3. Wildlife Volunteer

2012 Program

Activities of a Wildlife Volunteer
This role involves working with a Wildlife Keeper on their daily rounds, assisting with the care of animals in the Sanctuary collection and within the Presentations Department (which manages the daily shows that educate the public about wildlife and their conservation). The rounds that volunteers can work on include Mammal rounds, Bird rounds, Reptile rounds, Presentations round, Koala photos and maintenance crew. The range of mammals, birds and reptiles is extensive, and includes a huge variety of Australian native fauna such as wombats, koalas, dingoes, kangaroos, tree kangaroos, wallabies, Tasmanian devils, quolls, possums, water birds, raptors, parrots, parrots, emus, cassowaries, snakes, lizards, crocodiles, frogs and even stick insects!

The core daily tasks of the Wildlife Volunteers involve: undertaking food preparation, washing dishes, participating in feeding the animals, cleaning and assisting with refurbishing animal enclosures and assisting the keepers with other duties. Raking and sweeping is a big part of this role, so be prepared.

You must be able to meet the following criteria:

You must be aged over 18 to participate, and ideally, we are seeking people who are able to offer a six to twelve month commitment to the program.
You must be able to show a basic level of knowledge with regard to common Australian animals, birds and reptiles.
No allergies to mammals, birds or dust.
Able to perform bending, lifting weights up to 10 kg and other moderate physical activities.
Be willing to wear the Volunteer uniform and comply with program standards.
Have a strong commitment to punctuality and reliability.
You must have access to email and the internet, as this is our mode of communicating with our Volunteers.
Courteous and friendly people with a good sense of initiative and willingness to get your hands dirty are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Application process

We have partnered with the not for profit service VOLUNTEERING GOLD COAST INC. to assist us with the recruitment of our Wildlife Volunteers. The application process is simple:

INFORMATION SESSION WITH VOLUNTEERING GOLD COAST. Please call VGC on 07 5526 2811 and advise that you are interested in applying for a position at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary with the WILDLIFE VOLUNTEERS. They will make an appointment for an information session to come to one of their Gold Coast offices, and discuss your interest and suitability for the role. These offices are located at Biggera Waters, Southport, Nerang, Palm Beach, Elanora, Varsity Lakes and Bond University. The VGC Information Officer will advise what rounds currently have vacancies available. We use the services of VGC as they can assist with many other volunteering options if the role at Currumbin Sanctuary is not a good match for you.
INTERVIEW & TRIAL SHIFT AT CURRUMBIN SANCTUARY. If you are a good match for the role, and if there is a vacancy on a round of your choice, you will be then be contacted by a member of the friendly Currumbin Sanctuary Volunteer Recruitment team. They will ask you to come down to the Sanctuary for an interview where you will be given more information about the requirements of the role. Arrangements will also be made for you to attend a full day trial shift with a Keeper, so you can find out about the role first hand and we can assess your suitability before you commit to the Volunteer program.

We ask for a voluntary contribution* of $50 to cover the cost of supplying you with a uniform shirt, hat and name badge which are yours to keep. You will need to provide your own suitable footwear and trousers/ shorts.

* Voluntary contributions to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary are fully tax deductable.

Note that places within the Wildlife Volunteer program are limited and no guarantee of acceptance will be given. Thank you for understanding that in order to protect both our animals and Sanctuary operations, only people who meet the selection criteria & program requirements can be accepted into the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Volunteer programs