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NonProfit Plant and Animal Sanctuary seeking lively, responsible and earth-reverent people in Hawaii, USA

United States
Favourited 426 times
Last activity: 16 May 2024

Profile information

Host rating
100 %
Last replied
14 May 2024
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 2 days
Feedback
25
ID verified
Email verified

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Availability

2024

Min stay requested: 1 month or more

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What's this?

Details

Description
Our project is a vegan permaculture and animal rescue 501(c)(3) non-profit, established in 2017. We have rescued dozens of pasture-animals from the 2018 lava flow and Big Island Dairy closure. We also have a couple of gardens and fruit trees all over the property, which are beginning to produce. Our mission is to teach food independence and treat animals with love and respect, without the intention of commercial exploitation.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
...
...
What's this?
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
* Permaculture methods and techniques.
* Care of pasture animals without the intention of "producing" anything from them
* Animal therapy basics
* Farm management concepts
* Carpentry
* Growing edible plants in a rainforest
Help
We are looking for volunteers to help tend to the sanctuary animals (donkeys, cows, goats, sheep, pigs, birds, dogs, and cats), maintain/expand our food gardens, as well as do other tasks, such as: cleaning, organizing, yardwork, etc. We are always in need of volunteers with construction, fencing, and mechanical skills for building, repair, and maintenance projects.

* Animal Care Intern, one-month minimum commitment: Responsible for feeding and caring for the sanctuary animals, basic medical attention when needed. Classes, training provided. Accommodations: One shared 30' (10m) diameter yurt, basic vegan food supplies.

* Plant Care Intern, one-month minimum commitment: Responsible for caring for plants and trees, assessing health, and applying amendments as needed. Classes, training provided. Accommodations: One shared 30' (10m) diameter yurt, basic vegan food supplies.

* Construction/Maintenance Intern, one-month minimum commitment: Responsible for constructing new or repairing old shelters and fences, pasture clearing, basic painting. Carpentry experience required. Accommodations: One shared 30' (10m) diameter yurt, basic vegan food supplies.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Hebrew: Fluent
German: Beginner
Spanish: Beginner
Accommodation
The main accommodation is a large yurt, about 700 sq ft, fully furnished, with a kitchen and a common space for the volunteers to share. The yurt hosts up 4-5 people comfortably. There is no running water in the yurt; the toilet/laundry room, dishwashing sink, and outdoor shower are located a few steps away. Parking is provided if you have a vehicle. The laundry facility is also available for your use. The property and structures are completely off-grid. There is internet access, and cell reception is good for most carriers.
What else ...
We are 11 miles from Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, 15 miles from Hilo. There is a free bus system that can take you to other parts of the island.

No alcohol, drugs, smoking, or consumption of any animal foods (meat, fish, dairy, eggs) on the property. You can eat whatever you like off property, and you may have a drink, but we ask that you don't come back intoxicated.

We provide basic vegan staples (rice, beans, pasta, oats, peanut butter, fruits, vegetables, etc.), and the workaways cook for themselves. Most volunteers enjoy cooking together. You may purchase any extras or favorites at your own cost and we provide space for you to store personal food items. Please be aware that we cannot cater to special diets beyond what we normally provide.
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
- Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Internet connection is DSL.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Host ref number: 763352396874

Feedback (12)

9 May 2024

Left by Workawayer (Raphaela) for host

My stay here was one of my three favorites during 7 months of travelling, so thank you to Rob and all your wonderful animals! I arrived at the sanctuary end of February and was welcomed very warm. I learned from a fellow workawayer how to feed the animals in the beginning, because the executive director Rob had important ongoings on another… read more

(Excellent )

2 May 2024

Left by host for Workawayer (Raphaela)

Raphaela was an amazing volunteer. We placed great trust in Raphaela to take care of the animals and help train the other volunteers. She treated the animals well, feeding them, assessing their health, and reported concerns promptly to us. She got along really well with the other volunteers; it was a delight to see. Raphaela is a self-starter, and… read more

(Excellent )

2 May 2024

Left by host for Workawayer (Adam & Anita)

Adam and Anita were a delight to have. They were self-motivated, fun, and hard working. They learned the animal care routine quickly and genuinely loved the animals. Their planting skills were wonderful, both in starting new vegetables for future volunteers, and keeping the weeds back from the existing plants. They had a really good spirit about… read more

(Excellent )

2 May 2024

Left by Workawayer (Adam & Anita) for host

Rob and Nikki are two of the most genuine passionate couples that wholeheartedly throw themselves into the sanctuary where my wife and I had the opportunity to spend a month.
Once you quickly learn the order and procedure for feeding all the animals, the actual task load is surprisingly pleasant and gives you more than enough time to cook, read,… read more

