If you have a week of leave and want to spend it doing something real, Conservation Immersion was designed for exactly that — one week, Monday to Monday.
Pupu Rangi runs an ongoing volunteer conservation program in partnership with the New Zealand Department of Conservation — kiwi protection, predator control, and native species monitoring. The team of volunteers changes every season and for one week, you become part of it.
You will not be on a program designed for short-stay visitors. You will be trained, equipped, and working alongside the same team that was here before you arrived and will still be here after you leave. Your one-week assignment contributes directly to an active, continuous, long-term conservation effort in a 100-hectare rainforest on the Kauri Coast of Northland.
No prior experience is required. For the first two days you will receive a thorough introduction to the conservation challenges that we face in New Zealand and you will be guided on a rainforest walk. Soon after, you will be able to start making your contribution and by the end of the week, you will have been part of a multi-faceted experience — and you will have spent seven days inside an ecosystem 80 million years in the making.
Here are some of the things that you will learn and do during the Conservation Immersion:
- learn to navigate a dense, jungle-like rainforest by compass and map
- contribute to improvements to the conservation infrastructure by cutting tracks
- contribute to conservation outcomes by monitoring invasive species
- learn to tell the difference between the calls of native nocturnal birds such as kiwi and ruru
- go on a night safari looking for wild kiwi
- spend a day at the Kai Iwi Lakes or visit Tane Mahuta — a two-thousand-year-old kauri tree
While staying with us, you will participate in any of the conservation activities listed in the Volunteer section, either in the sanctuary or in the nearby Department of Conservation managed forests.
Daily Schedule
A typical daily schedule looks similar to the one below:
8am – 9am breakfast
9am – 9:30am communal area clean-up
10am – 12pm morning conservation activity
12pm – 1pm lunch / picnic in the field
1pm – 4pm afternoon conservation activity
4pm – 6pm leisure activities (free time)
6pm – 8pm dinner
8pm – 10pm leisure activities (sunset watching, dusk bird chorus, game or movie night)
On days where night work is scheduled, the day is reorganised as follows:
free time during the mornings
1pm – 4pm training and preparation
5pm – 6pm dinner
8pm – 1am night monitoring activity
The activities will be decided on the day depending on weather, conditions, and participant interests.
For answers to common questions, visit our FAQ page. If you are a parent researching this program, visit our Information for Parents page.
Duration
The Conservation Immersion is a one-week assignment. It begins on Monday and ends the following Monday morning. The program accepts a maximum of eight participants per week. If you are looking for a longer commitment, our Volunteer and Internship programs are designed for that.
The one-week structure is intentional: it is long enough to complete the essential parts of the training cycle and to contribute meaningfully to the conservation program, and short enough to fit into a week of annual leave without requiring a career break.
Who Should Join the Conservation Immersion
Based on our experience, the Conservation Immersion works best for people who:
- are aged between 20 and 60 and in good physical shape
- want to be genuinely part of something for a week — not a spectator, not a tourist, and not on a program designed around them
- understand they are joining a real, long-running conservation effort — one that started before they arrive and continues after they leave
- are looking for a purposeful, structured experience that makes full use of their time
- are interested in conservation, ecology, or the science of protecting endangered species
- are drawn to the idea of off-grid living — even for just one week
- are travelling independently and want a working experience rather than a guided one
- are considering a career change into conservation, or simply want a week that contributes something real
- have read this website or our Google and Facebook reviews and just know they have to be here
What Should You Expect
Expect to be challenged: we live by a philosophy of "we can do with what we have" in a place where you cannot go down the road and buy something you need. That requires patience, adaptability, and a willingness to improvise. It will not always be easy — but if you persevere, you will learn more in seven days than most people learn in a month of conventional travel.
Expect to be involved. It is participants like you that make this project a reality.
Expect to learn that the well-being of the team matters as much as individual comfort. Out in the forest, the whole team solves problems together.
If you are used to your own space, your own kitchen, and the small rituals of an established daily life, expect those to be set aside for the week. The sanctuary runs on communal time and shared space — and for most people, that adjustment takes a day or two longer than the physical work does. Expect to have the kind of experiences that others only dream about. Kiwi, kokako, snails, ferns, moss, impenetrable rainforest, giant trees, glow worms, waterfalls — there is a whole world out there that very few people ever see.
What We Expect
Together with your team mates, we expect you to treat the sanctuary as your own home. Keep it clean, put everything that you use back, fix what needs to be fixed, and propose ways of improvement.
We expect you to behave with maturity and to contribute to the well-being of the team. Learn, care, and share your experiences with the others.
We expect you to make an effort to memorise what is taught and to apply your new skills carefully — especially in the forest, where it is not practical to stop and consult notes.
Minimum Age Requirement
Female participants must be 18 years old prior to the start of the program.
Male participants must be 20 years old prior to the start of the program.
