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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 position are stationed around the front patio and they support Guest Services staff by approaching museum Guests and welcoming them in a friendly manner. Volunteers in this position are also the Museum’s first impression for Guests and they are essential when it comes to creating a welcoming and informative museum experience.
- Approaching Guests (of all group sizes) and welcoming them to the Museum
- Directing Guests to the appropriate entry lines to keep things moving
- Suggesting that Guests become museum members
- Distributing maps and providing information on daily programing/upcoming events
- Assisting GS staff by retrieving wheelchairs and strollers
- Helping to answer or solve a variety of visitor questions or concerns
- Monitoring the exit gates and thanking Guests as they depart
- Collecting Lost & Found items and giving them to GS staff
- Benefits:
- This is a great opportunity to meet Guests from around the world, while sharing your passion for the Sonoran Desert region. Active Museum Volunteers enjoy benefits which include free memberships, discounts in the gift shops and restaurants, and Service Merit Awards.
- Requirements:
- Physical requirements: Applicants must be able to maneuver around the front patio areas and be comfortable working in all seasons. Able to learn and retain the Desert Museum’s safety procedures and protocols, as well as position specific responsibilities and competencies.
Skills/knowledge required: Applicants must demonstrate excellent customer service skills and be comfortable interacting with a diverse population of Guests (i.e.: age, race, gender, etc.).
- Current Openings:
- Various days and shifts available
- Volunteer Description:
- Packrat Playhouse Greeters welcome guests to an immersive play-based exhibit. Greeters will orient visitors, provide instructions, answer questions, and provide customer service. Greeters will assist with safety protocols and occasional interpretation. The position is indoors in an energetic, air-conditioned environment. Primary Specific Tasks: 1) Welcome groups of visitors to the Playhouse 2) Follow safety protocols and help direct positive behavior 3) Provide customer service 4) Encourage visitors to learn how they can live in harmony with the desert 5) Opportunities to interpret southwest ecology, primarily as it pertains to packrats
- Benefits:
- Packrat Playhouse Greeters gain experience working with children of all age groups, grow their confidence and public speaking abilities, and gain experience working in an immersive learning exhibit. Active status volunteers receive numerous benefits including complimentary membership and discounts for the duration of their service.
- Requirements:
- Applicants should have a passion for working with people, be comfortable with customer service, create welcoming environments, be able to navigate the Museum's various terrains and have the ability to work with families and children in a non-traditional educational setting. 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. Applicants should have a positive and upbeat attitude.
- Current Openings:
- For "Cool Summer Nights" Saturdays, 5:00pm-9:00pm
- Volunteer Description:
- One of the overarching goals of the Desert Museum's new master plan is to provide the living organisms in its care with top-notch well-being. This will require changes in facilities that house our animals as well as how we care for and manage them. Toward this end, the Desert Museum has initiated research that will provide data and new knowledge about what animals need and want to be happy. These projects are founded on the principles of choice and control by providing animals with large spaces and many options within them, set up in a manner that allows us to record space usage and, potentially, social behavior. The role of the Animal Behavior Observer Volunteers will be to assist staff with the following:
- Observation of animals and recording them in software loaded in an iPad
- Review of animal activity in video recordings (specific to snake project) and recording their observations in various software programs
- Collection of and deployment of SD cards in video recording devices
- Collection of GPS data from transmitters
- Downloading/uploading of data
- Interacting with the public while gathering data (specific to tortoise project)
- Benefits:
- This is a wonderful opportunity to gain knowledge and experience while participating in research related to animal well-being in an AZA accredited institution. Great for resume building and career building experience. This is also an excellent chance to provide impactful community service, as the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a non-profit organization and Volunteers are critical to the success of the organization. Additionally, active Museum Volunteers also enjoy Museum benefits, which include free memberships, discounts in the gift shops and restaurants, and Service Merit Awards.
- Requirements:
- Applicants must be 18 years or older to participate, and available to make a one day a week, two to four hours per shift commitment. Applicants should have an interest in conservation and animal well-being, should be detail-oriented and highly organized, and should be outgoing and personable in their interactions with others. Applicants should have ample manual dexterity and be comfortable using a computer. Most of the necessary skills and knowledge will come from on-the-job training, but individuals who are computer savvy, can assimilate information about the project, and are comfortable with public speaking are preferred. Applicants should have a clear understanding of the boundaries related to animal interactions. All Desert Museum Volunteers must be able to learn and follow the Desert Museum’s safety procedures and protocols, as well as position specific responsibilities and competencies. Volunteers selected for this program will be required to complete a four-week probationary period. All volunteer positions are at-will and can be ended at any time by either party with or without cause or notice.
- Current Openings:
- We are seeking 4-6 qualified Volunteers
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 [email protected].
