Toad Hall Animal Care Volunteer

At WWT, we believe that the best way for people to understand and connect to wetlands is to experience them, so we bring awe-inspiring nature up close. In this role, you will be helping with the care and welfare of animals in our Ectotherms “Toad Hall” exhibit, playing a vital role in conservation education.

This is an excellent opportunity to gain practical experience of animal husbandry and uphold outstanding standards of care for our amphibian collection species. You will undertake daily husbandry routines such as preparing food & feeding animals, cleaning & maintenance of equipment and facilities, and assisting in observational behaviour recording.

 As part of your role, you will be engaging with the public through interactive presentations to help them understand more about our species, the conservation threats facing them, and to inspire visitors to value and support wetland conservation.

Volunteers are an essential part of the WWT team, and we wouldn’t be able to maintain our internationally important wetland sites without their help. You will receive a very warm welcome, full induction & training, and be provided with any necessary equipment, uniforms, and anything else needed to thrive in your role.

Main tasks

• Cleaning & maintenance of facilities and exhibits to maintain high standards of animal welfare, preparing exhibits for daily opening to visitors
• Contributing to daily food preparation and assisting with feeding routines
• Conducting interactive presentations to engage visitors in the work of the WWT, the amphibians in the Toad Hall exhibit, and our wider conservation messages
• Recording data for life support systems & observational data recording
• Assist with animal handling during health checks or species audits
• Following health & safety guidelines and ensuring the safety and welfare of our animals and the visiting public
• Upholding biosecurity and hygiene protocols
• General maintenance of public and staff areas
• Helping with stock management

No previous experience is required for this role as full training will be provided, and a willingness to learn new skills is more important.

This role would suit you if:

• You have (or would like to gain) experience in animal husbandry, particularly working with amphibians
• You feel confident in talking to and engaging with members of the public
• You are physically fit as this role will involve some manual handling
• You are reliable and committed
• You have an interest in and enthusiasm for the work of WWT
• You have good attention to detail and can follow instructions
• You enjoy working as part of a team of staff and volunteers
• You have a strong commitment to excellent customer service

• We are looking for volunteers who are available to help out one day a week (timing flexible).
• This role is not suitable for people under 18 years.