LISTEN: Alex Gilbert talks to Newstalk ZB about his I'm Adopted project.

The Queen has given her support to a young New Zealander who is helping adopted people from around the world meet their birth parents for the very first time.

Alex Gilbert founded the I'm Adopted project, after finding and meeting his Russian birth parents in his early 20s.

The project helps adoptees from around the world share their adoption story and gives people tools and advice for finding birth parents.

Gilbert said it was an honour to receive a message from support from the Queen in a letter for Buckingham Palace.

"I was very pleased to get that letter, that she actually acknowledged the work that I was doing. I was very pleased about that."

In the letter, a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said the Queen, was "deeply touched" by his story and found it "most encouraging" to know of his desire to help other adoptees.

The international project users social media sites like Facebook to share people's adoption stories and help them get in touch with their birth parents.

Gilbert said for him and for many other adopted people, meeting birth parents is an important part of growing up.

"I've always just wanted to know simply what they look like, who they are, what they do, where they live, everything about them, simply because I am their biological son."