Volunteer with the Zoological Society of Milwaukee

Donating your time to deserving organizations is one of the most valuable gifts you can give. The Zoological Society and the Milwaukee County Zoo depend on hundreds of volunteers throughout the year to help in different departments. We have a variety of opportunities, whether you’re looking to be a dedicated member of the Society’s Zoo Pride program, fulfilling a one-time project for your company, or you’re a high school teen looking to gain hours and experience.

Please Note: Due to the safety and well-being of our animals and volunteers, there are extremely limited opportunities for animal interaction and the availability of these opportunities cannot be guaranteed.

Volunteer Opportunities Intro

Join Our Zoo Pride

Zoo Pride’s mission is to create Zoo experiences that inspire people to learn, conserve, and take action to positively impact the natural world.

Zoo Pride volunteers are an impressive team of people who help the Zoological Society and the Zoo function all year long. Volunteers ages 15 and up contribute 55,000 hours of service every year! Zoo Pride volunteers support the Zoological Society and the Zoo by engaging with people through education and action to help conserve wildlife and the environment. If you want to help our mission to conserve endangered animals, educate our community about wildlife and support the Milwaukee County Zoo, then we want you as a Zoo Pride volunteer!

We are looking for volunteers who . . .

  • Honor their commitments
  • Exhibit a positive attitude
  • Enjoy engaging with others
  • Take ownership of their work
  • Enjoy giving their time to the community
  • Are adaptive to change and new opportunities
  • Want to make a difference in conservation efforts
  • Respect diversity and inclusion of all volunteers and community members

Join Our Zoo Pride

Zoo Pride’s mission is to create Zoo experiences that inspire people to learn, conserve, and take action to positively impact the natural world.

Zoo Pride volunteers are an impressive team of people who help the Zoological Society and the Zoo function all year long. Volunteers ages 15 and up contribute 55,000 hours of service every year! Zoo Pride volunteers support the Zoological Society and the Zoo by engaging with people through education and action to help conserve wildlife and the environment. If you want to help our mission to conserve endangered animals, educate our community about wildlife and support the Milwaukee County Zoo, then we want you as a Zoo Pride volunteer!

We are looking for volunteers who . . .

  • Honor their commitments
  • Exhibit a positive attitude
  • Enjoy engaging with others
  • Take ownership of their work
  • Enjoy giving their time to the community
  • Are adaptive to change and new opportunities
  • Want to make a difference in conservation efforts
  • Respect diversity and inclusion of all volunteers and community members

Our Volunteer Opportunities to
Conserve, Educate, and Support!

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Conservation Volunteers

  • Support local and worldwide conservation efforts such as the wild bird conservation program.
  • Speak to Zoo guests during the Animals in Action talks. Share information with crowds about animal behavior and ways we can better the lives of animals in the wild.
  • Participate in Citizen Science efforts on and off site. Help researchers, our community, or our Zoo with data and resource conservation.

Education Volunteers

  • Assist our educators on site at our Conservation Education building or at our Kohl’s Wild Theater mainstage.
  • Lead special programs that include public speaking and educating others.
  • Serve as an ambassador by providing information to guests as they approach an animal habitat.
  • Attend in-house continuing education opportunities presented by local and regional experts.
Education Volunteers Icon
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Support Volunteers

  • Assist during events with sales, crowd control, craft projects, setup, and more.
  • Support office staff in various departments, including our Zoo library and offices.
  • Provide support by helping create animal enrichment items or completing animal observations.
  • Serve our guests through wayfinding, answering questions, providing resources, and more.
Volunteer Icon

Conservation Volunteers

  • Support local and worldwide conservation efforts such as the wild bird conservation program.
  • Speak to Zoo guests during the Animals in Action talks. Share information with crowds about animal behavior and ways we can better the lives of animals in the wild.
  • Participate in Citizen Science efforts on and off site. Help researchers, our community, or our Zoo with data and resource conservation.
Education Volunteers Icon

Education Volunteers

  • Assist our educators on site at our Conservation Education building or at our Kohl’s Wild Theater mainstage.
  • Lead special programs such as Sensory Safari, Speakers’ Bureau, or Walk on the Wild Side tours. These programs include public speaking and educating others.
  • Serve as an ambassador by providing information to guests as they approach an animal habitat.
  • Attend in-house continuing education opportunities presented by local and regional experts.
Volunteer Icon

Support Volunteers

  • Assist during events with sales, crowd control, craft projects, setup, and more.
  • Support office staff in various departments, including our Zoo library and offices.
  • Provide support by helping create animal enrichment items or completing animal observations.
  • Serve our guests through wayfinding, answering questions, providing resources, and more.
Zoo Volunteer Opportunities

Your volunteer benefits include:

  • Zoo Pass discounts based on annual volunteer hour contributions
  • Platypus Circle membership discount
  • Flexible scheduling and time commitment
  • Opportunities for professional, educational and personal growth
  • Invitations to volunteer recognition and appreciation events
  • Volunteering at a world-class, accredited zoo
  • Contributing to your community through Zoo and conservation experiences
  • Team collaboration – 55,000+ annual hours served collectively – and lasting friendships!

Begin Your Adventure – Apply Today!

As part of our on-boarding process you will be required to complete an online application, a background check and an interview and attend an orientation.

Apply now

The Zoological Society is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to an environment that is inclusive and welcoming – celebrating the diverse qualities, perspectives, values, and experiences of all people. Simply put, we welcome all people at all times.

Diversity Jobs Employer Member 2022

Teen Volunteers

If you are a teen looking for community service experience or an opportunity to increase your activities outside of school, short-term volunteer service may be a good fit for you. If you are 14-18 years old and interested in science, animals, working with kids, or simply volunteering in your community, the Zoological Society’s Conservation Education Department provides volunteer opportunities for high school students during our Summer Zoo Camps in our High School Assistant Volunteer Program.

Selected students spend approximately two consecutive weeks assisting with camp activities, Zoo tours, and general classroom preparation under the guidance of a college mentor. Please see here for more information.

For other teen volunteer opportunities, please contact Paul Vandermeuse at paulv@zoosociety.org.

Learn more

Group or Community Volunteers

Are you a community group or business interested in volunteer opportunities? On occasion, the Zoological Society or Zoo need multiple volunteers at once for large projects. If you have a group of individuals interested in volunteering, email Lynn Wilding at lynnw@zoosociety.org. We will review your submission and follow up.

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