Recurring Volunteer Opportunities - NEW Zoo & Adventure Park

If you’re looking to get involved on a regular basis, this is the perfect opportunity! Scheduling is flexible and opportunities are varied. We’ve got something for everyone!

One teen volunteer gives high-five to volunteer dressed as penguin

Smiling mother and daughter stand behind table with candy

Adult Volunteer Program

Individuals aged 18 and above can get involved in a wide variety of volunteer activities at the Zoo, from assisting with special events and educational programs, connecting with guests at the Giraffe and Children’s Zoo Feeding Experiences, preparing food, observing animals, operating the train or carousel, and much more. Volunteering is flexible and the opportunities available will depend on the season and the weather, but possibilities are nearly endless.

Example Roles & Tasks

Help with special events, such as Zoo Boo, World Giraffe Day, Holiday Fest, and others
Help with educational programs like Zoo Camps and Wild Encounters
Supervise Discovery Stations, chat with guests and answer questions about zoo animals
Assist with routine maintenance projects around the zoo such as yard work, gardening, cleaning, sweeping guest pathways, and more
Office work such as clerical tasks & data entry
Prepare food for the Giraffe Feeding Experience
Animal observations
Operate the Train and/or Carousel
Supervise the Giraffe Feeding Experience and/or Children’s Zoo Feeding Experience
Learn to handle ambassador animals and teach guests about them
Construction projects, such as building nest boxes or benches and shelves, etc.
Photography and Graphic Design
and more!

Requirements

Interested individuals must complete a volunteer application and pass a background check, complete a brief online training course, then come to the Zoo in person for a tour and orientation. Regular volunteers are required to purchase a minimum of one volunteer uniform t-shirt per volunteer. Shirt fees may vary with size and start at $10 plus tax.

Volunteers should be able to communicate with the Volunteer Coordinator via email. Due to the large number of volunteers that pass in and out of our system, we are not able to keep volunteers without access to email updated on the NEW Zoo’s volunteer needs, opportunities, and policies.

Jump to the application

Teen Volunteer Program

Teens aged 15 to 17 can volunteer without chaperones on-site in pre-approved situations. Teens must demonstrate their competence and have a legal guardian attend in-person orientation with them to sign paperwork and ensure both the guardian and teen understand the responsibilities of their role(s). After training, these teens can become involved in a variety of areas throughout the zoo, both behind-the-scenes and/or interacting with zoo guests. We encourage teens to consider transitioning into an internship role, once they are 18 years of age and have graduated high school.

Example Roles & Tasks

Help with special events, such as Zoo Boo, World Giraffe Day, Holiday Fest, and others
Help with educational programs like Zoo Camps and Wild Encounters
Supervise Discovery Stations, chat with guests and answer questions about zoo animals
Prepare food for the Giraffe Feeding Experience
Animal observations
Supervise the Children’s Zoo Feeding Experience
and more!

Requirements

Individuals must be at least 15 years of age to join the Teen Volunteer Program and have an adult chaperone that is willing to attend the in-person orientation with the teen in order to complete the required paperwork and become familiar with the program. Interested individuals must complete a volunteer application and pass a background check, complete a brief online training course, then come to the Zoo in person for a tour and orientation. Teen volunteers are required to purchase a minimum of one volunteer uniform t-shirt per volunteer. Shirt fees may vary with size and start at $10 plus tax.

Jump to the application

Family Volunteer Program

The NEW Zoo is a great place to get the whole family involved! Children as young as 8 years old can join parents, grandparents, older siblings, cousins, or other guardians aged 16 and above to help make a difference around the Zoo. Our kid-adult pairs and small groups can assist with a wide variety of special events and projects, and we also have opportunities for individuals interested in taking on more responsibilities, such as supervising our Giraffe and/or Children’s Zoo Feeding Experiences.

Example Roles & Tasks

Help with special events, such as Zoo Boo, World Giraffe Day, Holiday Fest, and others
Help with educational programs like Zoo Camps and Wild Encounters
Supervise Discovery Stations, chat with guests and answer questions about zoo animals
Assist with routine maintenance projects around the zoo such as yard work, gardening, cleaning, sweeping guest pathways, and more
Prepare food for the Giraffe Feeding Experience
Animal observations
Supervise the Giraffe Feeding Experience and/or Children’s Zoo Feeding Experience
Learn to handle ambassador animals and teach guests about them
- Children under 18 cannot handle ambassador animals, but they CAN teach guests about the animals while their chaperone does the animal handling
and more!

Requirements

Children aged 8 and above can volunteer with chaperone supervision, in pairs or other small groups. Chaperones must be aged 16 or older and do not have to be a parent. Older siblings, grandparents, cousins, and even adult guardians such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters and more are encouraged to join us! We are unable to accommodate volunteers younger than 8 years old. Interested individuals must complete a volunteer application – please complete one application per individual (including for children). Chaperones must pass a background check, and everyone must complete a brief online training course, then come to the Zoo in person for a tour and orientation. Family volunteers are required to purchase a minimum of one volunteer uniform t-shirt per volunteer. Shirt fees may vary with size and start at $10 plus tax.

Jump to the application

All Volunteer Requirements

Children aged 8 to 14 can volunteer with chaperone supervision. Chaperones must be aged 16 or older. We are unable to accommodate volunteers younger than 8 years old
All children volunteers must have paperwork signed by a legal guardian. All chaperones must become members of the Regular Volunteer Program and also have all paperwork completed and on file
Teens aged 15 to 17 can volunteer without chaperones on-site in pre-approved situations. Teens must demonstrate their competence and have a legal guardian attend in-person orientation with them to sign paperwork and ensure both the guardian and teen understand the responsibilities of their role(s)
Regular volunteers are required to purchase a minimum of one volunteer uniform t-shirt per volunteer. Shirt fees may vary with size and start at $10 plus tax
Volunteers should be able to communicate with the Volunteer Coordinator via email. Due to the large number of volunteers that pass in and out of our system, we are not able to keep volunteers without access to email updated on the NEW Zoo’s volunteer needs, opportunities, and policies
Scheduling is flexible

Apply Today

As part of our process, all individuals are required to complete an online application, a background check, watch training videos, and attend an orientation. Complete the online application or contact us for a PDF version you can print and submit through US mail.

Apply Online

After your application is received and reviewed, you will be contacted via email and provided with additional information about completing your training and scheduling an in-person Orientation and Tour.

A background check will be completed on volunteer applicants. Applicants with a history of violent or other reckless offenses, or crimes against animals or children, may not be able to participate in the regular volunteer program. All cases are reviewed on an individual basis; additional information may be requested from an applicant before a decision is made.

Please note: we strive to process applications once per week, but occasionally, it may take up to two weeks for an application to be processed. If you do not receive an email response from us within two weeks of submitting your application, contact the Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@newzoo.org. Volunteer Applications submitted during September and October generally will take longer than the average processing time, due to our Zoo Boo event and the time dedicated to preparing for the event. You can volunteer for Zoo Boo event before becoming a regular volunteer; just send a quick message to our volunteer coordinator with the subject title: Interested in Zoo Boo Volunteering. Thank you for your understanding.