Adult Volunteers

Applications open August 1, 2023

Interpreters talk with guests of all ages about animals and conservation actions. They lead activities and conduct presentations with specific themes.

Department: Conservation Engagement

Staff Liaisons: Amy Hale, Education Program Specialist and Philina Richardson, Volunteer Engagement Assistant

Summary

Guest experience interpreters serve as informal educators. Interpreters interact with guests of all ages, telling the stories of animals, explaining conservation actions, and increasing guests’ general knowledge of nature. Interpreters also lead activities and conduct presentations with specific themes.
*Note: Interpreters do not handle or care for animals.

Responsibilities

• Provide excellent customer service to visitors
• Educate the public on animals, conservation, and the environment
• Present activities and biofacts, provide information, and facilitate visitors’ exploration
• Answer or direct general zoo questions to appropriate resources (i.e. Front Gate, Membership, comment cards, Gift Shop)

Qualifications

• Minimum of 18 years of age
• Able and willing to interact with the public in a positive manner
• Ability to take verbal and written direction well
• Ability to work independently
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Willingness to work various shift times based on interpretive needs.

Time Commitment

• Minimum of two shifts per month and 96 hours per year
• Commitment of at least 1 year.

Applications open August 1, 2023

Volunteers support the horticulture staff in maintaining the landscaped beds on Zoo grounds.

Department: Operations-Horticulture

Staff Liaison: Bryon Jones, Lead Horticulturist

Responsibilities

(under the direction of our horticulture staff)

• Assist in maintaining the Zoo’s landscaped beds, including pruning, trimming, weeding, mulching, and planting.
• Assist with other operations or horticulture duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Minimum of 18 years of age
• Professional or advanced gardening experience
• Knowledge of gardening techniques and plant identification
• Ability to perform work in all weather conditions
• Ability to lift heavy items, and stand or sit for long periods of time
• Ability to take verbal and written direction well
• Ability to work independently, with a great work ethic
• Ability and willingness to interact with the public in a positive manner

Training

• Zoo Meet & Greet: Feb. 15 or Feb. 19, 2023
• Zoo Orientation: March 8 or March 12, 2023

Application Process

• Approval of application and background check
• Interview with horticulture staff
• $40 administrative fee. (Financial assistance is available. Contact volunteer@pdza.org to apply.)

Time Commitment

• One 3‐hour shift each week (7 am–10 am)

Applications open January 3, 2024

Beach walk naturalists educate the public about animals and share how to care for Owen Beach in Point Defiance Park.

Department: Conservation Engagement

Summary 

During scheduled public beach walks, naturalists will help participants connect to the awe-inspiring life found at the beach. Naturalists will aid participants in beach stewardship actions, animal identification, and community science action using the iNaturalist mobile app to record the presence of marine animals.

*Note: Beach naturalists will not be working on Zoo grounds.

Responsibilities

• Provide excellent customer service to participants
• Educate groups about marine animals, beach stewardship, and community science
• Provide marine animal information and facilitate the participants’ exploration of the beach
• Facilitate the recording of the presence and location of animals along Owen Beach using the iNaturalist mobile app

Qualifications

• Minimum of 16 years of age or an active participant in the Zoo Guide youth volunteer program
• Ability and willingness to interact with the public in a positive manner
• Ability to take verbal and written direction well
• Strong verbal communication skills
• Ability to engage adults and children in an outdoor setting, keeping them safe while meeting the program’s goals of beach stewardship and citizen science
• Ability to walk 1.5 miles on rocky terrain at Owen Beach

Training

• 2 hours of asynchronous online training
• Zoo Orientation: March 8 or March 12, 2023
• Beach Walk Training: May 8, May 19 or June 3

Application Process

• Acceptance as a Zoo volunteer
• $40 application fee (Financial assistance is available. Contact volunteer@pdza.org to apply.)

Time Commitment

• Completion of required trainings.
• Attendance at all beach walks is preferred. Attendance at a minimum of 4 beach walks is required.
• Dates are below. Times are still being finalized:
  • May 20, Titlow Beach
  • June 4, Titlow Beach
  • June 17, Owen Beach
  • July 3, Owen Beach
  • July 5, Titlow Beach
  • July 31, Owen Beach
  • Aug. 1, Titlow Beach
  • Aug. 30, Owen Beach

Applications open January 3, 2024

Help monitor local nest box sites for purple martins on Ruston Way or at Titlow Park. Join us for a fun and informative training workshop! Learn how important these beautiful birds are to our ecosystem and how you can help monitor their populations.

