As published on Gizzy Local 31st July 2024
Written by Susan Pardington
Forest bathing. Earthing. These are trendy buzzwords for something we all know deep down – connecting with nature is good for us. Most of us spend a lot of time indoors looking at screens, and connecting with the earth and the forest would do us good. However in Gisborne, we tend to look out to sea, turning our backs on one of the real treasures in our region – NZ’s national arboretum, Eastwoodhill.
When I visited recently in the dark depths of winter, it was a chilly, damp day, but only a few steps from the cafe, I noticed the lovely chatter of birdsong and the sweet scent of honeysuckle in the air. I walked towards the towering California Redwood, an American import I’ve always felt a kinship with. A fantail joined me on the trail, and soon I felt all the stress and rush of life fall away and realised that this is why it’s called forest bathing. Something about standing under that massive tree washed all my cares away.
If you are looking for a connection with nature, Eastwoodhill Arboretum is the perfect place for this, and there is no better way to connect with this treasured place than by volunteering there. The arboretum’s vital group of volunteers has been slowly dwindling post-Covid and post-cyclone so they are holding a volunteer drive to attract a new crop of volunteers. There is a wide range of opportunities for volunteers at Eastwoodhill – whether it’s manning the shop or giving tours or helping serve hot drinks at the cafe. (No fancy barista skills are necessary, it’s plunger coffee.)
Volunteers are needed to give guided tours to the visitors that come off the cruise ships. This is a great opportunity for those who love to meet folks from overseas and have a good yarn. Volunteers are trained and carry scripts so by their first tour, they will feel confident and no prior knowledge is needed.
Maybe you’re a crafty type who would like to hold a kids’ creative day during the school holidays. Maybe you love a little dress-up and would be keen to don a costume for a Halloween-themed event? The Arboretum hold all sorts of events throughout the year. From daffodil picking in winter to the Christmas event to the annual Teddy Bear’s picnic, there are a number of events that need volunteers.
If you’re thinking that you’d like to help but don’t know where you’d fit in, just call up and speak to the lovely volunteer coordinator, Bobbi, and she will point you in the right direction. There are so many different ways to help out, and even committing to helping out once or twice a month would help the arboretum greatly.
There are so many perks to volunteering too. There is the opportunity to stay overnight in the accommodation or in your own self-contained caravan. What a unique opportunity to see the sunrise and hear the dawn chorus before the park is open.
Eastwoodhill shows appreciation to their volunteers in lots of ways, like a free cuppa and treat from the cafe, a discount in the shop, free entry and an annual volunteer dinner. But the real benefits of volunteering at Eastwoodhill are the connection with nature and the community and knowing that you are playing a small part in maintaining our national arboretum and all the unique species there.
Volunteers come in all shapes and sizes, and everyone is welcome. Perhaps you could rally a group of friends or some work-mates, maybe a group of students looking for volunteer hours, or a family looking for a way to spend time together – whatever your situation is, the arboretum has a volunteer opportunity for you.
The arboretum is beautiful year round, and even on a grey, wintery day, I could see the first few daffodils pushing their way up through the mud. I stopped to imagine what it will look like in a few weeks when thousands of daffodils will paint those fields yellow and all the lucky volunteers who get to pick them for the Cancer Society’s annual fundraiser.
Please help spread the news if you know someone who might be interested or if you’re keen to get amongst it, email
bobbi@eastwoodhill.org.nz and find the perfect volunteer opportunity at Eastwoodhill.
