Living Springs

A warm Living Springs welcome to our newest International Volunteers from ! 🌍

These legends have just arrived and are ready to jump into life at Living Springs. Over the coming months they'll be supporting camps, environmental restoration, hospitality and many of the behind the scenes jobs that help make this place thrive.

We're excited to have you here and can't wait to see all that you'll achieve. Welcome to the team! 💚

We’re Hiring!

Do you enjoy working outdoors and want to help protect and restore native biodiversity?

Living Springs is looking for an enthusiastic and practical Conservation Field Worker – Biodiversity to join our team on a 40-week fixed-term contract in Whakaraupō / Lyttelton Harbour.

This is a varied, hands-on role where no two days are the same. You’ll be involved in ecological restoration, w**d control, native planting, track maintenance, and working alongside volunteers to help care for more than 400 hectares of native forest, wetlands and farmland.

If you’re passionate about conservation and want to make a lasting contribution, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more, download the Position Description and apply via the link in the comments.

Applications close Monday, 24 August 2026.

Know someone who might be interested? Please share this post.

Kia ora everyone,

Living Springs is hosting our next volunteer day, and we would love your help. Our volunteer days run every second Thursday, weather permitting.

Last session, we removed old plastic tree guards from native trees planted five years ago. It was incredibly satisfying to free these well established trees so they can continue growing without restriction. A huge thank you to Louise, Andrew, and Vicky for all your hard work and enthusiasm.

This time, we'll be clearing kānuka trees from the slip that came through in February. Many of these trees have died or are struggling because the slip left them without stable soil. By removing them now, we'll prepare the site for future planting with species that will better stabilise the slope and help prevent erosion.

📅 Thursday 13 August ⏰ 9:00am – 12:30pm (lunch provided, wrap up by 1:30pm) 📍 Living Springs Main Camp RSVP by 11 August to [email protected]

Please bring sturdy footwear, outdoor working clothes, a rain jacket, water bottle, gloves if you have them, snacks, and any personal medication. We will provide all tools and equipment. No specific skills are required, just a willingness to get stuck in. Every helping hand makes a real difference.

This event is weather dependent. We would love to have you join us. Thank you for your ongoing support and mahi.

Kia ora everyone,

Living Springs is hosting our next volunteer day, and we would love your help.

Last session, we transported an incredible 746 native plants to three locations across Living Springs, ready for upcoming planting groups. A huge thank you to Louise, Peter, Trevor, Quentin, Andrew, and Vicky for all your hard work and enthusiasm. Together, you're helping restore the landscape for future generations.

This time, we'll be removing old plastic tree guards from established native trees. These guards have done their job protecting young seedlings, and now it's time to carefully remove them so the trees can continue to grow without restriction. We'll also collect and remove all the plastic from the environment.

📅 Thursday 30 July
⏰ 9:00am – 12:30pm (lunch provided, wrap up by 1:30pm)
📍 Living Springs Main Camp
RSVP by 29 July to [email protected]

Please bring sturdy footwear, outdoor working clothes, a rain jacket, water bottle, gloves if you have them, and snacks. We will provide all tools and equipment.

No specific skills are required, just a willingness to get stuck in. Every helping hand makes a real difference.

This event is weather dependent.

We would love to have you join us. Thank you for your ongoing support and mahi.

A huge thank you to the UC Frontiers Abroad team for spending time with us planting poplar seedlings across the slips at Living Springs.

It was fantastic to see the students come full circle, connecting their research with practical action by helping restore the landscape and support sedimentation and erosion control.

A special thank you to Natasha, Meghan, Pearl, and all of the students for your hard work, enthusiasm, and willingness to get your hands dirty. We really appreciate your support and look forward to seeing the impact these trees will have for years to come. 🌱

Kia ora everyone,

Living Springs is hosting our next volunteer day, and we would love your help.

Last session, we held our very first wētā monitoring day, and it was a great success. We found several wētā taking up residence in our monitoring hotels, with some hotels home to as many as three wētā. A huge thank you to Louise, Peter, Trevor, Ethan, Jamie, Lochlan, Connor, Alisia, Annina, and Graham for making the day such a success.

