A Unique Backcountry Volunteer Experience
Take a HutReno Challenge and Help Preserve the Life, Legacy, and Comfort of New Zealand’s Backcountry Huts.
A Passion for Conservation
HutReno is a volunteer service for individuals who not only have a passion for the great outdoors, but are interested in its conservation and who love a motivational challenge.
Give Back to the Backcountry
HutReno offers individuals a practical and invaluable opportunity for giving back to the Department of Conservation, and in particular, the backcountry huts and tracks they diligently maintain.
Exhilarating and Character Building
This is an experience that will enrich and motivate you. The sense of investing your personal effort in a community that you identify with is satisfyingly character building, and contributing towards its preservation is empowering.
Investment in Community
This volunteer service is more than just giving back. It will provide an exhilarating and character-building experience that leaves individuals feeling enriched and motivated about their individual effort for making an investment in a community they not only identified with, but feel strongly towards its preservation.
Be Part of Something Bigger
A HutReno volunteer experience is all about being a part of something bigger than oneself, and leaving something better behind that others will benefit from. Giving back also demonstrates an appreciation of DOC’s immense undertaking to build and maintain accessibility and availability of dwellings in the backcountry for human habitation. Such an undertaking benefits thousands of New Zealanders and overseas tourists, who in their increasing numbers, are inspired by the therapeutic values and magnificent scenery of the NZ great outdoors.
Please note that Hut Reno is complementary to any other volunteer effort which is carried out in the name of conservation and undertaken by dedicated individuals, clubs or organizations.
- Are you motivated to give back to community-initiated projects?
- Do you enjoy hiking and mixing with other like-minded people?
- Do you have a can-do attitude?
- Are you financially independent with applicable skills?
- Do you have a strong willingness to support a team effort to create something that will leave a legacy?
Department of Conservation Requirements
All HutReno volunteer services are subject to DOC’s requirements, protocols, direction, sign-off and volunteer compliance, in addition with HutReno conditions.
HutReno volunteer tasks may include:
- preparing and repainting huts inside and/or outside,
- backup support for DOC staff,
- track clearing and marking,
- replenishing firewood,
- general light repairs or duties, and
- tidy up work etc.
The number of HutReno projects allocated per year will be limited to time constraints and volunteer availability. Strategically this requires working with DOC’s expectations, planning and budget requirements for the launch of each HutReno.