Adult Volunteers
 The
Indianapolis Zoo Volunteer Program offers
individuals a truly unique opportunity to become
involved in the conservation, recreation, and
education efforts of the Indianapolis Zoo and White
River Gardens. Through local participation,
Volunteers assist the Zoo in making a global impact
for conservation. Without the generous contributions
of time, effort and experience from Volunteers, the
Zoo would not be able to function as efficiently. If
you're interested in giving your time to help the
Zoo, find out how you can
apply to be a Zoo Volunteer.
The use of Volunteers has become an essential element in
many areas of the Zoo and Gardens, so there are many opportunities
available. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older (ages 14-18 years
should inquire about the ZooTeen
program).
Learn more about the roles of Zoo
Volunteers:
Animal Care
Horticulture
Naturalists
Organizational Assistants
Special Events
Character Mascots
Special Needs
For more
information, contact the Office of Volunteer
Services at (317) 630-2041 or
volunteer@indyzoo.com.
Animal Care
Volunteers assist zoo keepers in various aspects of
maintaining the animal collection including exhibit
maintenance, diet preparation, and behavioral
enrichment. The work is hard, dirty, and often
unglamorous, but can be highly rewarding. It
offers the personal satisfaction of helping to
provide healthy conditions for the animals along
with the opportunity to learn zoo animal care
procedures. Animal Care volunteers should be
prepared to work in all weather conditions and must
be extremely dependable — animal's lives depend on
animal care personnel. Positions are generally available in the following
areas: Deserts, Marine Mammals, Plains and Oceans.
 For
those interested in gardening, we offer two areas to put your green thumb to
use.
White River Gardens —
Gardeners assist Staff in maintaining the botanical collection across the
3.3 acres of outdoor gardens, as well as assisting in the stunning Hilbert
Conservatory.
Zoo Horticulture —
Gardeners can assist the Zoo Horticulture Staff in maintaining the botanical
collection across the 65 acre horticulture garden that is the Zoo grounds.
Duties for both include routine plant care, such as watering, pruning,
fertilizing, weeding, planting, and transplanting. Horticulture Volunteers
should be prepared to work in all weather conditions and must be extremely dependable.
Naturalists
Do you like telling a good story? Can you help
inspire people to do their part to save wildlife and
wild places? Consider becoming a Naturalist and help
the Zoo tell animal and conservation stories at
specific animal exhibits.
Naturalists must be dependable, enjoy working with
all age groups, and be comfortable sharing
information in an informal setting in varying
weather conditions. They spend their time working on
the Zoo grounds, either in front of the animal
exhibits or at the Zoo’s Discovery Stations. The
stations utilize animal artifacts (bones, pelts,
etc.) to give guests a hands-on experience to
increase the value of their visit. Positions are
available in the following areas: Encounters,
Forests, Marine Mammals, Plains and Oceans.
Organizational
Assistants
Clerical
Assistants — Occasionally,
Zoo staff are in need of clerical assistants for
filing, organizing, and sorting information for
various projects. Organization and keyboarding
skills are preferred but not necessary.
Commissary
Assistants — Volunteers in
the Commissary can assist in the preparation of
special diets and food containers to be delivered
to the various biomes. Food is gathered from walk-in
coolers, freezers, and dry goods storage, then is
properly divided and measured for each area. The
food delivered is used to prepare diets for the
animal collection.
Special Events
 From
exhibit openings to Marketing events, Special Event Volunteers play an
integral role in assisting the Zoo in reaching its organizational goals.
Annual events such as Zoobilation, Zoo Boo, Christmas at the Zoo, and
various other events are dependent upon Volunteers to run smoothly. Positions are varied as to the need of each event.
Character Mascots
Volunteers
can bring joy to the masses as a Character Mascot such as “Kiburi” the Lion,
"Jett" the Dolphin, and many other loveable characters. Mascots
perform on grounds, at special events, and even at sporting events. If
you have a flare for the dramatic, enjoy entertaining children, and wouldn’t
mind wearing a costume, perhaps you should consider becoming a Character
Mascot!
Special Needs
Individuals
with special needs and their support person can assist our Guest Services
staff in the following ways:
Exit Greeter — A
stationary position to thank guests for coming to the Zoo and collect maps
for recycling.
Grounds Care — Walk the
Zoo and help keep the grounds clean by picking up debris and depositing it
(gloves, bags, tongs are provided).
Other assignments are dependent on ability and may be requested from the
Office of Volunteer Services. Special Needs candidates and support
personnel can fill out the Volunteer Application and check Special Needs. Rather than attend the Volunteer Program Introduction, these individuals can
schedule a meeting with the Volunteer Office to discuss the opportunities
available.
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