WORK CONTENT AND DESCRIPTION
The mission of the Park is to provide a partnership with the community, promoting
understanding of the animals and plant life of the South West and an integrated
resource centre promoting environmental stewardship and sustainability. The Park
attracts visitors from all over the world, so by hosting international volunteers
they hope to provide an opportunity to enhance their knowledge and awareness of
cultural differences, exchange ideas and, in turn, make the place more culturally
sensitive and an enjoyable environment in which to work and visit.
The Park also participates in a variety of structured workplace learning programmes
including disability services and other community work programmes.
You'll work hands-on with some of Australia's wonderfully unique and diverse native
birds and mammal species. Other work activities that you can get involved with include
Grounds-keeping, which involves the hands-on care and maintenance of hundreds of
native trees and plants. You can also get involved in Retail & Tourism if you want
to. This last activity is entirely optional, but is available if you'd like to get
tourism experience. Your main responsibility will fall into one or more of the following
three areas at the Park:
- Native animal-based experience
- Grounds-keeping experience
- Retail / Tourism experience (optional)
Native Animal-based Experience:
This revolves around the daily care and maintenance of the animals and their enclosures,
including cleaning, feeding, feed preparation, enclosure maintenance, behaviour
observation and environmental enhancement.
Your role is to assist the Wildlife carers employed by the Park with their daily
tasks. On a typical day you could do cleaning and maintenance of the animal enclosures
and surrounding grounds of the park in the mornings, then stop for lunch at around
midday, In the afternoon you'll prepare the food for the animals by cutting up fruit
and vegetables, and then you'll feed the animals.
Grounds-keeping Experience:
This involves the maintenance of the Wildlife Park grounds and facilities, including
planting, mulching, repairs and general grounds-keeping duties. Instructions are
given to volunteers daily, depending on what is required for that day. This activity
is ideal for you if you really like to get stuck into things.
Retail / Tourism Experience (optional):
If you'd like to gain some experience in Retail & Tourism while on your project,
you'll get the chance to improve communication skills; meet people and gain skills
in retail sales as well as basic food preparation
and service.
The Park is very happy when some volunteers choose to get involved in all areas
of
running the park, because this not only helps them to sustain their work, it also
gives you a broad spectrum of experience and knowledge in what it takes to manage
the facility. Thus you can also gain experience in dealing with retail sales, customer
liaison, restocking of items, maintenance of the shop area, answering customer queries,
answering the telephone and helping with a vast multitude of daily functions required
to keep the Park functioning efficiently and well.
You'll be a part of the Park team and they are particularly keen to listen to and
discuss any ideas you may have, especially if you have specific skills or experience
that might help them, such as in marketing or education, for example.