 significant island-ocean ecosystems worldwide by 2030.

“For millions of years, New Zealand’s native species evolved separately from the rest of the world. They’re unique, they’re only found here, and once they’re gone from here, they’re gone from everywhere,” said DOC Director-General Penny Nelson.

The comprehensive plan involves removing invasive species, protecting threatened wildlife, and restoring these island ecosystems to be more resilient against climate change. This collaborative effort includes DOC, Ngāi Tahu, Moriori, Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri, and community partners.

“We want to see the return of fields of chest-high flowering megaherbs on Maukahuka/Auckland Island, thriving colonies of diverse seabirds like tāiko and albatross on the Chatham Islands, and Rakiura becoming a refuge for kākāpō,” Nelson added.

While New Zealand has already achieved over 110 successful island pest eradications, these new projects represent unprecedented challenges in scale and complexity. Each island is 4-15 times larger than Campbell Island, previously the largest New Zealand island cleared of pests. Additional challenges include remote locations, difficult terrain, harsh weather conditions, and multiple pest species.

The government has invested $54 million in these conservation projects, estimated to cost $202 million in total. With $11.5 million already donated—including a recent $100,000 contribution from a generous New Zealander to the Auckland Island project—$137 million remains to be raised.

The New Zealand Nature Fund will manage funds raised for these projects, which are expected to develop new methods for eradicating harmful introduced predators that can benefit conservation efforts both in New Zealand and worldwide.