Maximum Age Requirement
Conservation Immersion is designed for participants up to 60 years of age who are in good physical shape and able to walk comfortably for 8–10 kilometres per day on uneven forest terrain. Please be realistic about your fitness level — this is dense rainforest, not a walk in your local park.
English Language Skills
You will need good English language skills to get the most out of this program. This is important both for safety — radio communication in the forest — and for being able to follow and apply the training you will receive.
Most of our participants have English as their second language. If you are unsure whether your level is sufficient, we are happy to have a quick WhatsApp call before you book.
Conservation Immersion Fee
100% of your fee goes back into conservation, infrastructure improvement, or operating costs. You can check availability and book the Conservation Immersion directly on our Reservations page.
Meals
Meals will be provided three times a day. After a long day in the forest, there is nothing better than a delicious dinner savoured while watching the sunset. The menu includes muesli in the morning, sandwiches or wraps for lunch, and for dinner: stir-fry, homemade hummus and falafel, organic burgers, rösti, tikka masala, dahl, couscous, chili con or sin carne, pancakes, and the occasional apple crumble.
If you do not know how to cook, you will learn — everyone contributes to meal preparation.
We cater to most dietary requirements (vegetarian, gluten free) if told beforehand. Black tea, hot chocolate, and instant coffee are included and available throughout the day.
Vegan Diet
Our daily activities are physically demanding. Due to our off-grid, remote location, we are not able to provide the variety and quantity of plant-based food required for someone heading deep into the forest each day. We are therefore unable to accommodate participants on a vegan diet.
We can accommodate vegetarian (must eat eggs and cheese), gluten-free, and most other dietary requirements.
Alcohol and Drugs
The Pupu Rangi Nature Sanctuary is an alcohol and drug free zone. You are not allowed to consume or bring alcohol or drugs into the sanctuary.
Smoking
We cannot accommodate participants that smoke due to the risk of fire to the forest. This includes e-cigarettes.
Facilities
Our facilities are basic but functional. The main facilities — kitchen, showers, dining room — are housed in recycled shipping containers. We are fully off the grid and try to use as few resources as possible. We reuse as much second-hand material as we can find.
Accommodation
The accommodation consists of insulated cabins fitted with two bunk beds (four beds per cabin). There is a separate cabin for males, one for females, and one reserved for couples.
Should you require a special accommodation arrangement, please get in touch before making a reservation.
Electricity and Water
We do not have mains electricity or running water. Hot showers are available daily or every other day depending on rainfall. It is best to assume you will be able to charge your phone once a week.
Phone and Internet — Digital Detox
Strong mobile phone signal (Telecom, Vodafone, Skinny, 2degrees) is available in the common area. There is no reliable signal in the forest and no free Wi-Fi at the sanctuary.
To allow you to immerse in the forest experience and to be part of the team, mobile phone use (except for taking photos) is not allowed between 8am and 4pm, or during meals. If you do not think you can live with these rules, please do not join our program.
Health and Safety
We work in groups and do not perform dangerous activities. All participants are trained in compass and radio use, ensuring continuous contact in the field. Staff are trained in first aid and first aid kits are available.
The New Zealand forest is very safe — there are no dangerous animals or reptiles.
The closest medical clinic is in Dargaville, about 50 minutes and 50 km away. The closest hospital with an emergency room is in Whangarei, about 100 minutes and 100 km away.
Vaccinations
The CDC and WHO recommend the following vaccinations for New Zealand: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles.
Insurance
You need medical travel insurance to participate. You will also need liability travel insurance with a minimum coverage of USD 5,000 — you will be working with equipment worth thousands of dollars and will be asked to cover the cost of any damage.
An example of a company offering affordable travel insurance can be found at World Nomads.
What to Bring
The weather can be chilly and wet even in midsummer. You will need:
- wet weather gear (rain pants, rain jacket, solid hiking boots - not trainers)
- warm clothes for cool nights
- enough socks and underwear for at least two weeks
- hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen
- a torch/headlamp to allow you to move around at night - your mobile phone will not be enough
- a warm sleeping bag (not just a summer bag) - we can lend you a second hand one if you wish to travel with less luggage
- notebook and pen — there is a lot to learn and remember
You might also consider:
- insect repellent for the occasional sandfly
- swimming gear
- some snacks or drinks
Transportation and Pick-up
If you do not have your own vehicle, we will pick you up in Dargaville on Monday at 4:30pm. To reach the meeting point you will have to depart Auckland at 7:30am on Monday morning, therefore you will need to ensure that you arrive in New Zealand at least the Sunday before - earlier is recommended to recover from jetlag. At the end of the program we will drop you off in Dargaville on Monday morning at 7am.
More detailed information about reaching the meeting point, meals, and what to bring will be provided after you make a reservation.
Fallen tree deep in the middle of the sanctuary
Heading for an exploration along the creek