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Volunteer Opportunities at ASDM
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum!
Volunteer Opportunities are available in the following areas:
- Volunteer Description:
- The Interpretive Animal Collection (IAC) is dedicated to the husbandry and training of a diverse collection of birds, mammals, reptiles, and invertebrates presented through various interpretational demonstrations both on and off Museum grounds. The IAC volunteer assists the staff with projects related to the daily care of the IAC animals, including but not limited to: cleaning animal enclosures, logging observations, animal handling & feeding (including non-venomous snakes), and implementing enrichment.
Percent of time spent on various aspects of daily animal husbandry and care:
- 70% Cleaning of exhibits and enclosures (scrubbing, hosing, raking, sweeping)
- 10% Daily observations (visuals on animals and their surroundings)
- 10% Daily diet feeding/animal handling
- 10% Implementing animal enrichment
- Benefits:
- This is an opportunity to learn about the husbandry involved in a hands-on environment with captive wild animals of the Sonoran desert in an AZA accredited institution. Great for resume building and career building experience. Active status volunteers receive numerous benefits including complimentary membership and discounts for the duration of their service.
- Requirements:
- Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. Volunteers in this role must be comfortable walking, standing, bending, kneeling, and balancing while performing a variety of volunteer duties, working outdoors throughout the year, and have the ability to lift and carry up to 25lbs for short distances. Applicants must possess good general communication skills, the ability to perform volunteer duties independently as well as in group settings, and interact well with people of all ages and backgrounds. For the safety of the animals, Volunteers in this role must be able to think and react quickly in demanding situations while adhering to Animal Experiences department protocols. Applicants should have a clear understanding of the boundaries related to animal interactions. All Desert Museum Volunteers must be able to learn and retain the Desert Museum’s safety procedures and protocols, as well as position specific responsibilities and competencies. -Following the initial interviews, selected applicants will be invited back for a “working interview”. -Volunteers selected for this program will be required to complete a four-week probationary period.
- Current Openings:
- Mondays – 7:30am-12:00pm
- Volunteer Description:
- Volunteers in this role provide care and enrichment for the animals in our collection. Volunteers are not able to work with any venomous reptiles, but assist with animal husbandry, diet prep, enrichment, and special projects.
- Animal Husbandry: Assisting with the day-to-day husbandry and maintenance of our captive non-venomous reptiles, invertebrates, and amphibians.
- Diet Prep: Assisting with the preparation of meals for our animals. This includes frozen/thawed rodents and chopping greens, vegetables, and fruits.
- Enrichment: Providing enrichment for non-venomous reptiles.
- Special Projects: Open for discussion based on the interests of individuals. May include:
- Assisting with captive rearing
- Developing new enrichment ideas
- Preparing seasonal burrows and enclosures for outdoor animals
- Logging and documenting data
- Benefits:
- This is an opportunity to learn about the husbandry involved with a wide variety of ectotherms in an AZA accredited institution. Great for resume building and career building experience. Active status volunteers receive numerous benefits including complimentary membership and discounts for the duration of their service.
- Requirements:
- Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. Applicants must be comfortable around invertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians. Volunteers must have the ability to bend, kneel and balance while doing a variety of tasks; they must also be comfortable lifting up to 25 lbs. Applicants should be comfortable helping outdoors throughout the year and have the ability to follow directions. For the safety of the animals, applicants must be able to think quickly in demanding situations while adhering to HIIZ department protocol. Applicants should have a clear understanding of the boundaries related to animal interactions. The HIIZ Dept. has Volunteers every day of the week including weekends and holidays. This is an in-depth program requiring a 4 hour per week commitment between 7:30am and 11:30am. The shift has a constant day, and as an animal welfare position, we require an 85% attendance rate. We require at least an 8-month commitment to volunteer in HIIZ as it takes up to 4 months to become fully trained. With our 85% time commitment, we do ask that time off be requested as far ahead as possible to potentially find coverage. All Desert Museum Volunteers must be able to learn and retain the Desert Museum’s safety procedures and protocols, as well as position specific responsibilities and competencies.
- Current Openings:
- Mondays - 7:30am to 11:30am
If a position aligns with your interests and availability, please fill out the following form:
Volunteer Application Form
If you're having trouble accessing the online application, please print this application form (PDF) and mail it to Volunteer & Internship Programs Coordinator (Mike Walker) at: 2021 N. Kinney Road, Tucson, AZ 85743.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please don't hesitate to call the Volunteer & Internship Programs Coordinator (Mike Walker) at: 520-883-3082 or at [email protected].
