On 19 September 2026, thousands upon thousands gathered in Auckland’s Albert Park this afternoon to march down Queen Street to protest the Government’s controversial Conservation Amendment Bill. Here are some of the best photos from the March for Nature!
From all walks of life
People from all walks of life came from across Auckland and across Aotearoa. Families, environmental groups, scientists, unions, people who have spent decades defending nature – and people marching for the very first time.
Hands off conservation land!
Together, we sent a message to this Government that was impossible to ignore: Hands off conservation land!
For the last three years, we’ve watched environmental protections stripped away. Freshwater protections weakened, new mines and fossil fuel developments pushed forward, and environmental laws trashed.
We’ve witnessed a government willing to work on behalf of polluting industries at the expense of all of us. And just days before the march, our election scorecard showed that some political parties are campaigning to go even further in their war on nature after the coming election.
But on the 19th on Queen Street we showed the other side of that story.
Big industries may have deep pockets and the ear of some politicians. But we are the people.
Standing up for conservation land
Thousands of people prepared to unite. to take to the streets and stand together to protect the places and wildlife we love. Thousands of people want the rivers, oceans, climate and conservation land of this beautiful country protected, not exploited.
Speaking up for nature
We’d like to give warm thanks to 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. , and A special thanks to Tipene who performed at the end of the event.
We’d especially like to thank the Kaiāwhina marshalling group who kept us all safe on the day.
If you marched, shared the event, brought your whānau, made a sign, donated, volunteered, or helped make Saturday happen in any way: thank you. You made this happen.
The Conservation Amendment Bill will not pass before the election. So between now and then, politicians from every political party need to keep hearing the message that filled Queen Street yesterday: protect our environment. Don’t exploit it.
Public conservation land belongs to Aotearoa. Tell the Government: our conservation land is not for sale.
Sign the petitionThe march for nature was an incredibly powerful moment. But the march is not the finish line.
On 7 November, New Zealand will vote in an election that will impact what happens next for the conservation of land, oceans, rivers and climate of Aotearoa.
One thing you can do right now is check out Greenpeace’s election scorecards, which compare where the political parties stand on some of the biggest environmental issues facing Aotearoa.
Use Greenpeace’s election scorecards to compare where political parties stand on the biggest environmental issues facing Aotearoa.
ELECTION SCORECARDS