We’re thrilled to share our whakaaro on conservation volunteerism and give you a glimpse into how volunteers make a difference at Kaipātiki Project. We were recently asked to reflect on our approach, and we are excited to showcase our volunteers' incredible impact on environmental regeneration and community engagement.
Role of Volunteers and Embedding Volunteerism
Volunteers lie at the heart of Kaipātiki Project, contributing through hands-on, gloves-and-boots-on mahi both onsite and at community events. We host a diverse range of volunteers – from locals at one-off events, corporate teams volunteering for social good, our board members, to regular volunteers who join us every week in our nurseries and gardens, interns and volunteers helping out with admin activities. Our regular volunteers nurture our plants from seed to sapling, choosing hands, trowels, and compost over commercial pesticides and fertilizers to keep our plants happy and healthy. This enables us to fulfil our chem-free kaupapa, keeping our volunteers, soil, and streams safe long-term. We believe the nature of volunteerism is reciprocal; it’s about more than volunteers giving back – it’s about growing our volunteers through community, cake and conversation.
Role of Volunteer Leaders and Coordinators
We aim for volunteers to feel embedded within the fabric of Kaipātiki Project – as much a part of the organisation as our team members. Our volunteer coordinator developed and leads our refreshed induction process to welcome new volunteers into our space. Our induction sessions are held monthly and bring new volunteers together as a cohort to learn about our history, current mahi, and how to keep safe onsite. Holding these regular ‘new volunteer’ sessions fosters a greater sense of community – it can be intimidating to join an established group as an individual, but first coming together as a new cohort of volunteers, learning about us and each other, before joining our volunteers for morning tea – a social and delicious event, and then heading out into the nursery or garden. This stepwise approach lives into our community-first values, building a sense of belonging and shared purpose before diving into the work. Our volunteer leaders look after our volunteers, providing clear instructions for the work, sharing their knowledge and skills, and setting the tone for a fun experience.
Common Reasons for Joining
Social connection, skills building, and giving back to nature are common reasons people join our regular volunteer groups. This is why we focus on building a welcoming community throughout our operations. Our volunteer leaders and volunteers alike carry a wealth of knowledge and experience that results in a reciprocal sharing of learnings and a shared passion for the wellbeing of te taiao. Our focus on social connection underpins our ability to provide our regular volunteers a space to grow skills and contribute to the environmental sustainability of their local area.
Corporate volunteers often join us as part of a commitment to social good and as an opportunity for teams to bond and work together out of the office. Many groups are initially hesitant to spend part of their day weeding, as it sounds boring, but our restoration leaders excel at cultivating an exciting and meaningful experience where these volunteers can learn about their impact and hands-on skills through the enthusiasm and expertise of our restoration team, along with a healthy dose of competition.
Volunteers who attend community or one-off events often want to have an impact on their local environment and community. This connection to place and purpose drives much of the engagement we see.
Ensuring Connection to Impact
We believe this is key to volunteer buy-in, and it’s more than reporting back the kilograms of weeds pulled or trees planted. It’s about having input and impact into the organisation as a whole. We ask volunteers for feedback about their experiences, as well as input for projects and site improvements, so that our impact reflects their dreams for Kaipātiki Project and their local environment. We believe this fosters a collective vision for our impact and shows that volunteer voice really is our heart. However, we also share impact through reporting numbers and sharing project outcomes through newsletters and morning teas, and by readily sharing the purpose behind their work, so it feels meaningful throughout. We also show this through our gratitude for the mahi our volunteers do – we celebrate their mahi, commitment, and successes with an end-of-year barbecue, reflecting on the year and our collective impact.
Technology Use
We use client management software to keep track of volunteer admin – logging volunteer hours, both for project reporting and for volunteers themselves, and key contact information, which is updated yearly. We ask our volunteers to sign in every time they volunteer with us, and do our best to make this as accessible as possible – including a range of tools to support different vision requirements on the computer, and having staff on hand to support with technical difficulties. We also use online surveys to gain feedback about volunteer experiences and improve on the ground delivery.
We utilise a range of social media to share upcoming events and key achievements. Our most exciting use of technology though is our volunteer & staff WhatsApp group. This is a great space to share upcoming events, cancellations, and general information quickly, but also operates as a social hub where staff and volunteers alike share interesting learnings, photos of their adventures and even social or arts events they are involved with. This is a great way of keeping that sense of community growing even when we are not face-to-face.
Key Qualities in Volunteers
While existing experience with gardening or regeneration is a bonus, these are skills that can easily be learnt, so a keenness to learn, teamwork and enthusiasm for environmental sustainability are key.
Training and Development
Volunteers receive training in environmental conservation techniques, plant identification and a range of food growing skills through their volunteering experiences with us. We also happily provide references for our volunteers to aid in job or study applications, and encourage taking part in external courses (e.g. First Aid, indicators for soil health) by sharing these opportunities as they arise. Previous feedback from volunteers when designing our initial volunteer strategy highlighted a desire for a clearer record of their skills development and training opportunities, which we will be developing as part of our volunteer strategy.
Addressing Wellbeing
Volunteer wellbeing is a priority for us. We ensure everyone knows the health and safety procedures, and encourage volunteers to know their limits and feel comfortable stopping if needed. Our staff provide familiar, friendly faces to make our environment welcoming and approachable, fostering an affirming and fun culture where our volunteers feel comfortable to bring their full selves. Regular check-ins help us stay connected and address any concerns promptly.
Maintaining Community Connection
Community connection is maintained through regular events, social activities, and encouraging collaboration and camaraderie among volunteers. We hold regular events and use the WhatsApp group for discussions and sharing experiences. Morning teas are a chance to stop, socialise over delicious baking, and talk about the plant of the week, providing opportunities for volunteers to connect with others. We also host an end-of-year BBQ for volunteers to celebrate and reflect on our collective impact.
Evaluating Long-term Impact
We evaluate the long-term impact through project outcomes, volunteer growth, and ongoing community benefits. Metrics such as volunteer numbers, volunteer hours, physical impact (e.g. kilograms of compost produced, weeds removed, trees planted, trees grown), and community impact help us assess and celebrate the ongoing contributions of our volunteers. Volunteers are the lifeblood of Kaipātiki Project, and their passion and dedication help us achieve our mission of environmental sustainability and community wellbeing.
To join as a volunteer with Kaipātiki Project, sign up to one of our monthly volunteer welcome days.