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Taranaki has always been a mecca for wildlife and nature lovers, and today the Department of Conservation administers 357,369 hectares of land from Mokau in North Taranaki to the Manawatu River in the south and inland to the Ruahine Ranges.
The region includes Egmont and Whanganui National Parks, the Sugar Loaf Islands off New Plymouth, Parininihi Marine Reserve off North Taranaki, and around 800 reserves and conservation areas.The department also manages jointly with private landowners a number of wildlife refuges, protected private land and conservation covenant areas, and three walkways.
Skinks, kiwi, blue duck/whio, bats, northern dotterel, kereru, brown mudfish and kokopu, the Powelliphanta snail, katipo spider and notoreas moth are some of the noted wildlife known within the Taranaki area. In the Wanganui Conservancy the department has 40 actively managed historic places,the majority of them Maori pa sites, including 19 historic reserves. Other sites include a former military barracks, concrete bridge, waterwheel, power station and memorials.
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