The Whakatipu Reforestation Trust thrives on the goodwill and hard work of our volunteers. Volunteers help us turn our vision into a reality, one plant at a time.
Whether you have lived in the Queenstown-Lakes area all your life or are visiting for a short time, we would love to show you what we do and to get you involved.
Ways You Can Volunteer
Community Nursery Sessions
We welcome volunteers to our community nursery to help with all aspects of growing our native plants from eco sourced seeds.
NURSERY VOLUNTEER SESSIONS
Join us at our Community Nursery on Wednesday mornings to help us grow native plants.
Volunteer sessions run every Wednesday morning from 9:00am – 12:00pm, drop in style.
Volunteering at our nursery has many benefits, including:
– learning about NZ native plants in a hands-on, supportive environment,
– playing an active role in helping to restore the biodiversity of the Whakatipu Basin,
– helping to grow native trees that will absorb carbon and help to mitigate climate change,
– making new friends with like-minded community members.
*No gardening experience required*
*Morning tea is provided*
What to bring: Water, hat, sunscreen, gardening gloves.
Location: Jean Malpas Community Nursery, Poplar Drive, Jardine Park, Kelvin Heights.
Community Planting Days
Each spring and autumn we invite our community to help plant native plants at our keystone sites. To date, we have planted over 60,000 natives throughout the Whakatipu Basin, with 5,000 plants now ready for our next planting season.
JOIN US AT QUEENSTOWN’S BIGGEST EVER COMMUNITY PLANTING DAY
Join us on the 15th October on Coronet Peak for a collaborative planting day with Trees that Count & Te Tapu o Tāne.
This planting day event invites our local community to help kickstart a visionary project that will ultimately see much of the front face of Coronet Peak re-cloaked in native forest. It will create an ecological corridor from Mt Dewar to Arrowtown, restoring thriving native biodiversity to this iconic landscape. Be a part of this historical effort to create a better future for our local environment.
Registration is essential – register here.
What to expect on the day:
- A 30 min gentle downhill walk to get to the planting site
- Spectacular views
- Pre-dug holes
- Delicious Lunch
- 15 minute downhill walk out
- An epic day planting beech & mānuka, without the hard work of digging!
PLEASE NOTE: This planting day is family friendly, but we ask that you leave your beloved four-legged friends at home.
Volunteered Services
We welcome volunteers who can contribute their own expertise and help in other ways. For example by providing:
✓ Photography ✓ Writing ✓ Artwork ✓ Spraying ✓ Using Scrub-bar ✓ Fundraising ✓ Engineering ✓ Building
Become a Planting Partner
We can provide plants and support to other groups who take on the planting and management of sites on public land throughout the Whakatipu Basin.
We’d love to hear from you, your business, community association, community group or school if you are interested in taking on a planting site.
Newsletter Signup
Join our mailing list to keep up to date with news, community planting days and latest developments…