Volunteers are vital to our mission of creating positive relationships between people and nature.
They work throughout the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum to take care of our critters, engage our visitors throughout our exhibits, preserve our historic collections, and so much more.
Regardless of their role, all Nature Museum volunteers must have:
- A commitment to our mission
- A genuine passion for nature and science
- A friendly personality and positive attitude
- An active email address that is checked frequently
Thank you for your interest in volunteer opportunities at the Nature Museum. We invest a lot of time in bringing new volunteers on board and finding the right fit for their interests, talents, and schedules. Please know that it may take up to two months to become an official Nature Museum volunteer. If you have an urgent need for service hours, we encourage you to seek out other opportunities.
Browse current volunteer opportunities below. If you would like to volunteer with us, but do not see a position that fits your experience or interest, please check back at a future date.
Conservation Care Volunteer
This position primarily involves assisting staff in the care (feeding, cleaning, and handling) of Blanding’s turtles. This position is heavily focused on the cleaning of aquatic habitats which involves manual scrubbing. The volunteer will also work with other animals in the living collections as needed. Duties may vary by day and at the discretion of the Living Collections staff.
Preferred Qualities:
- Must be 18 years or older
- Must have a strong interest in working with reptiles and amphibians.
- Experience caring for animals (including pets) preferred, not required
- Willingness to feed live invertebrates and frozen/thawed fish and pinky mice to other animals
- Comfortable working around and cleaning animal waste
- Comfortable handling snakes, turtles, and some invertebrates
- Comfortable using disinfectants and other chemicals when necessary
- Able to bend to floor level, climb on step stool, reach, and lift 20 pounds
- Ability to interact respectfully with the public, staff, and other volunteers
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team (depending on the task)
Supervision: Conservation care volunteers will be trained by the Living Collections staff and supervised closely until they are comfortable performing the daily checklist independently. Living Collections staff members will always be available for questions.
Time Commitment: Weekly morning shift (8am-12pm) for at least one year.