(Excellent )

10 Mar 2024

Left by host for Workawayer (Camryn)

We appreciate the constructive feedback and the opportunity to improve the experience of our volunteers. We recognize that Camryn had some challenging moments during her stay, which brought up frustration and resentment. We're taking accountability for missed communication or challenging tasks that were given to her during her stay. However, there… read more were things that were not in our control, such as being short staffed due to prospective volunteers cancelling their stay and our on-site manager leaving on a 2 day notice. Regardless, these were all things that impacted Camryn's stay and we want to apologize for them. We also want to share our perspective as well as correct some inaccuracies shared in her review.

First, FGP sanctuary is 100% volunteer run as we operate on a very small budget from donations and grants. There is no "owner," it is a community based organization, by the community, for the community, with the mission of teaching the people of Hawaii about food independence and caring for animals without exploitation or cruelty. Rob, the executive and managing director, works tirelessly to keep the sanctuary going, most of the time 6-7 days per week. The majority of our volunteers have, so far, shown a strong commitment to this cause, worked hard, and were respectful of the sanctuary rules and guidelines. They were happy and eager to learn and help our mission for the benefit of animals and humans, alike.

Our intention is to take good care of our volunteers and we try to be very upfront about the conditions, the hard work, expectations, the location, etc. We interview each volunteer on video and share as much as we can, as honestly as we can. This is not an opportunity for a Hawaii vacation. Volunteers come to work, and work hard, so we advise them to schedule their vacation before/after their time with us. We try our best to accommodate them but we can't provide a vehicle for volunteers, because of insurance issues and high maintenance costs. So, yes, people need to take the bus, rent a car, or get an Uber to get into town. We're never afraid to tell prospective volunteers that is the case.

In terms of trainings, all volunteers are thoroughly trained by both the onsite manager and Rob. Afterwards, they "shadow" the more experienced volunteers for 3 days before getting to feed on their own. There are optional classes taught by Rob, which volunteers requested more of in the past, but one can opt out if they want to do something else.

The sanctuary is a place for volunteers to connect with the animals. If walking the dogs twice a day (not 4+ times), spending a couple of hours with them in the evening (the dogs are outside during the day and sleep in a shelter at night) or feeding the cats is perceived as a huge burden, perhaps this is not the right placement. Feedings take about an hour each morning and evening, and about 15 minutes at lunch time. There are some unusual tasks that can extend this time (for example, a cow had to be milked and a calf bottle-fed) but volunteers would rarely work more than 5 hours, unless it's an emergency or we're extremely short staffed. If a volunteer was busy with the animals all day, they don't do any other projects. Again, we value our volunteers and want to help them benefit from the experience. Overworking them will not be in the benefit of anyone, especially not ours.

Overall we were grateful for Camryn's service and her stay with us. She was very resilient and helped out a ton at a time when we were extremely short staffed and, towards the end of her stay, without an on-site manager. She learned the tasks quickly and came to help serve food to the homeless in town with a lot of positive spirit. Towards the end of her stay, we could sense the frustration, which came across in some actions that weren't in line with the sanctuary rules and guidelines. It was truly sad to hear that her impression of the stay was so negative. As said earlier, we're taking the feedback to heart and we'll continue to work on making the experience of the volunteers as pleasant and as positive as positive.

(Good )

4 Mar 2024

Left by Workawayer (Camryn) for host

I was disappointed with my experience during this Workaway. I feel that it is very important to share my experiences so others are well informed about the situation before applying themselves.

I stayed at the farm just over 6 weeks in early 2024. Firstly, in terms of the work that is required, it is very important to understand that your primary… read more task is animal feeding. The animals need feeding 3 times a day, at 7:30, 12, and 5. This means that your 5 hours of work each is broken up in 3 different sections on a daily basis, meaning that you need to be on the farm every day that you’re working throughout the entire day. The feedings take between 1-2 hours, depending on the amount of volunteers, and are quite demanding physically. Sometimes you will be asked to do additional labor, listen to a lecture, or weed the surrounding planted areas.

