Who works or volunteers at a zoo or aquarium?
- Thread starter Tig
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Zooplantman
Well-Known Member
Well, I used to.... over about a thirteen year period...
Your guessing game is kind of shot by the Staten Island Zoo logo you posted with your screen name
Your guessing game is kind of shot by the Staten Island Zoo logo you posted with your screen name
I volunteer at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. I was part of the Student Summer Program in 2008, and have since continued. I go down every Sunday afternoon for a 5 hour shift. All I basically do is interpret exhibits for guest to promote the National Aquarium's Mission of "Through transforming experiences, the National Aquarium Institute inspires people to enjoy, respect, and protect the aquatic world." Occasionally, I'll help with some behind the scenes work, but it is mostly working with visitors.
FriendOfTheZoo
Well-Known Member
I used to volunteer at a Zoo. Does that count?
I'm hoping to get back to ZooKeeping again in the future.
I'm hoping to get back to ZooKeeping again in the future.
Have you considered volunteering at Halls Gap?
I have a pending application to volunteer at Melbourne Zoo - but believe it or not, it's been "pending" now for seven or eight months. Not the best way to get people into the organisation, I wouldn't have thought.
I also have a plan to volunteer at a small animal sanctuary near Melbourne, but that's been put on hold for the past few months due to other matters.
FriendOfTheZoo
Well-Known Member
I HAVE thought about that.
I am actually looking at going to the Zoo there later this week, and will ask about it while I'm there. I have to do 100hrs voluntary work at a Zoo with the course I'm doing, but it's supposed to be at a Qld one (as Qld is where the course is based). If I HAVE to do 100hrs in Qld, I was thinking either Darling Downs Zoo, or Rockhampton Zoo could be nice.
Only thing though, if I'm only Volunteering at Halls Gap, I would probably only be able to do 1 day a week, as it's over 1hr drive from Hamilton, and that will use up a bit in petrol. We're only a 1 income family atm, so don't have much money to waste right now. A different matter entirely though if I was employed there.
I used to Volunteer at Australia Zoo as a Zookeeper, and not many people actually made it into the Volunteer program. Perhaps you can try applying at Melbourne Zoo again? For all you know, your application may have been lost, binned, anything could have happened.
My user name makes it clear that I am a docent. I volunteer at Reid Park Zoo. We do small animal presentations for the public to meet and touch (skinks, small snakes, hedgehogs, etc), educational stations with artifacts at most of the major exhibits (I only do the cats, lion or jaguar and every once in a while tiger), or just patrol the grounds to answer questions and give directions (and rebuke people trying to feed the animals).
I also do a digital slide show and lecture on the first Saturday of the month. It is a program I put together with my cat photos called "Wild Cats Of The World."
The term "docent" is commonly used for volunteers here in America, not just at zoos but also botanical gardens and museums. I am curious, is it used much in other countries?
I also do a digital slide show and lecture on the first Saturday of the month. It is a program I put together with my cat photos called "Wild Cats Of The World."
The term "docent" is commonly used for volunteers here in America, not just at zoos but also botanical gardens and museums. I am curious, is it used much in other countries?
FriendOfTheZoo
Well-Known Member
I'm in Australia. I've never heard the word "docent" before. 
only in America is 'docent' used to denote a volunteer involved in teaching (although as Americanisms do tend to creep into other countries languages this will no doubt change). In other countries (mainly European) 'docent' has specific academic definitions
When I was at London Zoo last year, I thought they had docents. Any UK forumsters out there that can confirm or deny?
The word docent comes from Latin for "to teach." As mentioned above, it is specifically for volunteers that perform an educational role (as opposed to volunteers who help mainly as keeper assistants, etc, which would be called simply volunteers if a zoo has such a position).
Some zoos have both volunteers and docents, such as Project Survival Cat Haven (California). Some have only docents, such as Reid Park Zoo (Arizona), and some have docents but just call them volunteers, such as Phoenix Zoo (Arizona). San Diego Zoo just started their first docent program a year ago (surprisingly behind the times for a zoo that is a leader in so many other areas). I guess they thought "docent" would be too confusing so they came up with a term to describe exactly what that is: volunteer interpreter (at least I think I remember that is what they use).
For any U.S. volunteers who are not aware, there is a national organization called Association of Zoo & Aquarium Docents. For $15 a year you get a quarterly newsletter and a discount on the annual conference, which is hosted by a different zoo every Fall. 2010 will be Brookfield Zoo (Chicago), 2011 will be Memphis Zoo, 2012 will be Los Angeles Zoo. Here's the website: Association of Zoo and Aquarium Docents
The word docent comes from Latin for "to teach." As mentioned above, it is specifically for volunteers that perform an educational role (as opposed to volunteers who help mainly as keeper assistants, etc, which would be called simply volunteers if a zoo has such a position).
Some zoos have both volunteers and docents, such as Project Survival Cat Haven (California). Some have only docents, such as Reid Park Zoo (Arizona), and some have docents but just call them volunteers, such as Phoenix Zoo (Arizona). San Diego Zoo just started their first docent program a year ago (surprisingly behind the times for a zoo that is a leader in so many other areas). I guess they thought "docent" would be too confusing so they came up with a term to describe exactly what that is: volunteer interpreter (at least I think I remember that is what they use).
For any U.S. volunteers who are not aware, there is a national organization called Association of Zoo & Aquarium Docents. For $15 a year you get a quarterly newsletter and a discount on the annual conference, which is hosted by a different zoo every Fall. 2010 will be Brookfield Zoo (Chicago), 2011 will be Memphis Zoo, 2012 will be Los Angeles Zoo. Here's the website: Association of Zoo and Aquarium Docents
London Zoo has Education Volunteers. They aren't called docents. The first time I heard the word was on an American zoo website and I had to google it.
Education Volunteers are trained to cover a variety of different activities, all designed to enhance the visitors’ day out and provide information on animals and conservation, through fun and educational activities.
Typical activities include:
Education Volunteers are flexible and can do most, or all, of the above activities as-and when required and having had appropriate training. Applicants must be open, friendly people who enjoy meeting people and giving good service.
Education Volunteers are trained to cover a variety of different activities, all designed to enhance the visitors’ day out and provide information on animals and conservation, through fun and educational activities.
Typical activities include:
- presenting touch tables and display specimens (skins, skulls etc) for public handling
- running the craft centre, offering activities such as badge-making
- roving at animal exhibits answering visitors’ questions on the animals, giving directions
- presenting ferrets, snakes, snails and millipedes to visitors
- assisting at special events
- presenting games and activities to raise awareness and funds for the conservation of animals in the wild
- leading guided tours
Education Volunteers are flexible and can do most, or all, of the above activities as-and when required and having had appropriate training. Applicants must be open, friendly people who enjoy meeting people and giving good service.
