By sharing responsibility for some of our projects is an important step for the long-term sustainability of our organisation. At a time when many people are seeking employment or looking to build their experience, volunteering with us can provide valuable skills, enhance a CV, and contribute to a worthwhile cause that benefits New Zealand's biodiversity.
All of these positions are voluntary and for more information, email
Shop Assistant
We need the help of an organised person to take care of our online shop. This requires efficiency, reliability and good thinking skills. We provide a printer and all consumables. You need storage for two large boxes of our stock.
https://www.nzbutterflies.org.nz/shop/
Our treasurer sends orders to our volunteer, who then packs them and posts them. It's probably one or two hours, two or three times a week (six hours a week max.) This would be best for someone based in Blockhouse Bay/Lynfield – it would be a great job for a retired person or someone who would eventually like to set up their own shop.
Big Butterfly Count Team Leader
The Big Butterfly Count is one of NZ's most important citizen science projects, helping us track the health and abundance of butterfly populations across the country.
Butterflies face a range of challenges, with one of the most significant being predation by invasive social wasps. To better understand this impact, future counts will be conducted twice each year: once in early February, when butterfly numbers should be at their peak, and again in mid-April, when wasp activity has largely ceased. Comparing the results will provide valuable insights into both butterfly population trends and the effects of wasps on our native and introduced butterflies.
To help grow this exciting project, we are seeking a Big Butterfly Count Team Leader. This is a rewarding opportunity for someone who is passionate about conservation, citizen science, and engaging communities in nature. The Team Leader will coordinate participants, promote the count beforehand through social media and other means, organise training so that people can use the app, oversee data collection, and work with our team to analyse and interpret the results.
This role offers the chance to make a real contribution to butterfly conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand, helping to build one of the country's most important long-term datasets on butterfly populations. Whether your interests lie in science, conservation, education, project management, or community engagement, this is an opportunity to lead a project that can influence conservation action and policy for years to come.
Transect Monitoring Team Leader
Transect monitoring is one of the most powerful ways to track butterfly populations over time. By walking a set route regularly and recording butterfly sightings, a valuable picture of seasonal changes, long-term population trends, and the health of local ecosystems can be created.
At present we have one person walking transects (in Nelson). We need to develop this project so there are committed people walking transects throughout the summer in their own neighbourhoods/communities. The Transect Monitoring Team Leader would reach out to walking groups, Scout groups and the like to encourage more involvement in the project.
to help coordinate and grow our network of volunteer transect walkers across New Zealand.
This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in one of the Trust's most important citizen science projects. You will help recruit and support volunteers, develop monitoring routes, encourage participation, and work with our team to ensure that the data collected contributes to butterfly conservation and research.
You don't need to be a butterfly expert – just someone who enjoys working with people, is organised, and is passionate about making a difference for New Zealand's butterflies and moths.
Do you already walk the same route regularly during the day? Why not combine exercise, fresh air, and conservation by becoming a transect walker yourself? There is something incredibly rewarding about knowing that every walk contributes to our understanding and protection of butterfly populations.
If you would like to help lead this growing programme or would like to become a transect walker, contact Jacqui to find out more.
Social Media Team Member
Our small team creates effective social media campaigns promoting our work. We have a weekly online team meeting (Mondays, 7.30pm, flexible) at which we review campaigns, tweak future campaigns and assign smaller parts. The result is we are growing the awareness of NZ butterflies, moths, habitat, flora and fauna and the challenges our butterflies and moths face. You will have complementary access to the Trust’s online “Create Butterfly Habitat” course and extensive web-based resources.
Strong communication skills, empathy, leadership, organisation and time management are requisites. Problem-solving ability, high standard of ethics, and basic legal knowledge important (e.g. contest terms and conditions) plus excellent spoken English, spelling and grammar essential. Experience with social media platforms, AI tools, Canva and Adobe are also needed.
Event Helpers
Throughout the summer we take part in various events, mostly in Auckland and mostly outdoors, where we entertain children and help them colour in and finish paper butterflies while team leaders talk with their parents about what they can do to help our butterflies and moths. It’s all about raising awareness of our many butterfly and moth species. Most people “love butterflies” but they aren’t aware of any of them apart from the monarch (and the cabbage white, which they detest).
You are part of a team having fun. Empathy for children essential.
Board Member/Trustee
From time to time we search for new trustees for our Board. You would be one of a team responsible for the governance of our charity, ensuring that we follow our mission and vision. The least amount of time to devote is one hour each month (online), and enough time to read reports prior to the meeting, and respond in a timely manner to emails in between. PLUS there is one meeting each year when we meet face-to-face over a weekend for strategic planning, usually in June each year.
Some trustees do become more involved and become champions for various projects which help us achieve our mission, engaging with New Zealanders to ensure our biodiversity promotes thriving moth and butterfly populations.
As a national charity we have an excellent reputation for the positive work we have done and continue to do for the conservation of NZ’s butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera). Diversity is important to us.
Trustees are
- committed to our vision and mission;
- part of a friendly team ensuring our positive work continues;
- supporting engagement, finances and marketing with relevant skills;
- strategic thinkers and team players;
- contributing creatively to maximise opportunities.
As the process of taking on trustees is quite complex, we have intakes of trustees every one or two years, but we always welcome expressions of interest.
