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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:
- 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:
- 7:30am to 11:30am - Monday or Saturday
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 mwalker@desertmuseum.org.
