2025 Brandywine Zoo Docent Program
The Brandywine Zoo Education Department is seeking friendly, dependable, and enthusiastic volunteers for our Docent Program. As a Docent, you’ll guide guests through the world of wildlife, answer questions about animals and their behavior, and be a part of creating or sustaining the lifelong love of animals in our guests. You’ll be a member of a critical team that assists the Brandywine Zoo staff in making sure our guests leave with a sense of awe and are inspired to conserve wildlife!
INTERESTED?
- Interested candidates - respond to this opportunity by clicking on the respond button below and completing registration.
- Candidate must also complete: Brandywine Zoo Docent Questionnaire.
Location: Brandywine Zoo – Wilmington, DE
Supervisor: Manager of Volunteers - Luvina Cooley
Schedule: Minimum commitment of 24 shifts per year. You will choose two recurring shifts each month as a commitment to what days per month you would like to come out for interpretation. Shifts will occur on the 1st and 3rd weeks or the 2nd and 4th weeks of each month. Docents are also required to attend monthly meetings on the first Saturday of each month. Additional coordination will be done by the Manager of Volunteers and Curator of Education and Conservation at the Brandywine Zoo.
Apply: Application will be open 9:00 am on January 1st, 2025 to 11:59 pm, January 31st, 2025
Training Dates: For program year 2025, required training dates are: March 2nd, March 9th, March 15th, and March 22nd.
Qualifications:
- Applicants must be 18+ years old.
- Willing and able to complete a background check performed by the Division of Parks and Recreation.
- Fluent in the English language (verbally and via written communication).
- Must be able to volunteer at the zoo 2 set days per month, totaling to 24 shifts per year.
- Must be able to come to all monthly meetings (held on the first Saturday of every month). Must have an interest in working with the general public.
- Candidates must exhibit consistent professional characteristics such as a punctuality, positive attitude, initiative, emotional maturity and self-responsibility.
- Able to commit to upholding all zoo safety and personnel policies, and support the overall mission of the Brandywine Zoo.
Responsibilities:
- Interpretating conservation messages, by conducting activities in the zoo for guests.
- Interpretating and educating guests on the animals at the zoo.
- Present biofacts, like pelts, bones, etc. to the public.
- Assist educators with zoo programs as schedule allows.
- Interpret at the zoo’s special events as schedule allows.
- Other duties as assigned.
Unfortunately, it is against our policy to allow volunteers to work with our animals at this time. This is both for the safety of our volunteers and our animals.
All Delaware State Parks volunteers are required to undergo and successfully complete a background check performed by the Division.