It is also important to note that your days off are rarely true days off. The volunteers are the only people living on the property as the owner lives in town, therefore the volunteers are responsible for all the animals, every day, all day. There is a set amount of tasks that need to be completed, and often during days off you still have responsibilities. For example, there are 3 dogs and 3 cats that live on the property. They are need to be feed breakfast and dinner, the dogs need to be walked at minimum 4 times a day, and the dogs will live inside the volunteer yurt at night requiring you to watch them at all times. On days off, you’ll usually find yourself responsible for cat and dog feedings, walking the dogs, and watching the dogs at night upon other things. One of the dogs is disabled and needs constant attention, diapers to be put on and taken off several times a day, and his cage cleaned daily due to constant accidents. It is impossible to live in the space while removing yourself from all work related tasks on your days off because you are directly involved in these activities due to the living situation. No matter what, you are responsible for the lives of all the animals and their well being so you often have to take on additional tasks during days off since the animals rely on you to survive. Additionally, the tasks need to be done every single day despite the amount of volunteers. While I was there, the number of volunteers ranged between 2-3 (including the manager), therefore I often worked 6 or 7 days straight without a day off because there was too much work for the other person to complete alone. There can be more than 2-3 volunteers as the accommodation can carry up to 5, but throughout the month and a half I was there, there was not nearly enough support for the amount of work needing completion despite efforts to find more volunteers. Even with 3 volunteers, and the owner showing up a few mornings a week to assist, it was a significant amount of work throughout my entire stay due to the lack of support. You and the volunteers are essentially left on your own to care for all these animals despite a probable lack of knowledge, creating a heavy mental burden to ensure that the animals on the property survive.

Another important note is the inaccessibility of the property and isolation. There is no vehicle for you to use during your stay. The manager may have access to a vehicle and drive the volunteers into town during errands, but you are completely at the mercy of the manager (if there is one on property) to get places. There is a bus stop a 45 minute walk away that comes every 2 hours. The issue with this bus is that it only goes to volcano National park and Hilo. You cannot access a swimmable beach or other attractions from these 2 bus stops. Additionally, since you are required to feed the animals 3 times a day, it is nearly impossible to catch the bus during working days since you must be at the property for breakfast lunch and dinner. From the property itself, there is no where nearby to walk, and there is not much to do on the property except what you’re willing to create yourself. It is very isolated, and this opportunity will not allow you to explore Hawai’i. The owner expects volunteers to be there to work, not vacation or explore.

Communication was a major issue throughout my stay. The days leading up to my arrival, I messaged the owner numerous times without hearing back. I ended up busing 5 hours and walking 45 minutes with all of my stuff to the property address found on google maps hoping I was at the right place and that they were still wanting me there. Despite planning my stay months in advance and discussing my arrival, they were surprised when I showed up on my arrival day and were not expecting me. Another issue I had, due to the owner being off property and very much not involved, was the scheduling. I took responsibility to make the schedule for myself and the volunteers so that we could try to have proper days off, but the owner sometimes miscommunicated his days of arrival. It occurred where he would show up and tell us we had the morning off after we had completed our work with no previous communication that we weren’t suppose to work that morning. When he did arrive in the morning to help, he was always late resulting in us finishing the tasks without his help since the animals will be calling for food when the sun rises. At the end of my stay, me and the other volunteers planned a 2 day road trip for our days off. I communicated this a week in advance with the owner and told him that there would need to be additional support those days due to our absence. The day before our trip, he told us that he could do the morning feedings as usual. We had rented a car and planned to have complete days off to explore, so I told him we would not be there for evening feed. The day we left, we received several calls and texts trying to organize the feedings day-of. The owner had not organized who would feed during our days off, and proceeded to contact us throughout the day to pull something together. It was extremely frustrating that the lack of communication greatly interrupted and impacted our only days off off-property we took during our entire stay. When I returned, I was told that the volunteers were not allowed to take time off together because someone always needs to work, despite never being informed of this previously when I had been making the schedule for over a month and informed the owner in advance we were taking 2 days off for our car rental together.

Lastly, the farm itself is of need to mention. There are several animals on the farm that are relying solely on you for survival. I received one day of training and was left on my own to feed the animals, resulting in me getting bitten by a donkey during my first feeding alone. The lack of experienced animal caretakers on the farm resulted in me being unsure how to behave around large animals who could very much hurt me, and I felt it was unsafe to leave new volunteers alone to feed powerful animals without proper education. I also was solely responsible for training the rest of the volunteers who came after me (2), and again resulting in very little educated information being taught to people who would soon be left to fend for themselves during feedings. While I was there, there was a donkey that fell gravely ill. She needed to go on medication, receive wound and fly spray several times a day on her wounds, be feed consistently feed throughout the day, receive salt baths, upon other tasks to keep her alive. I have no experience with animals as did the other volunteer, though we were completely responsible for the life of this animal. It felt emotional draining trying to ensure her survival, and I felt it was unfair to have so much responsibility considering my lack of knowledge. This applied to every animal that needed extra care. We needed to watch for any animal that wasn’t doing well, which often came in the form of limping due to saturation in their feet, lack of eating and lack of drinking. Since there are no animal experts on the farm, we did our best to keep them fed and healthy but I often felt myself googling “what to do if I cow isnt producing enough milk” trying to understand what to do. This was very hard on me mentally because I just didn’t have the answers, as did no one, and we were completely on our own with dealing with the problems. There were a lot of big fundamental issues that needed to be addressed as well, like building actual enclosures/barns for the animals so they weren’t subjected to the weather conditions, establishing proper pastures with the right vegetation for the animals, creating more pastures, installing proper fencing, etc. The lack of these elements made the farm upsetting to live at. Watching the cows and sheep having no food to graze, hearing the mother cow crying for her calf, seeing the sadness in the isolated donkey that needs a partner, knowing the disabled dog does not have the proper care and love that is needed, and watching the wet conditions damage the feet of all the dessert animals created a very negative environment.