Department: Conservation Engagement

Responsibilities:

• Ability to observe Purple Martins for 2 hours. This occurs 2 hours after sunrise or 2 hours before sunset.
• Observe birds for their presence, breeding behaviors, or chick sightings.
• Complete datasheet form correctly, recording the presence of birds, breeding and mating behaviors, and chick sightings.
• Send in completed datasheets from observation days (mail, email, or in-person).

Qualifications

• Minimum of 18 years of age or an active participant in the Zoo Guide Youth Volunteer Program
• Ability to take verbal and written direction well
• Gear: Binoculars are required to participate. Spotting scopes and field guides are ideal if you have them. We do have binoculars, scopes and guides to loan; however, it may be inconvenient to pick them up and drop them off for each monitoring session.

 Training

• Zoo Meet & Greet: Feb. 15 or Feb. 19, 2023
• Zoo Orientation: March 8 or March 12, 2023
• Training Dates: To be announced soon

Application Process

• Acceptance as a Zoo volunteer
• $40 administrative fee (Financial assistance is available. Contact volunteer@pdza.org to apply.)

Time Commitment

• Minimum of 2 observations per month
• Each field session takes 2 hours (the 2 hours after sunrise or the 2 hours before sunset) from mid-April through September.

Applications are currently closed

Volunteers assist with husbandry of the major aquarium exhibits by diving under the direction of the dive safety officers.

Area: Aquariums

Supervisor(s): Gavin Wuttken, Dive Safety Officer; Heidi Wilken, Asst. Dive Safety Officer

Responsibilities:

(under the direction of aquarium staff and dive safety officers)

• Remove and document invasive species accumulating on exhibit viewing windows and coral heads
• Lessen exhibit bio‐load through the use of sand filtration equipment and exchange of artificial coral
• Use full-face dive mask with communication system to talk to guests about the animals

Qualifications

• Minimum of 18 years of age
• Must be certified by a nationally recognized scuba organization to the level of rescue diver
• Must have a minimum of 12 dives in Washington or similar cold water environment
• Supply all dive gear and cost of dive physical
• Maintain current CPR and Oxygen Administration Certification
• Abide by all standards of the PDZA dive manual, including logging all PDZA dives and volunteer hours
• Able and willing to talk with guests in a positive manner
• Ability to take verbal and written direction well

Training

• Complete all required dive applications and tests
• Complete Zoo orientation training
• Complete on‐the‐job training for aquarium diving

Application Process

• Complete dive application found HERE
• Submit dive application and online application through My Impact

Time Commitment

• One dive shift (about 2‐3 hours) every other week OR every week depending on dive schedule
• Minimum of 60 hours per year
• Commitment of at least 1 year to the program.

Applications are currently closed

Volunteers provide routine husbandry duties to Zoo’s aquatic species and support aquarium operations as directed by aquarium staff.

Area: South Pacific Aquarium, Pacific Seas Aquarium

Supervisor(s): Gavin Wuttken, aquarium liaison

Responsibilities

(under the direction of aquarium staff)

• Clean windows and guest areas
• Ensure clean kitchen facilities and food prep utensils
• Weigh, measure and prepare food items
• Keep accurate records
• Clean exhibit spaces
• Clean and maintain aquarium equipment
• Feed aquarium fish and invertebrates

Qualifications

• Minimum of 18 years of age
• Aquarium husbandry and maintenance experience preferred
• Ability and willingness to talk with the public in a positive manner
• Ability to take verbal and written direction well
• Ability to work independently
• Strong communication skills
• A great work ethic

Training

• Complete zoo orientation
• Complete on‐the‐job training from aquarium staff

Application Process

• Acceptance as a Zoo volunteer
• Submit letter of interest to volunteer office
• Interview with aquarium staff

Time Commitment

• One 4‐hour shift each week and a minimum of 176 hours per year
• Commitment of at least 1 year

Applications open August 1, 2023

Volunteers support the set-up/take down of light strands and other display pieces for the annual Zoolights event.

