Parks Volunteers

North Shore City Parks

• Parks Home Page
• Volunteer information
• Check out our planting days

Where you can help

To find out about volunteer groups active in your area check out our Parks Map. (PDF 1.56MB)

How You Can Help

• Join one of the great volunteer groups and help out with the fantastic work they’re doing in our parks and reserves.

• Come and plant some native trees at one of our Community Planting Days.

• Join the ARC’s big clean up by visiting "The Big Clean-up Site" to find out what you can do at home to help the environment.

• Children can become an ecoagent and help to save the earth at www.ecokids.co.nz.

• Become a weedbuster http://weedbusters.co.nz to learn about pest plants and how to fight them.

• Control animal and plant pests.

• Plant native plants in your garden.

Your park in your hands - a guide to volunteering in parks

Part one

Introduction
Types of volunteer groups in parks
Roles of the council, community groups and volunteers
What we can do for you
How to qualify for council assistance for your project
Planning volunteer projects – getting started
Planning volunteer projects – organising your group
Example of group rules or constitution
Types of voluntary organisations

Part one PDF (1.3 MB)

Part two

Working on a park
Ideas for recruiting and retaining volunteers
Volunteering practices – the dos and don’ts
Important action dates
Health and safety
Council processes that affect your park
Sources of funding and assistance
Training opportunities
Useful tools and references

Part two PDF (736 KB)

Part three

Apendices

Part three PDF (189 KB)

People in Parks

There are many volunteers and volunteer groups that work in parks and reserves across the city.

These volunteers work tirelessly throughout the year, planting, weeding, controlling animal pests, cleaning up rubbish and monitoring the health
of our city’s streams.

Volunteer groups provide an opportunity to meet other people who are passionate about the environment and want to make
a difference.

The following are a few examples of the volunteer groups who work in our parks and reserves:

Centennial Park Bush Society, Takapuna
Have weekday and monthly weekend working bees to control weed and animal pests, trap moths and to conduct bird counts.

Fernglen Native Plant Garden Management Committee – Birkenhead
Look after the Fernglen Native Plant Gardens in Birkenhead. Fernglen is devoted solely to the growing and preservation of New Zealand plants. School groups can visit Fernglen to learn about native trees.
www.fernglen.co.nz
fernglen.nz@gmail.com

Forest and Bird North Shore – Northcote
Assist with the maintenance of Tuff Crater through continuous weeding and planting.
www.forestandbird.org.nz
www.kcc.org.nz (Kiwi Conservation Club)

Friends of Lucas Creek – Albany
The aim of the group is to protect and restore Lucas Creek. They organise regular WaiCare water testing and planting bees at The Landing Reserve.

Friends of Three Streams and Kauri Grove – Albany
Three Streams has an unusual combination of native bush and specimen trees, native and exotic, in three stream valleys and ridges. Walkways give easy access to the many different kinds of vegetation, offering a visual and educational experience to
young and old.
http://www.threestreams.org.nz

Glendhu Reserve – Glenfield
Carry out weeding and planting with individuals, schools and community groups.

Kaipatiki Project – Birkdale
Assists with the maintenance of Witheford Reserve in Glenfield and the Eskdale Reserve Network. The group also offers workshops about restoration, sustainable living and kids’ holiday programmes. School groups can visit the Kaipatiki Environment Centre to learn about the environment.
http://www.kaipatiki.org.nz restoration@kaipatiki.org.nz

Kauri Point Centennial Park and Chatswood Reserve Management Committee
Working bees are held each Monday in Kauri Point Centennial Park and Chatswood Reserve in Birkenhead, subject to weather and availability of personnel. Margaret Paine 480 6539.

Le Roys Bush and Little Shoal Bay Management Committee, Northcote
Keeps an eye on the reserves to protect against vandalism and invasive pests. Regular working bees are held to clear noxious weeds and to plant native plants.
http://groups.google.com/group/LeRoys-Bush-and-Little- Shoal-Bay/web

Shepherds Park Management Committee – Beach Haven
Hold regular working bees, weeding and planting in Shepherds Park.

Uruamo Ecological Society – Birkenhead
Undertake planting and weeding in Kauri Point Domain in Birkenhead.

Most volunteer groups have regular working bees and are always looking for new helpers.

If you want to find out more about any of these or other volunteer groups that work in North Shore City’s parks and reserves, or if you would like to start your own group, please contact the citywide parks officer on 486 8600.