I expect to have negative response after my feedback, but I feel it is so important for volunteers to understand the situation they’re walking into. I took on so much responsibility because I cared for these animals and didn’t want to see them suffer, that it made me emotionally, physically, and mentally burnt out on a daily basis. I have expressed all this to the owner because I did feel taken advantage of since I had no where else to go, and if I didn’t feed the animals, they’d starve. Hawaii is extremely expensive, so a volunteer opportunity sounds amazing and makes you completely stuck in a potentially negative experience due to your inability to financially afford to leave.

(Neutral )

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Accuracy of profile:
(4.8)

Cultural exchange:
(4.8)

Communication:
(4.6)

9 May 2024

Left by Workawayer (Raphaela) for host

(Excellent )

2 May 2024

Left by host for Workawayer (Raphaela)

(Excellent )

2 May 2024

Left by host for Workawayer (Adam & Anita)

(Excellent )

2 May 2024

Left by Workawayer (Adam & Anita) for host

(Excellent )

10 Mar 2024

Left by host for Workawayer (Camryn)

(Good )

4 Mar 2024

Left by Workawayer (Camryn) for host

(Neutral )

10 Mar 2024

Left by host for Workawayer (James & Honor )

James and Honor were an absolute joy to have stay at the sanctuary. They are fast learners, positive, and highly adaptable. Throughout some challenging moments experienced during their stay they were always eager to help out. They took every opportunity they had to learn new skills, and weren't afraid to get their hands dirty, always a big smile.… read more

(Excellent )

10 Mar 2024

Left by Workawayer (James & Honor ) for host

Volunteering here was a truly life-changing experience! We miss all of the animals dearly and loved taking care of them, while simultaneously having the chance to get to know Hawaii’s stunning Big Island. Rob and Nikki are very committed to the mission, and sincerely want volunteers to have a positive experience. Over our 5 weeks last June, we… read more

(Excellent )

9 Mar 2023

Left by host for Workawayer (Marilee & Julia)

Marilee and Julia were absolutely a joy to have! They were both very upbeat and up for any task. Both are fast learners and very hard workers- it was great to have their help at the sanctuary and also during the food serving we are involved with in Hilo. We had fun spending time with them outside of work hours, chatting, eating together, joking… read more

(Excellent )

25 Jan 2023

Left by Workawayer (Marilee & Julia) for host

This was an incredibly soul-enriching experience. Rob and Nikki are two remarkably compassionate and socially committed individuals whose generous spirit made for a truly memorable experience. Expect to work hard and to be very tired by the end of the day, but it is the kind of tired that makes you feel good inside, especially because the animals… read more

(Excellent )

9 Mar 2023

Left by host for Workawayer (Giulia)

Giuilia was a fantastic Workaway! She quickly picked up the routine and was attentive when asked to perform certain tasks. She got along great with the other volunteers and us the hosts and helped keep the yurt clean and organized. She is very responsible, a team player, and always did her best. We would most definitely recommend Giulia to other… read more

(Excellent )

28 Jan 2023

Left by Workawayer (Giulia) for host

Although I only spent a month with Rob and Nikki, I quickly felt at home and it was very hard for me to say goodbye.
When I arrived, I was warmly welcomed not only by the two but also by the other Workawayers.
Because we spent so much quality time together (working together, eating together and going out together) there was a very familiar… read more

(Excellent )

2 Mar 2023

Left by host for Workawayer (Lucy)

We enjoyed having Lucy at our sanctuary. She was very enthusiastic and open to performing many tasks. She got very attached to the animals and took great care of them, especially our doggies :) Lucy is very friendly and easygoing, she got along great with both the workaways and us, the hosts.

