Wildlife Conservation Opportunities/Travel

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fourniermichelle
fourniermichelle

Hi!

I'm a 25 year old wildlife biologist from Canada, wanting to travel to New Zealand this November until about February/March starting off working or volunteering in a wildlife conservation setting. I have worked for government, academia, and non-profit in Canada (mostly with bird research, wildlife rehabilitation, and consulting), and have a passion for species at risk.

Would anyone have any suggestions or personal experience with a volunteer organization (preferably that covers room/board, or even organizations willing to hire internationally? I've checked out a lot of DOC jobs (park ranger, but usually don't want to hire international), and a few other volunteer organizations (Blue Duck Station) but am hoping someone with personal experience can offer some insight. I'm looking to volunteer for about a month, or work for a few months, then travel around New Zealand afterwards and view this beautiful country.

Thanks for your time! :)

Michelle

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wandererinthesky
wandererinthesky

Usually in the modern world volunteers in wildlife biology need to pay (instead of being paid) to get an opportunity for volunteering.

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westwood
westwood

Maybe but I'm not sure voluntourism is entrenched here in NZ. There might be the odd pay to do but its not normal.

OP have a look at Department of Conservation web site and see what volunteer programs they have coming up. Its a Government Dept so no outlay needed. And there may be opportunities to go out to some of the Islands in Aucklands Hauraki Gulf over summer. You might have to search these out as I dont remember who actually runs them. Have a look online at Auckland City Council and see if there's anything there.

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fourniermichelle
fourniermichelle

I haven't heard of a lot of the voluntourism in NZ, either. I know it's pretty rampant in other countries, though, and I'm hoping to avoid that whole thing. I'm not looking to get paid to volunteer, but getting room or board covered would be fantastic.

Fantastic, I will most definitely look at the Auckland City Council website, thank you so much! I'm definitely scouring the DOC, and will continue to look into that. Was just hoping to get some firsthand opinions or experiences, if anyone had any :)

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westwood
westwood

Because there arent a lot of volunteering opportunities and this branch can be fairly quiet, you may not get any personal experiences. As for room and board, I wouldnt count on either. I do know the trips out to the Hauraki Gulf are day trips only and very popular so not everyone gets accepted.

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kereru
kereru

Doc is always advertising for volunteers - sometimes for a week at a time; sometimes for longer eg Hut Wardens; weed clearance etc.

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