Despite the biodiversity losses that have occurred, there remain a range of habitats, ecosystems, and species that make this region special, and which highlight the importance of on-going initiatives to maintain and enhance the biodiversity of the region.

Some of these are listed below:

• Culturally and ecologically significant river mouths, estuaries and coastal lagoons.
• Nationally significant examples of natural beach dune vegetation.
• Banks Peninsula Marine Mammal Sanctuary.
• Habitats for some of the world’s rarest bird species.
• A rich coastline of diverse inshore and offshore habitats.
• Motunau Island Nature Reserve.
• Nutrient-rich waters off the Kaikoura coast.
• Pohatu Marine Reserve at Flea Bay, Banks Peninsula.
• A number of braided rivers.
• Indigenous shrublands, tussock grasslands and wetlands.
• Restored wetlands and indigenous vegetation remnants on the Canterbury Plains.
• Substantial areas of mountain beech forest.
• The Lake Sumner/Hoka Kura area and the headwaters of the Hurunui and Waiau Rivers.
• Mixed podocarp forest.
• Coastal to alpine indigenous ecosystems.
• Naturally rare limestone areas.
• High country landscapes.
• Largely unmodified alpine environments.

Culturally and ecologically significant river mouths, estuaries and coastal lagoons. Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere, Ashley/Saltwater Creek, Brooklands Lagoon, the Avon-Heathcote Estuary/Ihutai, the Opihi Lagoon, Lake Forsyth/Wairewa, Conway/Tutae Putaputa, Clarence/Waiau-toa and Waiau River mouths and the Wainono Lagoon.

Nationally significant examples of natural beach dune vegetation at Kaitorete Spit with the largest remaining area in New Zealand of the nationally rare native sand binder pingao, and other nationally threatened plant species.

Banks Peninsula Marine Mammal Sanctuary for the protection of Hectors dolphin/upokohue -New Zealand’s first marine mammal sanctuary.

Home to some of the world’s rarest bird species. Huttons shearwater/titi, orange-fronted parakeet/kakariki, black stilt/kaki, white-flippered penguin/korora, yellowhead/mohua, great spotted kiwi/roroa.

A rich coastline of diverse inshore and offshore habitats supporting a high diversity and abundance of marine life that includes many seabird species, seals, dolphins, whales, diverse fish fauna and abundant and diverse seaweeds.

Motunau Island Nature Reserve is predator-free and internationally significant as a habitat for seabird species such as the fairy prion/titi, and is the main breeding colony of the endangered white-flippered penguin/korora.

Nutrient-rich waters off the Kaikoura coast support dense populations of plankton and marine algae and abundant krill, squid and fish, which attract many marine mammals and prolifi c seabird life.

Pohatu Marine Reserve at Flea Bay, Banks Peninsula provides a 218 hectare marine sanctuary.

A number of braided rivers which are ecosystems of international importance providing ecological links between the mountains and the sea, and habitat for a diversity of bird species including several threatened species e.g. wrybill/ngutu parore, banded dotterel, black-fronted tern, Caspian tern, black-billed gulls, black stilt/kaki.

Indigenous shrublands, tussock grasslands and wetlands in the foothills and intermontane basins provide important remnant indigenous habitat.

Restored wetlands and indigenous vegetation remnants on the Canterbury Plains.  Travis Swamp, kanuka woodland at Eyrewell and Bankside, kowhai and mixed shrubland at Rakaia Island, and native grasslands at McLeans Island.

Substantial areas of mountain beech forest in the catchments of the Ahuriri, Dobson/Hopkins, Rakaia and Waimakariri Rivers, Craigieburn Forest Park, Arthur’s Pass National Park, and in the frontal ranges within the Ashburton and Waimakariri districts.

The Lake Sumner/Hoka Kura area and the headwaters of the Hurunui and Waiau Rivers are dominated by extensive red, silver and mountain beech forests. The most outstanding example of New Zealand cedar/pahautea forest is in the eastern South Island in the headwaters of the Rakaia River catchment.

Mixed podocarp forest still exists in the Peel Forest area, and podocarp-hardwood forest at the head of the Rakaia, Wilberforce, and Mathias Rivers.

Coastal to alpine indigenous ecosystems can be found within a few kilometres of the Kaikoura coastline.

Naturally rare limestone areas in North and South Canterbury provide “habitat islands” that support specialised plant communities such as those at Kura Tawhiti/Castle Hill and Awakahomo Karstland, Waitaki Valley. The Kura Tawhiti/Castle Hill limestone area also has special significance for Ngai Tahu.

High country landscapes that include extensive examples of tall tussock grasslands, native shrublands and beech forest communities as well as many lakes and wetlands that provide nationally and internationally significant bird habitat.

Largely unmodified alpine environments with alpine vegetation, extensive screes, bare rock, permanent icefield and glaciers.