Volunteering to connect with Christchurch
Volunteering |
21 Jun 2024
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Christchurch resident Te Rama volunteers whenever they can, wherever they can.
Te Rama fills their spare time with the closest available volunteering opportunities, usually just doing a quick Google search to see what’s on.
“There’s so much going on around Christchurch that I never really knew about until I started volunteering,” Te Rama says.
“Getting involved with different programmes around the city has helped me understand how we’re doing with restoration, and I’ve discovered such wonderful wetland and estuary restoration projects.”
Te Rama says volunteering helps their mental health wellbeing while creating a sense of belonging.
Each Wednesday, they work with a group as part of Conservation Volunteers New Zealand’s (CVNZ) Community Conservation Christchurch project, helping with restoration at a variety of locations around Ōtautahi.
They occasionally volunteer at the Richmond Community Garden, which works to rekindle the pre-earthquake vegetable garden adjacent to Avebury House.
In any spare time left, Te Rama gets involved with opportunities around Christchurch such as tree planting, rubbish collection and maintaining gardens.
“I really like the social aspect of volunteering and working alongside people who are also keen to learn about the project we’re helping with,” Te Rama says.
“I mostly work to help with maintenance after planting season, which helps to learn about the land we’re living in and imagine a future with wonderful biodiversity and natural beauty.”
CVNZ Conservation Coordinator Donna Lusby says there’s always plenty of opportunities available around the city for those wanting to help out.
“Volunteering is a fantastic way to get to know Christchurch, to look at how far our region has come and to really understand the restoration work going on,” Donna says.
“CVNZ really works to bring communities together to connect people with nature, all while helping our environment.”
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