Open Daily 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
520.791.3204OPEN DAILY 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Thank you for your interest in becoming a volunteer at Reid Park Zoo. Click on the bars below to explore currently available volunteer opportunities.
Please note: Reid Park Zoo does not offer shadowing opportunities, and volunteers and interns are not scheduled with the veterinarians or in the health center.
Docents are volunteer educators. They work on Zoo grounds with visitors of all ages, helping them to connect with wildlife and to learn about the Zoo. Docents must be 18 years of age or older and must attend an 8-week training course, offered once per year. Docents do not work with zoo keepers, exhibit animals, or behind the scenes.
Please call Carrie at 520-837-8083, or email carrie.dean@tucsonaz.gov, with questions about the docent program.
The application period for the 2017 class is closed. Applications for the 2018 class will be available the first week of January 2018.
Teen volunteers are volunteer educators. They work on Zoo grounds, helping to inspire visitors of all ages about the Zoo’s animals, and about protecting wildlife. Teen volunteers may be 13-17 years old and must attend an intensive training course, offered once per year at the end of May. Teen volunteers must be willing to commit to volunteering for at least 6 hours per month, for at least one year after training is completed. Teen volunteers do not work with Zoo Keepers or behind the scenes.
The application period for the 2017-2018 Teen Volunteer class is closed.
Applications for 2018-2019 will be available in February 2018.
Zoo Keeper College Intern
This position is for currently enrolled students, in good standing, at an accredited college or university only. College Interns work behind-the-scenes with a zoo keeper for one semester and can earn up to 3 credit units from their college. Juniors and seniors from an accredited college or university will be given priority over other applicants. The spring and fall internships consist of two workdays a week from 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Summer internships are from 6:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m. and require three workdays a week due to the shorter semester. Interns work on set days which may include weekend days. Interns do NOT work with primates or elephants.
The application period for the Fall 2017 semester is closed. Applications are currently being accepted for the Spring and Summer 2018 semesters. Applications are due by September 30, 2017 to be considered for the Spring and Summer 2018 semesters.
Education & Program Evaluation College Intern
Reid Park Zoo’s Education & Program Evaluation Intern position provides an opportunity to learn and experience working in informal education at a zoo. Interns will develop unique projects based on their interests and the needs of the zoo. Projects will be overseen by a staff member with strong mentoring the first half of the internship and more independent work the second half. A paper describing the project’s goals, methods, evaluation technique, and discussion will be due at the end of the session. Projects might include evaluating guest interaction with zoo educational features, assisting to maintain features (carts, signage, etc), monitoring guest engagement throughout the zoo, assisting education staff with on-grounds informal programs, assisting zookeepers with presentations and evaluations of animal presentation to name a few.
Applications are currently being accepted for the Fall 2017 semester. Applications are due by August 11, 2017 to be considered for the Fall 2017 semester.
Please call Carrie at 520-837-8083, or email carrie.dean@tucsonaz.gov, with questions about the College Intern program.
Volunteer Today!
The Elephant Care Center Volunteer position at Reid Park Zoo provides an opportunity for individuals to shadow and work side-by-side with an elephant keeper. Volunteering in the elephant care facility gives volunteers the opportunity to learn how zoos care for and enrich elephants. While helping, volunteers will learn about elephant natural history, anatomy, social hierarchies, positive reinforcement training, and about our individual animals. While cleaning and physical labor are the main functions of this volunteer position, volunteers will participate in many aspects of elephant care.
Volunteers can expect to do some or all of the following:
Volunteers will NOT work directly with the elephants. From a safe distance (no exceptions), volunteers will have the opportunity to observe keepers working with elephants.
Hours
Volunteers will track their hours. The work schedule is from 6:30am until 11:30am during summer months (June-September) and 7:30am until 12:30pm in the non-summer months (October-May). Ideally, volunteers will work 2 mornings a week, with a minimum of 1 day a week. The Zoo is a 7 day a week operation and therefore volunteers can work weekdays and/or weekends. The commitment is for a minimum of 6 months.
Qualifications
The Elephant Volunteer position is a physically and mentally demanding job. Applicants must be able to do the following to be considered for the position:
Please call Carrie at 520-837-8083, or email carrie.dean@tucsonaz.gov, with questions about this position. We are not accepting applications at this time.
RPZS holds several events throughout the year including Summer Safari, I Do at the Zoo, ZOOcson, Woo at the Zoo, Mother’s Day, etc. In addition, we also host weddings, corporate parties and meetings. We need assistance in the following areas:
Information Booth Volunteers work in the information booth in the front plaza of the Zoo, selling coloring posters and answering guests’ questions. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older, and if accepted into the program, volunteers must attend a four-hour training course, and commit to volunteer two, four-hour sessions or one, eight-hour session per week. Information Booth Volunteers do not work with any Zoo animals.
If you have questions about this position, please contact Carrie at 520-837-8083 or carrie.dean@tucsonaz.gov.
