Project Work
For
the project work that our volunteers spend most of their time doing (typically
three or four days a week) we put a strong emphasis on practical outdoor work.
There are hundreds of projects to take on at the Sanctuary, from small personal projects to massive group efforts, like our eco-building projects or the native tree nursery.
Our environmental projects consist of the following: frequent walks to check our pest-control traps (only if you wish to be involved in this) and maintain our ever-expanding track system; seed gathering, seed-ball creation and tree planting to restore eroded slipfaces and regenerate the forest; GPS data gathering and GIS map making, vegetation monitoring. Countless volunteer hours and resources go into the catchment rainforest, so that we can continue to hear bellbirds, tomtits and fantails greet the dawn... along with progressing the option of bringing back some of the 'lost' species - saddle-backs, kiwi, kokako, robins and more.
We
also put a lot of effort into trying to live sustainably, with our gardens
providing multi-season fresh organic veggies for our meals, using renewable
energy sources, and eco-retrofitting our buildings. Recently, we have started
to make a slow transition to a permaculture food forest, building and maintaining
our massive compost piles to help recharge our soil fertility, planting orchard
shelter trees etc. And, of course, all of those daily chores that make sustainable
living work. We promise everyone a fair share of weeding, planting, mulching,
digging, and washing up after dinner.
Regular activities:
- forest track creation and maintenance
- environmental weed control
- gardening, fruit tree care, mulching, pruning
- building, carpentry and building maintenance
- chopping firewood and recovering timber for building/ craft projects
- animal pest control (if you choose to be involved in this)
- vehicle maintenance
- various administration functions (e.g. planning, finance, database work, website work, fundraising for conservation)
A typical project day would be like this:
- 7:00 to 8:00 am - Wake up! Enjoy a morning walk, do some yoga or stretching, watch the sunrise with a cup of tea or coffee, eat breakfast,
- 8:00 to 12:00 am - Time to work! Group projects, inside or outside, on the land or in our small office.
- 12:00 to 1:00 pm - Lunch time - fresh salad and bread, spreads, eggs, cheese, sometimes veggies, in winter often soup...
- 1:00 to 5:00 pm - Projects, either self-directed or with the group.
- 6:00 to 7:00 pm - Group dinner - time to catch up with other folks and have meaningful or silly conversations, warm cooked or baked food.
- Evening time - Time to relax, play or listen to music, build a bonfire, play games, take a walk, watch a film or a documentary. Most folks find a rhythm with the sun and are in bed not long after sunset.