Supervisor(s): Justin Pfeiffer – Zoolights Lead

Responsibilities

(under the direction of operations staff)

• Assist in the set-up/ removal of light strands and display pieces on grounds
• Transport light strands and other Zoolights equipment to main Zoo grounds for installation and to the storage facility for storage preparation
• Folding and packing of light strands for annual storage

Qualifications

• Minimum of 18 years of age
• Ability to perform work in all weather conditions
• Ability to lift heavy items, and stand or sit for long periods of time.
• Ability to take verbal and written direction well
• Ability to work independently with a great work ethic
• Ability and willingness to interact with the public in a positive manner

Training

• Zoo orientation: to be determined
• Complete on-the-job training by staff

Application Process

• Acceptance of volunteer application and background check

Time Commitment

• One 3-hour shift each week (7am – 10am) on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday
• Position is available October through February

Applications open August 1, 2023

Visitor Services Assistants welcome Zoo guests by providing directional assistance, assistance with entering and exiting the Zoo, and answering questions about the Zoo. Visitor Services Assistants talk with guests of all ages and assist during school field trip season, at Zoo events, on days with high attendance, and upon request.

Supervisor(s): Justin Curti, Visitor Services Supervisor

Responsibilities

• Greet and assist guests with entering Zoo grounds through the ticket turnstiles
• Monitor exit gates and direct strollers, wagons, and wheelchairs to adjacent exits
• Provide information about zoo schedules, amenities, and daily guest experiences
• Provide excellent customer service to guests
• Answer or direct general zoo questions to appropriate resources (i.e. Front Gate, Membership, comment cards, Gift Shop)

Qualifications

• Minimum of 18 years of age
• Ability and willingness to interact with individuals from a wide variety of age groups and ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds
• Ability to take verbal and written direction well
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to stand or walk for two hours or more
• Ability to work outdoors in all seasons and weather conditions
• Strong customer service and communication skills
• Willingness to work various shift times based on anticipated attendance needs

Training

• Zoo Meet & Greet: Feb. 15 or Feb. 19, 2023
• Zoo Orientation: March 8 or March 12, 2023

Application Process

• Acceptance as a Zoo volunteer
• $40 administrative fee (Financial assistance is available. Contact volunteer@pdza.org to apply.)

Time Commitment

• Minimum one 2-hour shift per week
• Shift times: 9:15 am–11:30 am, 11:15 am–2:00 pm or 2:00 pm–4:00 pm
• Position time frame all year

Applications open August 1, 2023

Assist and support the Wildlife Champions program staff in teaching outdoor lessons that instill empathy for wildlife and stewardship for nature with Tacoma public school students (Arlington Elementary/Lister Elementary) through visits to neighboring natural areas (Oak Tree Park/Swan Creek Park).

Supervisor(s): Liz Hines

Responsibilities

(under the direction of Wildlife Champions Instructors)

• Pre-reading lesson plans before the day of teaching. Lesson plans will be emailed to you once you have been approved to assist.
• Assist in prepping materials and helping students put on their Wildlife Champions all-weather coats.
• Help to safely walk students to and from their classroom, across a busy street, and into Oak Tree Park and Swan Creek Park (0.2 miles; 15 minutes).
• Help the primary instructors in leading classes (K-5th) in student management/supervision and in various activities from the pre-read lesson plans. Approximately 28 students for 50 minutes.
• Assisting in the cleaning of materials used in the lesson.
• Shift times will be arranged based on the class schedule, which will include time to discuss the lessons of the day with a Wildlife Champions instructor.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 18 years of age
• Ability to take verbal and written direction well
• Ability to work with children in kindergarten through fifth grade

Training

• Zoo Meet & Greet: Feb. 15 or Feb. 19, 2023
• Zoo Orientation: March 8 or March 12, 2023
• Training Dates:  To be announced soon.

Application Process 

• Acceptance as a Zoo volunteer
• $40 administrative fee (Financial assistance is available. Contact volunteer@pdza.org to apply.)

Time Commitment

• Minimum of 2 days per park week (approximate time 9:30 am-3:30 pm)
• Shifts are 1.5-2 hours long, with the potential to extend to all day.
• Park weeks:
  • Feb. 20-24: Lister Elementary
  • March 20-24: Lister Elementary
  • March 27-31: Arlington Elementary
  • April 24-28: Arlington Elementary
  • May 1-5: Lister Elementary
  • May 22-25: Lister Elementary
  • May 30-31: Lister Elementary
  • June 6-9: Arlington Elementary
  • June 12-16: Lister Elementary
    
    Arlington Elementary School
    7202 South Pine Street, Tacoma, WA 98409

Oak Tree Park
7633 South Montgomery Street, Tacoma, WA (Intersection of S. Cedar and S. 74th Streets)

Lister Elementary School 
2106 East 44th Street, Tacoma, WA 98404

Swan Creek Park
3997 East Roosevelt Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98404