Volunteers form an integral part of our habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring and environmental/conservation research projects. The volunteer team is headquartered near to Wellington and our program area is based largely in the Greater Wellington region. However, several of our projects also provide the opportunities to work in other regions of New Zealand. The work that you will be involved with is typically a combination of direct habitat restoration (e.g. predator control, tree planting, invasive weed removal) and environmental/conservation research such as marine mammal monitoring and ecological projects.
Examples of projects we are currently involved with include:
* Replanting native forests (on the mainland and also on off-shore islands)
* Stream quality monitoring as part of a regional stream health project
* Sailing within Wellington harbour, recording sightings of dolphin and whale species (November - February only)
* Educational visits to Kapiti island - a key offshore sanctuary for New Zealand wildlife (weather permitting)
* Restoring degraded dune ecosystems
* Removing pest plants from several native ecosystems (e.g. dunes, forests)
* Monitoring and control of introduced predators for the protection of native wildlife
* New Zealand Fur Seal monitoring at several sites in the lower North Island
* Working in Kiwi sanctuaries to help preserve this national icon
* Trail construction and park maintenance within wildlife reserves
* Trash and weed removal from harbour islands- involves kayaking to the islands (summer only)
Please note that some projects are seasonal.
New Zealand's capital city, Wellington, is perched on the shores of a deep natural harbour surrounded by wooded hills. The Wellington region encompasses diverse landforms, indigenous plants and wildlife, and an extensive and varied coastline. Wellington is a centre for threatened species management and has a number of captive breeding facilities working with some of our most rare bird, reptile, and insect species.
As a volunteer on the New Zealand Nature Project you must:
* be 18 years old or over
* be from NZ, Australia, North or South America, UK, Europe, Japan, China, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, or South Africa. (Please note: if you're not from one of those countries, please submit the application form after you've confirmed you can obtain a NZ entry visa independently and mention this on the application form)
* have no major health problems
* be moderately fit (e.g. can hike for several hours over uneven/steep ground)
* be proficient in English
* possess initiative and an enthusiasm for the environment
* be willing to work, rain or shine
You can join the program for any length of time between 2 to 12 weeks. All accommodation and meals will be provided for on the program. Volunteers will live in co-operative housing, sharing cooking and cleaning duties. Some nights are spent in the field in tents or cabins. No program is offered on public holidays. Please note it is not possible to guarantee that you will participate in a specific project during your time on the program - many projects are seasonal and weather dependent, and can also change due to demands of our project partners. However, you can contact the volunteer coordinator for further information on projects you are likely to participate in during the time you intend to volunteer.
If you have a question send it to:
info@volunteer.org.nz.
For more information and details on the costs of this program visit
http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/newzealand
* The Global Volunteer Network offers opportunities in Cambodia, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Honduras, India, Kenya, Nepal, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, South Africa, South Dakota, Thailand, Uganda, and Vietnam.
