Waiheke Resources Trust Communications Project Intern

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 ECOFEST

EcoFest is a month-long celebration of sustainability and caring for our unique environment across Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.

The annual festival, running 22 March - 22 April 2027 (finishing on Earth Day!), will feature a packed programme of events, activities, installations, and workshops for people of all ages and stages of their sustainability journey. Our aim is for participants to learn new skills, make new connections, and join a growing community of people who are committed to building a more sustainable future.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Title: WRT Communications Project Intern
Location: Waiheke Sustainability Centre, Waiheke Island, hybrid or remote. A 10-trip ferry pass is able to be provided for non-remote interns.
Role type: Voluntary, unpaid internship — full time or part-time offered. Well-suited to uni-required WIL or Co-op experience.
Responsible to: WRT Communications Manager, EcoFest Lead and the Internships Manager

This internship is all about showcasing the Tīkapa Moana components of EcoFest 2027, ensuring that our local communications integrate well and smoothly with the regional comms, and that we are effectively inviting diverse audiences to join the sustainable fun on Waiheke and other Gulf islands! You will develop an EcoFest 2027 Communications Plan in this project internship - which will be execute for the upcoming festival. Our interns make real contributions and add value to the team, shoulder responsibility, and are expected to bring new ideas to the table.

YOU WILL:

• Be passionate about the environment
• 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.

DUTIES:

• Work to specific internal and external deadlines, and communicate your progress clearly
• Assess past communication strategies and plans that WRT has implemented for EcoFest local comms, drawing out learnings with our Comms Manager
• Understand EcoFest's objectives and how these relate to our communications strategy.
• Hone in on Waiheke's key audiences within the framework of the already-identified regional categories.
• Develop a robust communications plan that includes: key messages; media channel-specific approaches; content suggestions; and publishing timetable.
• Align plan with EcoFest's budget constraints, timeline and team capacity (i.e. make the plan realistic and achievable!)