Always Be Naturing
Protecting Aotearoa’s most important asset
Nature is at the heart of everything we do in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is our identity, our wellbeing, our economic powerhouse, the way the world sees us. Our futures are bound together.
But New Zealand's unique nature is under threat, and more action is needed.
Since its inception, the Department of Conservation (DOC) has been charged with the protection of New Zealand’s natural and historical heritage. It's DOC's job to educate and promote the benefits of conservation and nature.
The work DOC does, alongside others, makes a difference for nature every day. But more effort and investment is needed if we want to see nature thriving in Aotearoa.
To help address this challenge, DOC collaborated with Deloitte Digital and Deloitte’s Sustainability and Climate team to bring together a three-year programme aimed at mobilising Aotearoa to protect what makes us different.
Deloitte Sustainability and Climate partner, Louise Aitken, says, “We all have a role to play. It's not just the ranger caring for our precious birds on one of our southern islands, or the scientist looking for the technology to map our unique plant life high up on Mt Taranaki. It's closer to home as well - in our daily choices, we can all impact the preservation of nature.”
Traditional approaches to engaging people in DOC’s mission have only got so far. As Kiwis, we need to up the ante – to flip the script on how people, businesses, and communities see and support nature.
Because to keep different, we need to do different.
We count on nature for so many things, it’s the backbone of our economy and it is why tourists come here. It’s the air we breathe, the water we drink, the soil we grow our food in. But it needs our help right now. Conservation is not just for the experts; it’s for all of us.
Penny Nelson, Director-General, Department of Conservation.
In collaboration with DOC, Deloitte has mobilised its teams, network and creativity to unlock a fresh approach for nature.
Always Be Naturing is a three-year campaign designed to serve as a catalyst for connecting with nature in new ways – not just ‘out there’ but with the people and places that surround us wherever we live and work. And critically, it gives us all new ways to support nature, from new partnership structures to product collaborations, and everything in between – together, we’re creating a new wave of conservation innovation.
“In developing Always Be Naturing, we wanted a simple thought that captures and reminds us all about what’s already true – that our relationship with nature is at the bedrock of our way of life, our economy and place in the world. It’s always been so, but now we can point at it and mobilise the nation behind it,” says Ahmad Salim, Partner, Deloitte Creative.
The Always Be Naturing platform is a mechanism for demonstrating that nature’s not just scenery but rather a system that fuels our way of life – the cornerstone of Aotearoa New Zealand’s national identity. The campaign encourages us all to think about nature differently, to consider its deep significance in our lives, to give back to get amongst, and most importantly, to look after it. We need to Always Be Naturing.
"Not only is nature at the heart of who we are and how we live as Kiwis, it is fundamental to our identity and brand on the global stage, and critically it also underpins our economy. But we can’t take it for granted, let’s invest in and make our greatest asset also our real point of distinction,” says Mike Horne, Chief Executive, Deloitte New Zealand.
“This is a very different approach for DOC. We are a small island nation at the bottom of the world, but we want to make a big difference and show the world what can be done if everyone pitches in,” says Penny Nelson, Director-General, DOC.
“Conservation is not just for the experts; it’s for all of us.”
