The Backcountry Trust is recruiting volunteers, and information sessions will be offered throughout the North Island in July and August.

Backcountry Trust volunteers maintain huts and build tracks on DOC land.

The sessions are a first for the trust and will be fronted by Megan Dimozantos, Backcountry Trust’s North Island project manager.

“They will provide an open forum for people interested in volunteering with the trust to gather all the information they need, see what questions other people have and potentially meet other people to do projects with,” said Dimozantos.

An estimated 12,000 volunteer hours went into completing about 60 projects in the past year, including general building and maintenance, painting, roof replacements and track cutting.

Dimozantos said the projects were a chance for volunteers to give back to the huts, tracks and backcountry community that had brought them so much joy over the years.

“I think seeing work getting done in the backcountry is quite exciting – it tends to create its own momentum.”

People who did a lot of DIY, had their own tools or were good with a paintbrush were ideal volunteers, as were qualified tradespeople, Dimozantos said.

Sessions will be held in August in Masterton, Palmerston North, Whanganui, New Plymouth and Wellington.

For details and to register, head to the trust’s Facebook page.