Forest & Bird's national conference was held on 29 July 2023 at Te Papa Tongarewa, Pōneke Wellington.
The theme was Inspiring Bold Leadership in a Time of Crisis and our MC for the day was Jesse Mulligan.
Please find the videos of our speakers and panel discussions below.
Welcome: Mark Hanger | President, Forest & Bird
SESSION 1: STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS – Past, present & future: why the environment matters now more than ever
Nicola Toki | Chief Executive, Forest & Bird
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Nicola Toki's State of the Nation address is available to read on our website.
SESSION 2: THE IMPORTANCE OF COURAGE AND LEADERSHIP IN GIVING NATURE A VOICE – Why bold leadership needs boring foundations
Rt Hon. Simon Upton | Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment
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Rt Hon. Simon Upton's speech is available to read on the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's website.
SESSION 3: THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX – is Aotearoa’s approach to environmental stewardship failing and what should the future of conservation look like?
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Chaired by Jesse Mulligan. Our panel members were:
- Dr Amanda Black | Co-director at Bio-Protection Aotearoa Research Centre & Associate Professor at Lincoln University
- Mananui Ramsden | Chairperson of Te Rūnaka o Koukourata, Banks Peninsula
- Danielle Shanahan | Chief Executive, Zealandia Ecosanctuary Te Māra a Tāne, Pōneke Wellington
- Dr Deidre Koolen-Bourke | Senior Policy Researcher, Environmental Defence Society
SESSION 4: COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP IN THE TIME OF THE CLIMATE & BIODIVERSITY CRISES - what are business and sector leaders doing to address the climate and biodiversity crises when we know time isn’t on our side?
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Chaired by Jesse Mulligan. Our panel members were:
- Terry Copeland | Chief Executive, Federated Farmers
- Kiri Hannifin | Chief Sustainability Officer, Air New Zealand
- Rehette Stoltz | Gisborne Mayor & Regional Sector Representative Local Government NZ (LGNZ)
- Caroline Saunders | Distinguished Professor and Director of the Agribusiness & Economics Research Unit, Lincoln University
SESSION 5: CRISIS COMMUNICATION & CONFRONTING CLIMATE APATHY – what will it take for political leaders and the wider public to act on environmental issues?
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Chaired by Jesse Mulligan. Our panel members were:
- Eloise Gibson | Climate change editor, Stuff NZ
- Dale Husband (Ngāti Maru) | Presenter, Waatea News
- Marc Daalder | Senior political reporter, Newsroom
- Isobel Ewing | Climate correspondent, Discovery
SESSION 6: RANGATAHI ARE THE FUTURE – so why aren’t we listening to them?
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Chaired by George Hobson. Our panel members were:
- Eden Skipper (Ngāi Tahu) | Indigenous rights advocate and forager
- Isla Day | Founding member & organiser, School Strike 4 Climate Aotearoa
- Madison Seymour| Future Farmers NZ
Presentation of the Kōtuku Award | Te Tohu Kōtuku to Raukūmara Pae Maunga
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More information about all of our 2023 Forest & Bird awards is available here.
SESSION 7: SHIFTING OUR MINDSET – caring for the environment to build a stronger, better country
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Talk 1 | The possibilities for a tino rangatiratanga sphere in conservation legislation and policy
Professor Jacinta Ruru MNZM FRSNZ | Māori Law Professor and legal scholar
Talk 2 | Forest & Bird whakapapa, ongoing mahi, and courageous conservation: looking to the future
Nicola Toki, Chief Executive, Forest & Bird
SANDERSON DINNER
Dame Anne Salmond delivering the Sanderson Lecture July 2023. Image Mark Coote