World Wetlands Day 2025
02 January 2025 - 13 February 2025
Region(s): nationwide
Type(s): national events
World Wetlands Day is held on 2 February each year to celebrate the 1971 adoption of the International Convention on Wetlands in the Iranian City of Ramsar.
Nearly 90% of the world’s wetlands have been degraded since the 1700s, and we are losing wetlands three times faster than forests. Yet, wetlands are critically important ecosystems that contribute to biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation, freshwater availability, world economies and more.
Each year there is a new theme for World Wetlands Day and events are held throughout the country and this year the theme is .
World Wetlands Day is the ideal time to increase people’s understanding of these critically important ecosystems.
Show you care by getting involved in World Wetlands Day. You could:
have a family picnic beside a lake or river
explore the waterway by kayak
organise a community walk, bike or run for wetlands
join a guided walk by an expert on wetland plants or birds
attend a workshop or talk, for example, on flax weaving.
Examples of some of the events around the motu are below. For more ideas see the New Zealand Wetland Trust website.
World Wetland Festival at Matuku Link (Auckland, 1 Feb) – visit Tāmaki Makaurau’s largest mainland wetland, Matuku Link and enloy a range of events at the annual open day and wetland celebration
World Wetlands Day Working Bee (Hokitika, 1 Feb) – join the monthly working bee on Wadeson Island.
Rotopiko Wetland Reserve (Ohaupo, 2 Feb) – a day of family fun to celebrate wetlands and enjoy Rotopiko.
Face painting in the sanctuary (Wellington, 2 Feb) – bring the tamariki along to Zelandia so they can have their faces painted with native and wetland themed designs.
World Wetlands Day at Orkney Wetland (Omakau, 2 Feb) – Enjoy a guided tour, learn about predator trapping and bird monitoring and hear about exciting plans for a new public viewing platform. Plus, there’ll be free ice creams for all attendees!
Bullock Creek Wetlands (Wanaka, 2 Feb) – a fun family day to explore the unique Wanaka urban wetlan,d hosted by Otago Fish and Game and Friends of Bullock Creek. Bring your picnic and rug and enjoy a free BBQ.
Putting the wet back in wetlands (Richmond, 13 Feb) – free talk on how the Tasman Disctrict Council are bringing back and enhancing Tasman’s wetlands
NOTE: If you know of any wetland day events we have missed, please get in touch: enquiries@sciencelearn.org.nz.
Related content
Te whakamahi i ngā rauemi o Tuihonoa Te Reo o Te Repo hei whakarite ara whakaako curates our collection of te reo Māori resources drawn from Te Reo o Te Repo – The Voice of the . He kōrero hei āwhina i te kaiako is a mātauranga pūtaiao framework for kaiako with suggestions on how to use the repo resources.
Repo (wetlands) – a context for learning curates our collection of English-medium resources, along with pedagogical and curriculum information. The interactive Wetlands – inquiry and action learning process supports educators who are interested in local wetland connections and restoration. We’ve also created Te repo/wetlands – a public collection for you to copy and use.
Explore the importance of wetlands alongside the Waikato River here.