I learned so much from this program both about myself and the world around me. The local team was incredibly welcoming and lovely and I feel like the experience helped me grow in confidence and wisdom.
Volunteer in New Zealand
Help protect the planet on International Volunteer HQ’s unique New Zealand volunteer abroad program by joining the Coastline Conservation and Education project. Volunteer work in New Zealand is based in the city of Auckland, which is located in the North Island and lined with beautiful beaches. With affordable Program Fees and top rated volunteer projects trusted by over 136,000 travelers, IVHQ is the best volunteer organization in New Zealand.
Highlights:
- Coastline Conservation and Education project available year-round
- Program Fees from $1255 for 2 weeks
- Includes airport pick-up, orientation, accommodation, breakfast and lunch (monday to friday) and 24/7 in-country support
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Accommodation in a dormitory style hostel, located next to one of Auckland’s impressive dormant volcanos
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Projects based around Auckland’s coastline, beaches and schools
Key information
Volunteer opportunities in New Zealand
Conserves the environment
3-5 hours volunteering per day
Program Fees from $1255
- Duration: 2 - 12 weeks
- Programs start every first and third Monday of the month
- Based around Auckland
- Volunteers aged 18+ and families
Keep New Zealand's coastline beautiful and protect native wildlife by helping run beach clean-ups and raising awareness about plastic pollution. You'll also have the chance to facilitate education programs and training workshops within the local community, working towards a cleaner and greener future.
What recent volunteers said about their IVHQ experience
I came into this experience feeling uneasy about how it would go and if this was something I could handle. It has changed me in so many positive ways; from learning more about how I can make an impact on the environment, to meeting new friends from across the world, learning a new culture, and to learning more about myself. I have come home a stronger person with so many new perspectives. I highly recommend volunteering with IVHQ in New Zealand!
The local team were absolutely professional, welcoming, caring, supportive and wonderfully fun! We were issued with detailed schedules every two weeks, with instructions on how to reach our destination. We learned so much about ‘sustainability’ in every sense of the word. We could see the positive care and impact this team was making, through information sharing in schools, businesses and the local community. The work at times was quite hard, but rewarding. I was proud to be part of the team and volunteers. This team has set a bar for me, and given me a positive reason as to why I could confidently go to another destination in the world, and expect any other team to set the same high standards.
Volunteering in this way, gave me a much better understanding of how different thicknesses of plastics impacted on the environment and how both could be recycled (some having more positive uses than others). Knowing, seeing, and helping to remove, bottles, glass and all kinds of waste from in and around the environment, I was making a positive impact. Locals who saw and asked what we were doing, would thank us which was appreciative and nice to hear.
Although I was not completely ignorant about this area. I gained a great learning and understanding of sustainability. I met many people of different cultures and made some lovely friends. If you are given the same professional, kind and respectful treatment, with lots of shared knowledge (with fun times thrown in), you will have no reason for hesitation about joining this program. Just a great happy experience!
My two weeks volunteering with IVHQ and the local team in Auckland was a truly life-changing experience! I am still in awe of how much I learned in such a short time about marine and coastal conservation efforts in New Zealand and the small changes we can each make to protect our oceans, waterways, wildlife, and our planet. The local team staff are all wonderful to work with; particularly the volunteer coordinator, who is extraordinary at her job and a genuinely lovely individual. Auckland is a stunningly scenic and vibrant city, and as a volunteer, I was able to visit many beaches and areas around the city. This was my third volunteer experience with IVHQ, and my absolute favorite. What an incredible way to experience amazing New Zealand, and to make friendships with other like-minded individuals from around the world!
I would definitely recommend volunteering with Sustainable Coastlines and IVHQ!
I learned so much more than I thought I would about the different types of trash that litter the New Zealand beaches. I think it is really cool how the program addresses the issue by collecting and entering data into a global database on the types/amounts of trash we find on the beaches, so that the most impactful environmental laws/regulations can be proposed and supported using data that we have contributed to. I feel that I am actually doing really important work and not just picking up litter. One of my first days on the program, we had gone to one of the beaches and collected an astonishing 600+ firework casings and shells. The program is very engaging and inclusive and I found myself eager to start working each day. There is also plenty of time on the weekends to visit some iconic New Zealand tourist attractions, like Hobbiton and Glow Worm caves. I am very happy that I decided on the New Zealalnd program and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to do environmentally impactful volunteer work and have a fun adventurous time doing it!
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