WRT Holistic Sustainability Internship

ABOUT WRT Waiheke Resources Trust (WRT) is a well-established sustainability-focussed Charitable Trust which operates on the beautiful Te Motu Arai Roa | Waiheke Island in Tīkapa Moana | Hauraki Gulf.

We seek to create transformational change through community collaboration and development, working to celebrate and protect the resources of the island | motu. WRT celebrates and protects all the resources we have, and builds capacity and knowledge in the community toward the creation of a resource-full future for all.

WRT works to support thriving environments and communities by engaging, educating and supporting people in environmental restoration, food resilience and waste minimisation. We collaborate with volunteers, interns, local business, national and regional networks, iwi, government bodies, subject experts and Waiheke whānau to get the job done.

We believe that when environments are healthy and communities are connected, people and wildlife can flourish, and within that community a strong economy can exist.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Title: WRT Holistic Intern

Location: Waiheke Sustainability Centre, Waiheke Island

Role type: Voluntary, unpaid internship — full time or part-time offered. We recommend a duration of at least two months.

Start: January 2026 onwards. Please note that we welcome applicants to email throughout the summer break, but we will only be replying after 5th January due to annual leave.

Responsible to: WRT Internships Manager, Project Leads

Ever wondered what it's like day-to-day at a sustainability-focussed for purpose organisation? Look no further! This internship is all about getting stuck in with us at Waiheke Sustainability Centre and in the field! You will get the chance to gain practical experience with a wide variety of WRT projects and events, as well as with running the Centre itself. We offer both holistic and project internships, and we welcome discussions about how our work can fit in with your studies and add value to our organisation.

If you have particular skills or a project that you’d like to propose, please mention it in your cover letter.

YOU WILL:

• Be passionate about the environment
• Be interested in experiencing the day-to-day of working in the sustainability non-profit sector and making real contribution to the team
• Fit our culture of an open, flexible workspace, where good humour and mutual respect is key
• Work proactively in a professional manner
• Adopt WRT’s cultural statement, code of conduct, and policies
• Use initiative and to work both independently and as part of a team in a remote setting
• Have excellent communication and time management skills.
• Have the ability to take feedback, rework plans in collaboration with others, and adapt to changing situations
• Be familiar with social media or willing to learn
• Have basic computer literacy

DUTIES:

• Assist in running a coordinated Ecostore campaign on site; manage stock, do inventory, serve customers and brainstorm ideas further the campaign reach.
• Create social media content — reels, tiles and copy for Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin — to promote our projects and events as guided by our Communications Manager. You will use Canva and Meta Business Suite to do this.
• Aid project leads with day-to-day office and project work such as administration, data entry, photography of events, workshop facilitation, email campaigns, newsletter content etc.
• Participate in and help run intermittent evening or weekend events for projects with time given in lieu. Examples include attending to a market stall, facilitating septic tank or composting workshops, EcoFest events, annual Gulf Islands regional hui.
• General Sustainability Centre organisation and upkeep.
• Kai Gardens seedling propagation depending on the season.
• Take part in wetland restoration days with LOWW, which focus on weed removal and the planting of native trees in some of Tāmaki Makaurau’s significant wetlands.
• Take part in compost processing and maintenance days with the Compost Co., collecting the compostable waste of local businesses and transforming it into high-nutrient compost.
• Take part in food rescue collection and redistribution alongside our staff.
• Participate in and help run the weekly Friday Kai Conscious Café with food prep and pack down.
• Participate in and help run Zero Waste events. These are held on weekends and will be scheduled with time given in lieu.
• Help undertake one-off field-based tasks such as Wai Care water testing, photopoint taking, school educational activities etc.
• Optionally, coordinate a small initiative based on your experience and skills in line with WRT’s vision, goals, and aims.
• Optionally, undertake a research project based on university requirements and your interest in an element of WRT’s work.