Volunteer Opportunities For High-school Students And Docents Offered By Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association July 16, 2011

Volunteer opportunities for high school students and adult Docents are offered by the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), announces Kirin Daugharty, manager of volunteer programs.

Prospective high school student volunteers (entering 9th and 10th grades in the fall) and their parents are invited to an information meeting on Saturday, July 16, 2011, 10 am to 4 pm. To RSVP, which is required, call (323) 644-4703. Prospective adult Docent volunteers are invited to an information meeting on Saturday, July 23, 2011, 10 am to 1 pm. No RSVP’s are required. Both events take place at the Los Angeles Zoo's Witherbee Auditorium, and check-in tables will be set up at the Zoo entrance.

“Our volunteers range in age from 16 to 86, and they're an essential part of the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, creating a better environment for our animals and our visitors,” says Daugharty, who was quoted in a 2010 newspaper story as saying, "We have 800 volunteers and 800 reasons to volunteer." “No previous experience is necessary," she adds, "and we provide comprehensive training. We're looking for people with a willingness to learn and a commitment to the welfare of our animals.”

Many of GLAZA's docents and volunteers have provided over 40 years and more of service. In 2010, GLAZA docents alone contributed more than 80,000 hours to the Zoo.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
Students entering grades 9 or 10 in the fall are eligible for GLAZA's High School Student Volunteer program, an academically challenging opportunity to help at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens in a variety of ways ranging from assisting at special events and the Children's Zoo to supporting public education programs. Volunteers complete a training course to learn about the world's biomes, animal adaptations, conservation, ecology, and education and are then required to volunteer a minimum of 60 hours per year for two years. The training course begins Sunday, September 11, 2011, and meets every Sunday for 13 weeks from 8:45 am to 4 pm. Applicants must attend the Saturday, July 16, 2011, 10 am to 4 pm meeting (parents are requested to attend the morning session only), which includes a presentation about the program, group activities and interviews. Applications are accepted through July 5.

DOCENT PROGRAM
GLAZA offers a comprehensive program for adult docents, who serve as volunteer teachers, sharing their knowledge of the Zoo and its flora and fauna with adults and children through touring, use of biofact carts, and numerous educational programs and classes. Docents complete a 23-week training program offered at the Zoo each fall in conjunction with UCLA Extension. Classes begin Saturday, October 1, 2011, or Tuesday, October 4, 2011, from 9 am to 3 pm. The weekly six-hour class focuses on taxonomy of both the plants and animals at the Zoo as well as ecology and conservation. Docents' duties are as varied as those performing them, and individual opportunities are discussed and developed throughout the training course. Docents must be 18 years or older when applying and be able to commit 100 hours per year for a minimum of two years. Applications are accepted through late September at www.lazoo.org in the "Volunteers" section.

The Zoo's volunteer programs are among many programs presented by the private, non-profit Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), founded in 1963. For almost five decades, GLAZA has funded exhibits, plant and animal species conservation, capital projects, and education and community outreach programs at the Los Angeles Zoo, an international leader in the preservation of endangered species and a conservation center for the care and study of wildlife. There are currently more than 72,000 GLAZA member households, the largest membership base of a cultural organization in Los Angeles, and the organization boasts a volunteer corps of over 700.

The Los Angeles Zoo is located in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways. Free parking is available. Full descriptions of volunteer and docent opportunities and requirements are available at www.lazoo.org in the "Volunteers" section, and general information is available by calling (323) 644-4703 or emailing volunteers@lazoo.org.