Unfortunately, Lucy had to leave early for a family… read more

(Very good )

6 Feb 2023

Left by Workawayer (Lucy) for host

This sanctuary is so special! I only had the chance to stay here for a few weeks but my time here was so memorable. The work was very stress free and I can say I absolutely gained new skills (milking a cow?!). Rob is so knowledgeable about almost anything I could think to ask about- animals, earth, food, Hawaii, you name it. Rob and Nikki were so… read more

(Excellent )

23 Jan 2023

Left by host for Workawayer (Jeff & Siti)

Jeff was one of our finest Workaways! He stayed at the sanctuary for a little over 2 months and helped with many different projects. In addition to being helpful, respectful, and kind, he has a lot of skills/experience and is very self-motivated. With or without guidance, he took his own initiative by taking a look at the list of projects and… read more

(Excellent )

13 Jan 2023

Left by Workawayer (Jeff & Siti) for host

I spent about 2.5 months at the animal sanctuary with Rob and several other volunteers that made their stay on Big Island. Mountain view is a nice area with a lot of serenity and immersion in nature. I really learned a lot from working with the different animals and I have acquired a lot of knowledge that Rob was willing to teach. Nikki doesn't… read more

(Excellent )

13 Jan 2023

Left by Workawayer (Pia) for host

Rob & Nikki where such great hosts!

I stayed at the farm for almost two month and had a very good and peaceful time.

Rob and Nikki showed me around the island and took me to a lot of nice beaches.
They introduced me to their community and let me help them with food servings or events.

The sanctuary is a very healing place. There are so many… read more

(Excellent )

16 Dec 2022

Left by host for Workawayer (Pia)

Pia was an awesome Workaway! Always smiling and happy to help, very self-motivated and respectful. Several projects were very intensive, but Pia handled them very well. There was one project that had her up to her arms in mud, and it brought back happy memories from her childhood. She's also a wonderful cook and worked well with the other… read more

(Excellent )

27 Nov 2022

Left by host for Workawayer (Lisa Petra & Patrick )

Lisa and Patrick were wonderful guests. They learned how to feed the multitude of animals quickly and correctly. They were happy to help out with all of the farm projects, like building fences, brush whacking, and planting trees. Their cooking skills are excellent, and we enjoyed many a meal with them. They have a great sense of humor. The most… read more

(Excellent )

21 Nov 2022

Left by Workawayer (Lisa Petra & Patrick ) for host

We as couple had 4 weeks full of interesting and lovely work.

To the host: Robert is a very kind and helpful host. He was always trying to complete our wishes regarding buying volunteers food and improving the community area. He had always a ear for us. We loved his humor and the way he communicated with us. We had a lot of thankful dinners… read more

(Excellent )

4 Nov 2022

Left by host for Workawayer (McKenna)

We loved having McKenna stay with us at the sanctuary. She put in a lot of hard work, installing a fence for a new cow pasture, weeding/trimming plants, feeding the animals, all with varying needs.

She showed great leadership on projects. When her team wasn't making much progress on one, she suggested to them to work on another project.

McKenna… read more

(Excellent )

30 Oct 2022

Left by Workawayer (McKenna) for host

Nikki and Robert were great hosts! They're both very sweet people who have big hearts. I learned a lot not only about animals while at the sanctuary, but also about the constellations and stars, work projects, and so many other things.

It was truly great being able to cuddle and love on the animals whenever I wanted.
The main job at the farm is… read more

(Excellent )

25 Oct 2022

Left by host for Workawayer (Diamond )

Diamond was a wonderful worker. She communicated well and was eager to help out around the sanctuary. Very positive vibes!

(Excellent )

28 Sep 2022

Left by Workawayer (Taylor & Anthony) for host

Nicki and Robert were very pleasant hosts! Robert was around the majority of the time while Nicki would stop by with a great vegan lunch every once in a while! We felt very accommodated for and appreciated for our work! The 80+ ‘sweeties’ as you’ll learn to call them, are so fun to be around and are the highlight of the stay. We will greatly miss… read more

(Excellent )

23 Sep 2022

Left by host for Workawayer (Taylor & Anthony)

Taylor and Anthony were amazing volunteers at our sanctuary. They are very hard working and polite, and offered to help me unpack the car from shopping trips. They remembered the nuances of how to open and re-secure each of the animal pen gates without me needing to teach them, which indicates their attention to detail. They handled the small and… read more

(Excellent )

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NonProfit Plant and Animal Sanctuary seeking lively, responsible and earth-reverent people in Hawaii, USA

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Details

Description

Types of help and learning opportunities

UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

Help

Languages spoken

Accommodation

What else ...

A little more information

Can host digital nomads

How many Workawayers can stay?

Hours expected

Feedback (12)

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