"But we are all affected by Covid-19 and it was great we could still provide online activities for people to take part in, whatever alert level they were under."
She says DoC places a lot of emphasis on partnerships and community conservation activities, so they hope people will take some inspiration from Conservation Week, spend time in nature when they can and support conservation activities in their cities, towns and districts. "Conservation is year-round."
"Many people commented they really enjoyed the online videos and soundscapes, enabling them to connect with nature through online channels.
"We were very pleased by the public's response to our digital initiatives, which we know gave people some joy and reasons for contemplation during heightened Covid-19 alert levels."
Rotorua senior ranger (community) Margaret Metcalfe says they have had some great feedback on the Conservation Week display and activities at the local library in Rotorua, encouraging families to get outdoors.
"The Rotorua team will reschedule the planned event at Te Puia to announce the local 2020 Conservation Award recipients.
"There are many hard-working community groups around Rotorua achieving great results for conservation and it's important to acknowledge them and celebrate their achievements."
Kath Inwood says people's connection with nature is important - "We are part of nature and nature is part of us.
"Also, when we are connected with nature, we are more likely to take care of it.
"This was reflected by some of the stakeholders who added their voices to Conservation Week – in particular, the Mental Health Foundation, Dr Lesley Topping and Kim Hurst, all strong advocates for time spent in nature.
"Of course, we hope we will be able to run a full Conservation Week next year, but 2020 has shown us how unpredictable life is and that we can be flexible enough to provide a connection with nature for people in a variety of ways."
