Protecting our native plants, animals and wild places, on land and in our oceans. Help us to help nature.
Volunteer Work Projects in Auckland region
These are some of the projects volunteers can work on in our local area.
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Central Auckland branch has few planting or weed control opportunities itself in our city area except Hamlins Hill and Pollen island and the various council Care groups listed, so we encourage members to look at projects in the whole region.
Below is a list of the main restoration and care projects which our branch supports. Updated volunteer events are sometimes also shown in "Events" .
Alternatively, contact the Forest and Bird office about helping with projects in the region.
Ark in the Park
This is a large Forest and Bird restoration project, with volunteering activities and days. Volunteer work includes planting, pest control, weeding, track maintenance and monitoring. Details about the work available at this site in the Waitakere Ranges are available on the website www.arkinthepark.org.nz or email arkinthepark@forestandbird.org,nz
Hamlins Hill
Hamlins Hill Is an open space located in Penrose and managed as a regional
park. Volunteers work regularly on planting and weed-control. Contact Kit on kithowden@xtra.co.nz
Park 'Care' Groups
Auckland City encourages local groups to adopt a park in their area. These groups organise their own activities during the week or weekend with support and direction from Auckland City staff. People who want to attend on a regular basis are encouraged to join in. The groups carry out a range of tasks such as nursery work, tree planting and releasing, weed management, track maintennance, water and biodiversity monitoring, animal pest control, and other activities that arise.
There are existing groups for the following areas: Hamlins Hill/Mutukaroa, Waikowhai Reserve, Mt Eden, Tahuna Torea, St John’s Bush, Friends of the Whau and Friends of Oakley Creek. For detailed information about volunteer days, see www.ecoevents.org.nz
Lucas Creek Corridor Restoration Project
A Forest & Bird project located at Lucas Creek, North Shore. The next corridor in the Auckland Naturally project involves pest control and planting. For details about work available, contact Nick at the Auckland F&B office on n.beveridge@forestandbird.org.nz or see www.forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/projects/auckland-naturally-/lucas-creek-paremoremo-bird-survey
Atawhai Whenua Reserve
This reserve is owned by F&B on Waiheke Island. Working bee on the 4th Saturday of each month. Contact Lincoln on 372 6376.
Onetangi Reserve
Another F&B reserve also on Waiheke Island, there is a working bee on the second Sunday of each month. Contact Brian on 372 7662.
Atuanui Restoration Project.
The Atuanui Reserve is a 615ha native bush reserve on SH16 past Glorit and includes the Mt Auckland Walkway. This Atuanui Restoration F&B project always needs volunteers to help maintain bait-stations and baiting in August to November each year.
Colin-Kerr Taylor Reserve
This is a F&B owned reserve in the Kaipara Branch. For more info about the reserve click here. The Branch currently has a pest control programme underway. The working bee will undertake a range of maintenance tasks suitable for all abilities. For booking and meeting information, contact:
Viv Wilson at the.wilsons@paradise.co.nz or kaiparaforestandbird@gmail.com
or phone on (9)-411- 5100
For more info about the reserve click here.
Mangemangeroa Restoration project
Located in South Auckland, this is a F&B initiated project. For details contact Nick at the Auckland F&B Office 302 3901
Raroa Restoration Project
53 Stanmore Bay Rd, Whangaparaoa. For
details, contact Spencer on 09 427 5517.
The Tuff Crater Millennium Forest Project North Shore
Weeding group. For details, contact Anne on 480 5570. Working bees are held on the second Saturday morning of each month. Contact Allan on 473 2216.
Pollen Island/Motu Manawa Marine Reserve
This area is one where F&B has done work in the past, and because of proposed expansion of the NW motorway, is getting very actively involved in again - see here. Any interest in hands-on work at Pollen Island ploease contact forestandbird@gmail.com
Motutapu Island
Breathing new life into an ancient land-form. Ecological restoration of the island of Motutapu for all New Zealanders on regular volunteer days – planting from May to August, nursery work and weed busting from Sept to April. Volunteer and registration details are available on the website www.motutapu.org.nz
Motuihe Island
The Motuihe Project needs your help to plant native trees and control weeds. Nursery work is required throughout the planting season. Come on your own or bring family or friends. No experience is necessary to have a rewarding trip to one of the lovely Hauraki Gulf islandsThere are also opportunities to stay on Motuihe to do additional volunteer work .
Contact: 0800 MOTUIHI (0800 668844) or visit www.motuihe.org.nz
Motuora Island
Motuora island just south of Kawau Island, provides a nursery for juvenile kiwi, and has a community-led native forest restoration programme. There are regular (monthly)work-days leaving from Sandspit (boatrides are subsidised). Contact Eilene on 09 427-8911 Hibiscus Coast or Robin on 09 378-9548.
Other Volunteer Work
We are always on the look-out for help with organising and running the regular trips and meetings for KCC. New helpers will be mentored and supported by the active KCC co-ordinaters and not left to work by themselves, and we ask that all children taking part be accompanied by an adult for safety reasons. Please contact forestandbird@gmail.com with "KCC help" in the subject line if interested. Any contact will be greatly appreciated and welcomed.
We suggest that you also keep an eye on calls for volunteer work needed for one-off events like planned F&B and KCC displays, stands and for events other than restoration-type activities, like the Sea Week events which promote marine and coastal conservation. To find out if there is anything like these which require volunteer input, either contact the branch, or the Auckland Office 302 3901 or email n.beveridge@forestandbird.org.nz
Newsletter folding and distribution - we are always looking for people to help - we produce three newsletters per year and try to send as many as possible by email, but some hard-copies still require folding, addressing(sticking on printed labels) and delivery. We try to hand-deliver to save postage costs, and are always seeking help there (a dozen newsletters at most, three times per year). If interested please contact forestandbird@gmail.com .
