March for Nature
On Saturday, September 19th 2026 tens of thousands marched in central Auckland in a peaceful protest to defend conservation land.
Watch the March for Nature
What was the March for Nature?
On Saturday 19 September 2026, at 1pm people from across Aotearoa came together in Auckland to stand up for nature and defend conservation land.
The march started in Albert Park and went down Queen Street.
The Luxon Government has waged a war on nature over the last three years and this attack on conservation land is the last straw. The Government is trying to push through the Conservation Amendment Bill to make it easier to exploit and even sell off public conservation land. From forests and wetlands to rivers, coastlines and mountain ranges, the places that belong to Aotearoa are under threat.
We’ve stopped attacks on nature before.
Fifteen years ago, tens of thousands of New Zealanders marched to stop plans to mine the most highly protected conservation land in Aotearoa – and we won. And in 2024, when we last marched for nature over 20,000 people turned up. The march filled Queen Street from Aotea Square to the sea!
There were friends, whānau, tramping buddies and community groups, standing together to defend the wild places we love.
Snapshots from the March for Nature 2026
Some moments from the March for Nature.
What was the March for Nature?
The March for Nature was a protest march walking down Queen Street Auckland at 1pm Saturday, 19 September, starting from Albert Park. We marched against the Conservation Amendment Bill, against the ‘war on nature’.
This march represented a movement of many people and groups coming together to make it a success. Besides Greenpeace and Forest & Bird staff and volunteers there were countless grassroots groups spreading the word, and even bus loads from Coromandel and Raglan.
We’d like to acknowledge everyone who joined, who helped bring people along, and all the volunteers who helped make it happen on the day.
We’d especially like to thank the Kaiāawhina marshalling group who kept us all safe on the day.
Speakers at the March for Nature
Besides the speakers from Forest & Bird and Greenpeace Aotearoa, we’d like to thank the speakers from Ngāti Whatua Ōrākei, Coromandel Watchdog, Anti War Aotearoa, Aotearoa Climate Action Network, and Mike Smith, who addressed us at the start of the march. A special thanks to Tipene who performed at the end of the event.
You helped spread the word!
The Conservation Amendment Bill is the biggest attack on conservation land in the history of Aotearoa. It’s the latest attack from the Luxon Government’s War on Nature.
You helped by spreading the word to your friends, whānau and community: printing and putting up posters, sharing online and having conversations about the issue.
You helped power the March for Nature!
Hundred of people donated to ensure we had all the essential resources needed to make this march an unforgettable part of the story of Aotearoa’s environmental movement. Thankyou!
Your donation went towards everything we needed to make this march a success, including:
- Protest banners and signs to send a clear message
- Promotional materials to advertise the march far and wide
- Equipment needed on the day, including megaphones, radios, hi-vis jackets, and first-aid kits
- Stage equipment hire, including a sound system
- Training sessions for volunteer marshals to keep people safe
What is the Conservation Amendment Bill?
The Luxon Government is planning a ram raid on public conservation land.
They are proposing to change the entire purpose of the Conservation Act and the Department of Conservation to make it easier to sell off public conservation land or open it up to private commercial exploitation.
Here is a breakdown of what the Government is proposing with the Conservation Amendment Bill:
- It expands the types of conservation land that can be sold or swapped. This means roughly five million hectares, roughly 60% of all public conservation land, could become eligible for sale or exchange.
- It changes the entire purpose of the Department of Conservation. Since 1987, DOC’s primary job has been to protect nature but the Bill would force DOC to enable commercial exploitation of public conservation land.
- It ‘unleashes’ commercial exploitation of protected lands, which could lead to faster approvals for mining and facilitate more intensive development within public conservation land.
This is the biggest attack on conservation land in New Zealand’s history. And it is the darkest and most critical moment in the fight to protect Aotearoa from destructive mining.
Public conservation land belongs to Aotearoa. Tell the Government: our conservation land is not for sale.
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