This time, we need your help moving 300 native plants to a new planting site below Summit Road. We'll load the plants onto the ute before carrying them down to their new home, where they'll be planted over the coming weeks by another volunteer group as part of the ongoing restoration of Living Springs.

📅 Thursday 16 July
⏰ 9:00am – 12:30pm (lunch provided, wrap up by 1:30pm)
📍 Living Springs Main Camp
RSVP by 14th July to [email protected]

Please bring sturdy footwear, outdoor working clothes, a rain jacket, water bottle, gloves if you have them, and snacks. We will provide all tools and equipment.

No specific skills are required, just a willingness to get stuck in. Every helping hand makes a real difference.

This event is weather dependent.

We would love to have you join us. Thank you for your ongoing support and mahi.

Kia ora everyone,

Living Springs is hosting our next volunteer day, and we would love your help.

Last session, we spent the morning w**ding the butterfly nursery. A huge thank you to Peter for his time and effort. Since then, a group of French overseas students has finished clearing almost all of the remaining w**ds, and the nursery has never looked better.

This time, we'll be carrying out our very first wētā monitoring session. Three years ago, we installed a series of wētā hotels around Living Springs, and now it's time to see who has moved in. We'll be walking the monitoring lines, carefully checking each hotel and recording any species we find. It should be a fascinating morning and a great opportunity to learn more about the wildlife calling Living Springs home.

📅 Thursday 2 July
⏰ 9:00am – 12:30pm (lunch provided, wrap up by 1:30pm)
📍 Living Springs Main Camp
RSVP by 30 June to [email protected]

Please bring sturdy footwear, outdoor working clothes, a rain jacket, water bottle, gloves if you have them, and snacks. We will provide all tools and equipment.

No specific skills are required, just a willingness to get stuck in. Every helping hand makes a real difference.

This event is weather dependent.

We would love to have you join us. Thank you for your ongoing support and mahi.

This National Volunteer Week, we're celebrating the amazing volunteers who help make Living Springs such a special place.

Meet Emma, who has been volunteering as a Kids Camp Leader for around four years. Emma first became involved after being invited by the legendary Camp Mum, Kath Shikker, and she's been part of the Kids Camp community ever since.

"What keeps me coming back is making connections with the kids and seeing them grow over each camp. I've also made incredible connections with leaders, and it's amazing creating new ones each camp."

Volunteering has helped Emma grow in confidence and step into leadership opportunities she may not have taken otherwise.

"I've always loved leading but was often too nervous to do it. Kids Camp has helped me step out of comfort zones in multiple areas of my life, which has been amazing growth for me."

For Emma, the Living Springs community feels like home.
"Every time I go there it's so friendly and welcoming. It feels like a big family that I always miss."

One of the highlights of Emma's volunteering journey has been seeing the impact camp can have on others, including helping her brother get involved as a leader and watching him grow through the experience as well.

Her advice to anyone considering volunteering?
"Just do it!"

Thank you, Emma, for the energy, encouragement, and care you bring to every camp. We're grateful for the difference you make in the lives of our campers and leaders.

National Volunteer Week Spotlight: Our International Volunteers 🌎

Our international volunteers travel from across the world to be part of the Living Springs community, bringing their skills, cultures, enthusiasm, and heart for serving others. From supporting camps and guests to helping care for our environment and facilities, their impact is felt right across Living Springs.

Thank you to every international volunteer, past and present, for the time, energy, and passion you've shared with our community. We're grateful for the difference you make.

💚 Happy National Volunteer Week!

Great work everyone! 👏 Our Tracks are open again!!

A sincere thank you to the Christchurch Singletrack Club and all those who have contributed their time and effort to getting the trails back into shape. The local mountain biking community is incredibly fortunate to have people willing to roll up their sleeves and make this happen.
Your hard work doesn't go unnoticed. Much appreciated! 🚵‍♀️🙌🌲