WRT Field 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 Field 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 for part-time interns.

Start: Oct 2026 onwards

Responsible to: WRT Internships Manager, Project Leads

Come take climate action with us! Want to get practical hands-on experience in the field learning how to transform food scraps into nutrient-dense compost; restore our wetlands to mimic natural biodiversity; and/or rescue good food from landfill?

This is your chance to contribute and gain real-world skills that will serve you well in minimising waste and regenerating our whenua at home and in your own community. You'll also get experience working in the not-for-profit sector and can figure out if fieldwork is the right fit for you.

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
• Have excellent communication and time management skills.

OPPORTUNITIES:

• Mon - Wed: Take part in wetland restoration days with LOWW, which focus on weed removal and the caring for previous native tree plantings in some of Tāmaki Makaurau’s significant wetlands. Learn best practice methodology through a tuakana/teina model and gain practical skills in ecosystem regeneration that takes a maunga ki te moana approach.
• Mon, Wed, Fri: Take part in hot composting with the Compost Co., collecting the food scraps of local businesses and processing it into mature compost for the community. Wrap your head around the entire transformation from kitchen to garden and take tangible climate action while enriching local soils.
• Fri: Participate in and help run the weekly community lunch - Kai Conscious Café - with food prep and pack down. Save good food from landfill, learn adaptable cooking and food waste minimisation skills, and help create a sense of community.
• Occasionally: Participate in and help run intermittent evening or weekend events for projects with time given in lieu. Examples include zero waste stations at music festivals, facilitating septic tank or composting workshops, Marine Education Initiative experiential days in mid-March 2027, etc.

Pick and choose which days or activities match with your availability and interest(s)!