Animal Care Team (ACT)
Animal Care Team Volunteers will provide assistance to the Animal Care staff with tasks including food preperation for animals, exhibit cleaning and maintenance (this includes animal waste), cleaning food prep areas and instruments, and special projects for the exhibits and quarantine tanks. Experience in these tasks is preferred but not required.
Currently, the Newport Aquarium houses three groups of animals; Birds, Reptiles & Amphibians, and Aquatic Animals (fish, sharks, jelly fish, etc.). All Animal Care Team Volunteers will be asked to select one of these groups to work with when they are onboarded to the team. Note that some Animal groups may be full with volunteers, so we may ask you to rank your preference.
All Animal Care Team Volunteer Requirements include:
- 18 years or older
- Comfort working around large volumes of water, while working with aquatic animals, birds, or reptiles & amphibians
- Comfort with preparation of foods (including live foods) for feeding to animals; no history of allergy related to animals or plants which might interfere with ability to volunteer
- Able to remain on your feet for up to 4 hours, bend, stoop, climb stairs, and be able to lift 25lbs.
- Commit to a minimum of 2 shifts (8 hours) of volunteering per month (shifts are 8am-Noon or 1pm-5pm)
- If accepted as an Animal Care Team Volunteer, a one-time administrative fee of $50 is due at time of orientation
To see full desciptions of the Animal Care Team Positions, click on the links below:
ACT Reptile and Amphibian Volunteer 2022
We onboard new volunteers 3 times a year.
Summer: applications accepted from February 1st – May 31st, we will interview applicants in June, and onboard in July.
Fall: applications accepted from June 1st – September 30th, interviewing applicants in October, and onboarding in November.
Winter/Spring: applications accepted from October 1st – January 31st, interviewing applicants in Feburary, and onboarding in March.
