Takahia mai ra
Te tupuna whenua o Aorere
Ka rere taku reo tongi
Mai i Mārahau ki Wainui
Whakatau mai, Whakatau mai

Traversing the ancestral lands
My voice soars and declares
From Mārahau to Wainui
Welcome, welcome.

Natives Planted
Birds released
Predators trapped
App downloads

“Takahia mai ra
Te tupuna whenua o Aorere
Ka rere taku reo tongi
Mai i Mārahau ki Wainui
Whakatau mai, Whakatau mai”

“Traversing the ancestral lands
My voice soars and declares
From Mārahau to Wainui
Welcome, welcome.”

Our story

Since 2012, Project Janszoon has been on a mission to restore and preserve the Abel Tasman’s rich wildlife for all to enjoy. Project Janszoon is a philanthropic trust  working with conservationists, iwi, local volunteers and the Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust, as well as scientists and tourism operators, to make a real impact on the ecological  future of the Abel Tasman National Park. Together we’re making a difference.

Eyes on THE Abel Tasman

See what’s happening in the the park right now. Check out our live webcams.

our work

We’re working with the Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust, the Department of Conservation, iwi -Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Rārua and Te Ātiawa – and the community to restore the park’s rich wildlife. Together we’re getting rid of pests and weeds, bringing back native wildlife and bush, educating young people and inspiring a culture of care for the Abel Tasman.

Predator Control

Introduced predators kill 68,000 native birds in New Zealand every day.
In the Abel Tasman, we want to give native birds and plants a chance to thrive.
Read More >>

Restoring Wildlife

We’re bringing the birdsong back to the Abel Tasman. Since 2014, kākāriki, kākā, tieke/saddleback, whio and pāteke have all been released into the park.

Read more »

Forest Restoration

Since 2014, volunteers have planted over 45,000 native trees in Abel Tasman to help restore the park’s original forest canopy.

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Education

Our hands-on education programme is helping inspire the next generation of scientists and environmentalists.

Read more »

Abel Tasman App

The Abel Tasman App is packed full of useful information for your trip to the Abel Tasman National Park. It is the number one thing to take when you walk the coastal track. Download for free – it works like a virtual visitor centre with a map, geo-location, points of interest, history, tides and info on birds and trees.

Read more »

Island Biosecurity

There are three predator free islands in the Abel Tasman – Adele/Motuareronui, Fisherman/Motuarero-iti and Tonga islands.

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Firesmart

The Fire Smart programme was set up to reduce the fire risk in the park by getting rid of gorse and replacing it with less flammable natives.

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Weed Control

There are 113 different weed species in the park – many spread from bach owners’ gardens. The worst of these weeds are known as the ‘Filthy 14’.

Read more »

Wasp Control

Wasps are a pain for visitors and bad for biodiversity. They compete with bats, birds, insects and lizards for food and eat huge numbers of native insects.

Read more »

Wilding Pines

Pine trees can dominate the ecosystem and compete with native plants for moisture, nutrients and sunlight. We’re supporting efforts to eradicate pesky pines from the park.

Read more »

Visiting the Park? Download our Abel Tasman app

The Abel Tasman app is a free smartphone app with up-to-date information on weather, tides, points of interest, history, plants, wildlife and walking times in Abel Tasman National Park. It has a map with geolocation – so you always know where you are!

Education Tool Box

Our Education Toolbox contains lots of useful information for schools visiting the Abel Tasman.

Park Tool Box

Heading into the park? Check out the activities, apps and info in our Park Tool Box to help you make the most of your trip.

DID YOU KNOW?

Project Janszoon has a wonderful team of volunteers who do everything from dune restoration. weed control and tree planting to possum, rat and stoat trapping. Volunteering is a great way to give back and see a different side to the Abel Tasman. We’re always keen for an extra pair of hands. If you live locally and are keen to be involved get in touch.

latest news

Generous gift will leave a lasting legacy

Project Janszoon was established in 2012, with a generous gift of up to $25 million from Neil and Annette Plowman, to transform the ecological prospects of the Abel Tasman National Park.

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Autumn-Winter 2024 Newsletter

Welcome to Winter. Check out our Autumn-Winter newsletter for a round up of our recent conservation and education achievements in the Abel Tasman National Park.

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Abel Tasman kākā population keeps on growing

The 2023-24 kākā breeding season has finished and the population has continued to grow.  With five chicks known to have fledged this year, we are making steady progress towards a sustainable population of these amazing birds in the park.

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Summer newsletter 23-24

Happy Holidays! Check out our summer 23-24 newsletter for a round up of our conservation achievements 2023 in the Abel Tasman National Park.

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Project Janszoon Winter 2023 Newsletter

Kia ora and welcome to the latest news and info from Project Janszoon. It was a long, busy summer with plenty of activity – whio releases, monitoring programmes, education activities and lots of volunteers hard at work controlling weeds.

Read More

Have you heard the kākā calling?

The Project Janszoon 2022-23 breeding season for kākā has resulted in six fledged juveniles flying from their nests, and our forest bird acoustic monitoring has recorded kākā calls in more locations across the Park.

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‘A real win for biodiversity’ – Endangered whio set free

Several whio or blue ducks were successfully released into Abel Tasman National Park this week.

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We love wetlands – World Wetland Day 2023

On World Wetlands Day 2023, we celebrate the wetlands of the Abel Tasman National Park, from the rare kahikatea swamp forest at Hadfields Clearing, to the red tussock wetland ecosystem at Moa Park on Canaan Downs, the harakeke swamps and lagoons at Anchorage and Awaroa and the estuarine habitats at Onetahuti, Totaranui and Bark Bay.

Read More

From ‘functionally extinct’ to thriving: How the South Island kākā made a comeback in Abel Tasman National Park

Conservationists are celebrating the success of a wild kākā breeding programme at the top of the South Island.

Read More

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

“If you can see the birdlife that’s come back in five years, can you imagine what it’ll be like in 30 years – you’ll be tripping over them.”

Phil Armit, DOC senior hut warden

“If you had a Project Janszoon for every national park in New Zealand the whole challenge of biodiversity that we have now would be far, far less.”

Martin Rodd, DOC partnerships director

“Project Janszoon are doing an awesome job in our rohe, we are really supportive and hugely grateful for everything they have done, and are continuing to do.”

John Ward-Holmes, Manawhenua Ki Mohua

“My biggest joy is working with volunteers as they recognise the social, physical and emotional rewards of assisting with conservation projects”.

Helen Lindsay, Restoration Supervisor

OUR PARTNERS

Project Janszoon is a team effort and we couldn’t do it alone. We’re proud to have the support of the following organisations:

Photos courtesy of Dave Buckton nelsonphototours.co.nz and Ruth Bollongino fernphotos.com

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