Reports to: Senior Discovery and Volunteer Officer and Rangers
Role: Engagement volunteers will enhance the visitor experience during visits to Edinburgh Zoo through public engagement, activities, and crafts, by helping to ensure our visitors have an enjoyable and educational experience. This is done as they facilitate learning in a fun way and help spread the RZSS mission and vision.
Duties: The main role of Engagement volunteers is to ensure visitors enjoy their time at Edinburgh Zoo:
• This is an outdoor active role, walking around the zoo to ensure visitors have a valuable experience.
• Volunteers will be placed at some animal exhibits, including walkthroughs, to chat to visitors and help them learn about the zoo as a conservation charity.
• Volunteers will be walking points of information and assist visitors with wayfinding at key areas around the zoo and pointing out the animals.
• Volunteers are encouraged to ask questions that are aimed to help visitors discover more about the exhibits, explore the trails around the zoo, and learn about the key conservation messages.
• Volunteers will deliver Public Engagement activities, and one-off value-added events. This may include discovery dens, assisting with Wild discoveries and Q&A’s with guests after one of our Animal Discovery talks.
• Volunteers will run the discovery dens, a series of tables around the zoo to encourage the public to understand conservation issues through informal learning. This is done with biofacts, interpretation, and themed games.
• Though there is no direct contact with animals, volunteers may also help keepers in other ways, such as creating enrichment, animal observations, and window washing.
Person Specification: You will need to be:
• 18 or over.
• You will be friendly, positive, outgoing and confident in dealing with a wide range of people and personalities.
• Reliable and flexible with role and timings.
• Excellent communication skills to help people build connections with nature.
• Interested in animals and conservation.
• Keen to learn and stay informed.
• Able to work outside and inside for long periods of activity.
Commitment:
• We hope volunteers are able to commit to at least 70 hours a year.
• Volunteer shift times start at 10:30-12.30 or 13.30-16.30.
Support & Training: Volunteers will attend an induction and receive any training needed for the role. All volunteers accepted into this role will be required to complete a Basic Disclosure check. A volunteer uniform and, a name badge will be provided following an induction. There will be a member of staff on site every day to provide support to volunteers.
Location: Edinburgh Zoo, Edinburgh EH12 6TS.
* Whilst we do welcome volunteers of all abilities and needs, please let us know if you do have additional needs that we should be aware of.
