help the helpers

Various volunteering roles at zoos, sanctuaries and other animal-related organisations, as well as ideas for items to donate to animal shelters. Important to note that volunteer roles almost never involve direct animal contact, for your safety and theirs. Also, because their are so many animal lovers out there like you, unfortunately some volunteering programs come with a waitlist.

  • Monitor and help protect nesting shorebirds like the Hooded Plover from a respectful distance. Strong networks in VIC, SA, and TAS, with groups elsewhere too. Visit https://birdlife.org.au/programs/beach-nesting-birds

  • 45+ volunteer roles across education, wildlife hospital support, and horticulture. Asks for a 12-month commitment and a joining fee ($120 Sydney, $90 Dubbo), with hardship support available. Visit https://taronga.org.au/get-involved/volunteers

  • Visitor guiding and admin support roles across Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Open Range Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary, and Kyabram Fauna Park, not direct animal-keeping. Visit https://www.zoo.org.au/about-us/volunteer

  • A mix of public-facing and behind-the-scenes roles across Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Safari Park. Visit https://zoossa.com.au/volunteer

  • A wide spread of roles: guest-facing, horticulture, wildlife-team support, and roles at the Wildlife Hospital for those who want to go further. Visit https://currumbinsanctuary.com.au/support-us/volunteer

  • Guest Experience roles (welcoming visitors, running activities, no animal handling) and Animal Keeping roles (habitat cleaning, food prep, enrichment). High demand means a waitlist is common. Visit https://australiazoo.com.au/support-wildlife/become-a-volunteer/

  • Runs a volunteer program too, confirm current details directly. Visit https://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/about-perth-zoo/working-us/volunteering

    • Not a zoo, but the same spirit: genuinely varied roles from op shop and admin work (no animal contact at all) through to kennel and cattery care (hands-on, but with animals already used to people, not wildlife requiring specialist handling). Every state RSPCA runs its own program. Visit https://www.rspca.org.au/support-us/volunteer/

    • Clean towels, flat sheets, cages, carriers, and even handmade pouches, bird nests, and bat wraps sewn from 100% wool or cotton are all genuinely needed by wildlife carers. Towels must be free of loose threads, a safety issue for animals in care. Visit https://www.wires.org.au/donate-goods

  • Towels, blankets, and sheets keep shelter animals warm and comfortable, and every state RSPCA accepts drop-offs directly at their shelters. Each state's page lists exactly what's needed and what to avoid (fitted sheets are a common one to skip, the elastic can be dangerous for animals). Search "RSPCA" plus your state and "donate goods" to find your local list. No single national link, since this runs state by state.

"…there was a creek not far away. So I’d be catching tadpoles and just loved watching them grow up to little frogs, and then I’d be taking them back to the creek"

– Nadine, 61, from New South Wales