BECOME A VOLUNTEER AT THE GREATER VANCOUVER ZOO!
And learn how YOU will Benefit from being a Volunteer at the Zoo:
- wonderful way to support and participate in the conservation of living things;
- meet, share experiences and help people from all over the world;
- learn valuable new skills, expand your horizons and gain meaningful experiences;
- satisfaction in knowing that you are making an important contribution to the Zoo, its animals, visitors and to be part of the community.
** Volunteering is an excellent opportunity to enrich your life and develop you as a person, have fun, experience the satisfaction of helping others and make new friends.
Zoo Volunteer Requirements
- Be enthusiastic, energetic and interested in working with the public and with nature.
- Be at least 16 years old.
- Must complete a training session.
- Be willing to commit to a minimum of 8 volunteer hours of service per month.
Zoo Volunteer Roles
- Good-will Ambassador: meeting and greeting the public, giving directions and answering inquiries about the Zoo, its animals and educational programs.
- Assisting staff with crowd control, gardening, interpretive tours*, minor emergencies, animal food preparation* and enrichment activities [(*): requires specialized training]
- Staffing the information stations, touch tables and animal viewing decks.
- Participating in special events and projects.
- Assisting with the publication of the Wild Times Newsletter and assisting with writing of articles for Creature Features.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a volunteer at the Greater Vancouver Zoo please contact our Executive Volunteer Committee at volunteer@gvzoo.com.
The deadline to register for our 2013 volunteer orientation (on March 16th) for new volunteers is March 1st.
VOLUNTEER NEWS - WE THANK YOU!
On September 8, 2012, the Greater Vancouver Zoo treated all our volunteers to an appreciation BBQ and honoured Bernard VanSpronsen as our 2011 Volunteer of the Year. Bernard has been volunteering at the Greater Vancouver Zoo since 2010, and has proven himself as an enthusiastic and dependable team player.
He is greatly appreciated for the assistance he offers with food preparation, vivarium maintenance, and keeping the Zoo neat and tidy when garbage picking and general maintenance is required. Bernard has accumulated over 650 volunteer hours so far. In recognition for his efforts, Bernard attended the PNDVA Conference at the Oregon Zoo from September 20-22, 2012 and brought back lots of great ideas for enrichment projects and enthusiasm about volunteering at the Greater Vancouver Zoo. Congratulations Bernard!
In addition to the "Volunteer of the Year" award, we provide "Certificates of Merit" at the end of each year to recognize volunteers for their hard efforts and to say thank-you!
Bronze Certificate of Merit - Angela Wonitowy with 259 volunteer hours in 2012
Silver Certificate of Merit - Teresa Loren with 287.25 volunteer hours in 2012
Gold Certificate of Merit - Bernard VanSpronsen with 287.50 volunteer hours in 2012
Congratulations to all our recipients!
The Greater Vancouver Zoo is extremely thankful to all our dedicated volunteers who put in numerous hours and work extremely hard at meeting & greeting our guests, answering questions & assisting with education about the animals, office assistance, helping with special events, doing enrichment projects and representing the Zoo as goodwill ambassadors.
We don't know what we would do without the help and dedication from our volunteers - thank you for everything you do from everyone at the Greater Vancouver Zoo!
Volunteer Contact Information
We are always looking for energetic and friendly people to volunteer at the Greater Vancouver Zoo. Please contact our Volunteer Executive Committee at volunteer@gvzoo.com for more information.
Our next volunteer orientation will be taking place on Saturday, March 16, 2013. You must register before March 1, 2013 to be eligible to attend.