N.B. We are doing targeted recruitments in 2024.
What is KCC?
KCC is the Kiwi Conservation Club – Forest & Bird’s nature programme for children 13 years old and under.
What is a KCO?
‘KCO’ stands for ‘KCC Coordinator’. KCOs are an integral part of the Kiwi Conservation Club.
KCC Coordinators are volunteers – regular people who are passionate about sharing the natural world with children and their families. There are no set qualifications or skills a person must have to become a KCC Coordinator.
A KCC Coordinator’s role is to run interesting, fun outdoor (and sometimes indoor) trips for the local KCC members and their families.
KCC Coordinators work either alone or in a team and are affiliated with their local Forest & Bird branch – e.g. South Auckland Forest & Bird has an active South Auckland KCC Branch.
What does a KCC Coordinator do?
- Run exciting nature-based nature-based events for KCC members and their families to enjoy.
- Communicate: KCC branches email their members with information about upcoming events they have planned or other relevant local information.
- Collaborate: A KCC Branch might run a trip in conjunction with their parent Forest & Bird branch, a local DOC event, or have a stall at a local festival.
- Have FUN on trips! If KCC Coordinators enjoy the adventures they organise, the members will, too.
How much of my time will it take?
It takes anywhere from 3 – 15 hours to plan and run a KCC adventure – depending on the nature of the adventure.
If you’re the only KCO for a branch, we ask that you organise at least 4 events a year. If you’re part of a team, the responsibility gets shared, and you’ll probably organise about 1 – 2 adventures per year. You might spend a while observing KCC adventures run by fellow KCC Coordinators before you plan your first adventure. You’ll also need to connect with your fellow coordinators to plan your exciting nature events.
We ask all KCC Coordinators to attend at least one Forest & Bird branch committee meeting per year, plus your local Forest & Bird branch AGM – if possible. This is so you can keep in touch with your parent Forest & Bird branch.
There are also administration tasks such as checking your KCC branch email account, sending out a branch KCC newsletter each term/half year (largely via email), keeping brief records of each adventure, and making sure you meet simple health and safety requirements (e.g. by completing a brief Risk Assessment form prior to an adventure).
When do we run our KCC adventures?
KCC is not like Scouts – KCC branches don’t (usually) have regular meeting days or places. Most KCC branches run their adventures on a weekend day. Some branches run evening adventures – to see nocturnal animals, for example. Some run occasional evening movie/info sessions. Many branches organise an annual KCC camp weekend (though this is by no means a requirement!). Through trial and error, branches tend to find adventure times that work well for their members.
What sorts of adventure do we organise?
Anything that shows kids the wonders of the natural world. It could be as simple as a forest walk, identifying trees or spotting fungi. You could connect in with local events or organise a visit to a local attraction such as a reserve or a museum
What will it cost me?
Being a KCC Coordinator should NOT incur a large financial cost. Most Forest & Bird branches will reimburse (reasonable) travel costs, and costs incurred in running KCC adventures – e.g. buying art supplies, small prizes, etc. (Any spending needs to be agreed on before the event!)
For how long do I sign up?
Ideally, we ask people to commit to being a KCC Coordinator for at least a year, but we realise that plans and personal situations can change, so there is no hard-and-fast rule!
I have little kids – can I be a KCC Coordinator?
Yes! The great thing about the role is that you can plan adventures to suit the age and stage of your kids. So if you have toddlers, you’ll probably plan short, action-based events. If your kids are older, you’ll probably plan more in-depth learning experiences, possibly with a bit of sitting and listening. Either way, many KCC families in your area will have kids at the same stage.
I’m not a scientist or an expert – can I be a KCC Coordinator?
YES! A lot of the role involves organising – so if you don’t know a thing about fungi, but want to learn, then find a local expert, find a suitable place, decide on a date, and invite your members!
What support do KCC Coordinators receive?
- Forest & Bird parent branches support KCOs in a variety of ways, from financial support of trips to advice with planning adventures, help to find ‘experts’, helping on KCC adventures, joint-planning of F&B/KCC trips, and passing on information from Forest & Bird national office.
- New KCC Coordinators receive the KCC Coordinator’s Handbook. This is full of ideas for KCC adventures, and contains info about how to access KCC branch email, member lists, etc.
- The annual KCC Coordinators’ Gathering is held in October. The purpose of the gathering is to equip KCC Coordinators with new skills, ideas, and inspiration, and to provide the opportunity to share ideas, address concerns, and learn from one another. Forest & Bird branches pay travel costs for their KCOs to get to (and from!) the Gathering, and Forest & Bird head office pays all costs (food, accommodation, trips) during the Gathering.
- We have funding available to pay for KCOs to complete Red Cross First Aid courses (Comprehensive or Refresher).
- The KCC Team at National Office is at the end of the phone, or on email, to support you.
- All KCC Coordinators receive a complimentary copy of each edition of KCC’s quarterly magazine, Wild Things.
- There are a host of hard resources available to KCC Coordinator as part of a KCO kit which includes magnifying glasses, bug viewers, ID books etc.
Are there any ‘rules’?
All KCC Coordinators must go through the police vetting process every three years and adhere to Forest & Birds health and safety policy.
To keep yourself and your KCC members safe, at least one parent or guardian must always accompany their children on KCC adventures – it’s not acceptable for a KCO to take a group of children on a KCC adventure with no other adults. (If a family brings friends on a KCC adventure, that’s fine – the adults of the family are seen as the guardians for the extra children).
KCC Coordinators must abide by our COVID-19 policy. Please see “About us” for more details.
I’m interested, but I have some questions.
Fantastic! Just fill in this form and one of the KCC Team will be in touch.
Thanks for your interest. We look forward to hearing from you!