Volunteer FAQ

There is no alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or consumption of animal products at the sanctuary. This policy is strictly enforced. What you do outside of the sanctuary is your business, but please do not arrive inebriated, intoxicated, or otherwise disruptive.

Visitors have told us that our sanctuary has a special feel to it. There is a calm on the land and with the animals that they find remarkable. Please contribute to this calm environment through kind actions and words.

We want our sanctuary to be an opportunity for you to learn and explore ways of treating the land, and the plants, animals and people that call it home. If you would like to experiment with growing food or caring for animals, please clear your plans with the onsite manager. Thank you for being considerate.

In exchange for room and board, we ask that you help with the running of the sanctuary for about five hours per day for five days a week. We feed the pasture animals 1-3 times per day, which takes about 30-60 minutes to complete. There are various projects (e.g., plant, animal, art, construction, mechanic) from which you can choose. Higher-priority tasks may require you to help in a team environment. You are also welcome to cuddle with any of the animals that you are drawn to.

FPG Plant & Animal Sanctuary provides basic vegan ingredients, like rice, beans, oats, fruit, and vegetables. If there are additional vegan items you would like to have at the sanctuary, you can purchase them in town. (What you do off-property is your own business.) We have private boxes for you to store items that you wish not to share with other team members. Meals are often prepared and eaten by all of the team. Consumption of animal products (meat, dairy, eggs, etc.) at the sanctuary is prohibited and strictly enforced.

The sanctuary stays around 70 to 85° Fahrenheit (20 to 30° Celsius), with nighttime temperatures that can dip into 60s (15) in the summer and 40s (5-10) in the winter. Comfortable clothing for these temperatures would be appropriate. Being in a tropical rainforest, we often get a lot of rain. We recommend going to a farm supply store and getting a sturdy rain jacket (not a windbreaker) and rubber boots. Rugged footwear, like Crocs, Teva, and Keens will help keep your feet protected from the gravel paths while allowing your feet to breathe on pleasant days.

If you plan on swimming during your stay, a bathing suit and flip flops or aqua socks are good to pack. Some people bring swimming goggles or snorkel gear. We have a boogie board and surf board for those who know how to use them safely in the water.

Please make sure that if you bring sun block from the mainland that it is marked as REEF SAFE. State law prohibits sun screen that contains avobenzone or octocrylene.

Headphones or earbuds are good items to bring, so you can enjoy music or videos without disturbing your team members.

Headlamps are also useful, especially those with the red light option. It would be useful if you traverse the property at night, or go stargazing.

We provide bedding, towels, and environmentally friendly soaps for hand washing, dishwashing, and laundry. You can save space in your luggage by leaving these items at home.

FPG Plant & Animal Sanctuary is located in Mountain View, Hawai'i. It is on the Hilo side of the Big Island. Most people choose to fly into Hilo Airport. For more information on travel to the island and around the island, check out our Transportation and Travel page.

Many of the work-traders enjoy hiking and touring the island in their free time. Check out our Activities page for fun activities.

We'd like to thank you for staying with us at the sanctuary. To help the place run safely and effectively, we ask that you contribute your time to various projects. You can see a list of typical activities performed at the sanctuary. Contributing five hours per day, five days per week for a minimum one-month commitment will help keep the place running at its best. You will have the rest of the time to explore the island and make a Hawai'i vacation out of it. If you are looking to have dedicated Hawai'i vacation time, please allocate this block prior to or following your minimum four-week commitment with us.

We aim to have two to four team members at the sanctuary at all times. This number will fluctuate as your fellow team members arrive and leave their commitment with us. Having this many team members together allows for ample coverage for taking proper care of the plants, animals, and property, while allowing some flexibility for time off.

People who are allergic to hay, grass, dogs, or cats have had issues at the sanctuary. If your allergies are minor, allergy medication may ease some of your symptoms. If your allergies are moderate or severe, we recommend that you do not stay with us.

Common phone networks in Hawai'i are Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. All have good service at the sanctuary and around much of the island. If you have an unlocked cellphone, meaning you can switch carriers, you can stop off at Walmart or Target and get a prepaid SIM card. Replacing your current SIM card with this one will give you a US phone number to use while you are here. Keep your original SIM card!

People will not be able to call you on your old phone number until you turn off the phone and swap out the US SIM card with your original card. Most of our international travelers use WhatsApp, so you will still be able to contact your existing family and friends and provide them with the temporary US phone number for your stay.

If you don't have an unlocked phone, you can get a "burner phone" with limited call minutes and text messages for your stay. Walmart and Target has these phones as well, but purchasing another phone does further impact our environmental footprint. Another choice would be to use the Wi-Fi at the sanctuary and at various Wi-Fi hotspots around the island.