Volunteer
Here at EcoMatters, we’re all about bringing people together to work in and for our local environment for the good of all. This kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of the land takes many shapes and forms but all will connect you to like-minded people, get you closer to nature and teach you how to take action for a good cause. Sound like something you’d like to try?
A good first step to understanding the many ways you can help nourish our beautiful whenua (land) is to check out our regular volunteer opportunities and consider joining a session with us soon.
Regular volunteer opportunities
Caring for nature
Love Your Stream Days, Glen Eden streamside (open for new volunteers)
Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9am-12pm
Confirm with Pamela for Wednesdays: [email protected]
Confirm with Alanah for Thursdays: [email protected]
As well as learning about the environmental restoration of our streams and monitoring of surrounding flora and fauna, you’ll be working alongside other people who care about the health of our awa (streams). This is a great way to make community connections in nature. You can come for as long as you like.
Neighbourhood Stream Restoration (open for new volunteers)
Friday mornings (monthly) in Green Bay
Weekends (monthly) in Blockhouse Bay and Sunnyvale
We support neighbourhood groups in Green Bay, Blockhouse Bay and Sunnyvale with monthly get-togethers to care for their streams. This is a great way to get to know like-minded people in your community who want to see nature thrive.
Contact Pamela for Green Bay and Blockhouse Bay: [email protected]
Contact Alanah for Sunnyvale: [email protected]
Native Plant Nursery (open for new volunteers)
Mondays, 10am-12pm
Confirm with Christine: [email protected]
Get on your outdoor clothing and a pair of gloves if you have them, and join us to help growing and caring for thousands of plants for local restoration and community projects. We’ll be potting up baby plants and carrying out maintenance tasks including watering, weeding, pruning, mulching and cleaning. You’ll learn lots more about what it takes to care for our native species from the very start of their lives.
Planting and gardening
Hope Garden Volunteering, 8 Riverbank Road, New Lynn (open for new volunteers)
Tuesdays, 9.30am-11.30am
Confirm with Amanda: [email protected]
Join us at Hope Garden where we’ll be preparing the garden beds, tending to seedlings, planting and other activities in this inspiring community space. Please bring gardening gloves if you have them, covered shoes, water and a sunhat.
Organic Gardening Sessions, 1 Olympic Place, New Lynn (open for new volunteers)
Fridays, 11am-2pm
Confirm with Meg: [email protected]
Dress for any weather, including your gardening gloves and gumboots, to get involved with myriad seasonal organic gardening activities. Bring a pair of sharp secateurs if you have them. You’ll learn about seed sowing and collection, propagation, growing veggies and herbs, managing a pollinator garden, pruning an established food forest, and building healthy soil. You can even share in the harvest. Internship enquiries also welcome.
Recycling and educating
EcoMatters Resource Recovery Depot, Unit I, 22 Moselle Ave, Henderson (open for new volunteers)
Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10am-2pm
Confirm with Shannon: [email protected]
Sorting materials for reuse and recycling keeps waste out of landfill and plays a huge part in cleaning up the environment and tackling the climate crisis. When you join us at our depot, you’ll be mixing with our friendly zero waste team and may even become a bit of a waste guru in the process.
EcoMatters Bike Hubs (open for new volunteers)
Currently seeking volunteers for our Pakuranga and Onehunga locations.
Contact [email protected]
Our Bike Hubs offer free advice for people wanting to learn more about cycling. We recondition unwanted bikes and offer them to the community at affordable prices. If you have an interest in bikes, we’re keen to meet you.
Other valuable options
We love working with corporate groups. Email [email protected] to find out how we partner with businesses and other organisations.
We also need hands on deck to help with special events or projects. If you have a particular set of skills and you are interested in volunteering with us, email [email protected] so we can match you with a project.
Find out more about serving on our Board of Trustees, current job vacancies and internships here.
Could you be a volunteer?
Sign up to our EcoMatters newsletter which also includes upcoming volunteering opportunities. You can unsubscribe at any time.
We invite you to join our EcoMatters Volunteers Facebook group. You’ll get a great overview of events and projects that might interest you and see what others are saying about it.