Field based training courses
Register for face-to-face and online practical courses suitable for anyone that wants to work or volunteer in conservation.

These courses are suitable for volunteers, funding recipients, territorial authority and regional council staff, or members of community groups and trusts. You can also complete one of DOC's free online courses.

To attend any of these courses you need to enrol with the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT). The courses are delivered and administered by NMIT in partnership with DOC.

Conservation field skills training programmes and short courses from NMIT.


This course looks at methods that monitor forest structure and composition over time.

This course covers pesticide control methods commonly used in DOC to animal ethics standards. It will also train you in the safe handling of hazardous substances for conservation purposes.

This course will give you the confidence to look after a patient for a longer period of time (2-12 hours).

The five-minute bird count technique monitors the abundance of forest birds over time.

This course looks at the impacts of possums on forest health, using indicator species.

This course introduces the native and exotic plants found in New Zealand and teaches you how to identify them.

This principles and best practice course provides an overview of weeds, their impact, and the control, inventory and monitoring methods DOC uses.

Delivered in partnership with DOC, this course provides the knowledge and skills to manage effective pest control programmes.