Native Forest Conservation Helper

You are thinking of coming to New Zealand attracted by the amazing landscapes, never-ending beaches, blue skies, soaring mountains, and green forests. You like nature and seek respite from the crowded city. You sometimes wonder what simple life is like, living off-the-grid, maybe? You want to do something meaningful with your hands and see the result of your work.

You should come and join us!

What you can expect

The Pupu Rangi Nature Sanctuary welcomes you to this place of learning: about the forest and its creatures, about conservation, about what is important in life, and about yourself. You will be challenged on many fronts: living off-the-grid, working in a dense rainforest forest, questioning the need for many of the things that we take for granted. You will meet people from various countries and different backgrounds and together with them you will experience something that is rare these days: the expanse of an uncharted forest which you and your fellow volunteers will help preserve.

While at the sanctuary you will have the opportunity to learn about different aspects of life (living in tune with nature, discovering what is really important to you, what other cultures value most), to get some practical skills (planning, setting priorities, using creativity to find solutions within the available means), to learn about New Zealand native species and the different ways to protect it, to understand what it takes to live in a sustainable way, and to explore the attractions in the surrounding region. Body and mind will both be exercised and enriched.

The program

This program has three components: the conservation work that we do in the forest, the manual work that we do around the sanctuary, and the sightseeing that we do around the region.

The conservation tasks that we perform in our sanctuary and on the behalf of the Department of Conservation are performed at a professional level, and you will receive the training necessary to reach the required high standard. 

Throughout your stay you will learn and practice the basic navigational skills and tools required to operate in the dense rainforest. While working with us, you will realize the vast amount of work that happens behind the scenes to ensure that the New Zealand forest stays healthy. You will also learn the meaning of sustainability through observation and practice. The opportunities to learn are endless and we are keen to teach those that show interest.

Volunteer work

Some of the tasks that you will complete are:

• cutting and marking tracks
  
• installing, refilling, and monitoring bait stations
  
• installing and monitoring traps
  
• kiwi, kokako, and rodent monitoring
  
• seed collection
  
• weed control and planting of native plants
  
• data entry
  

The manual work part of the program refers mostly to the activities that we have to perform to maintain and enhance the living area. It is most likely that most of the tasks that you will have to perform will be new to you. We will train you and you will use your creativity and previous skills to find ways of completing the tasks.

Tasks include:

• weeding and maintaining the herb garden
  
• building maintenance tasks (i.e. painting walls, setting up walls)
  
• landscaping
  
• chopping wood
  
• general help around the place
  

Previous volunteers helped us paint the accommodation buildings, start a herb garden, paved a patio area, built sheds, erected fences, and built an outdoor bath.

Every month, week, and day has its own target tasks to complete be it monitoring, track cutting, or some facility improvement. In general, we aim to find a balance between the conservation and maintenance tasks.

The third component of the program consists of the relaxation activities that are so important to recharge one's batteries. We believe that it is important for each volunteer to see the extent of their contribution in the wider context of the Kauri Coast region. We are also proud of the beauty of this land and it will be our pleasure to share it with you. 

At night we might go on a safari looking for kiwi, these three hour night walks are an amazing opportunity to hear the sounds of the forest and let the stars guide us. Sometimes we also go deep in our forest to visit the glowworms that live near one of the waterfalls. There is nothing as magic as sitting in the dark by the creek and watch the tiny blue lights of these amazing creatures. One day a week we head to the lakes for some swimming or SUP practice, or we head for a long beach walk (or mountain climb), or we visit the amazing two thousand year old Tane Mahuta - the oldest and biggest tree in New Zealand.

Typical Day at Work 

• 8am - 9am breakfast
  
• 9am - 10am cleanup
• 10am - 12pm morning working activity
  
• 12pm - 1pm lunch/picnic
  
• 1pm - 4pm afternoon working activity
  
• 4pm - 6pm leisure activities (free time)
  
• 6pm - 8pm dinner
  
• 8pm - 10pm leisure activities (sunset watching, dusk bird chorus, and/or searching for kiwis on a night safari) 

Due to our remote location, there are no opportunities to go to town or to the cinema during the free time. However, we have a cinema on site!

During the free time, the volunteers are encouraged to explore our forest. 

We always eat together and sometimes we invite the DOC rangers or the neighbours for dinner. At night we can organize a movie night in our recreational room. 

Monday is always a free day and the volunteers might have the opportunity to access free Wifi at the Dargaville library.

One day a week, we will head out on an adventure either to to swim or SUP at the nearby Kai Iwi lakes, go for a walk on the beach, or visit the two thousand year old kauri tree that lives close to the sanctuary.