Coastline Conservation Volunteering in New Zealand

IVHQ takes very good care of their volunteers. I always felt safe and well cared for during my trip. They partner with local charities at the destination, so once you get to the country, most of your interaction is with this charity. Because you are volunteering for an organization within the community, their goals and causes are very relevant and meaningful. Sustainable Coastlines in NZ is a team of passionate people who want to better the waterways and coasts of the country. It was a pleasure to assist them and they in turn gave us many great experiences and connections to the community. IVHQ partners with several companies allowing cheaper flights and travel insurance which really makes it easier to get out there. I would recommend IVHQ to my friends and family, or random strangers. If you're looking to travel and want to help a community, this is a great program!

I went to New Zealand for 8 weeks (7 weeks in the program) and it was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. I had so much fun learning about what I could do to help the environment and learning about their native plants and helping restore them. Everyone cared about you learning while you were there not just working. The team at Sustainable Coastlines welcomes everybody with open arms and they made me feel so comfortable and made it easy to be in a different country. They gave us so many unique opportunities that I didn’t even expect to get like getting to see the prime minister, taking us to fun places to work, and meeting so many new people. I love the friends that I made and I was so sad to leave. I would 100% do this project again.

Volunteering with IVHQ was an amazing experience. Everything from my research phase all the way to returning home after the program was made easy, safe, fun, and worth the price. IVHQ staff answers all questions and concerns promptly. Not only was the volunteer experience extremely rewarding but my program also included trips after volunteering that helped me see hidden gems I would’ve never known if if it wasn’t for the local staff at my placement. The quality of work I participated in truly made me feel like I made a difference, I made new friends, and overall had a great time. Volunteering with IVHQ should be on everyone’s bucket list.