WELLINGTON, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage is calling on kiwis to get involved in Conservation Week so as to raise public awareness on ecological protection.

Sage on Saturday joined the Department of Conservation (DOC) and Auckland Council to celebrate environmental heroes, including more than 400 community conservation groups.

The event, the second hosted by Auckland Council with support from DOC and the Predator Free New Zealand Trust, is one of several being run as part of the Conservation Week which starts on Saturday.

"This week is a great opportunity to highlight how much indigenous nature needs our help, with around 4,000 native species threatened or at risk of extinction," Sage said in a statement, adding rats, stoats and possums are the greatest threat to New Zealand's native species.

"In our cities, towns and regions, people can help to protect native plants and wildlife by setting traps on their properties, getting involved in a community conservation group in controlling invasive weeds or regenerating habitats such as wetlands through restoration plantings," she said.