Volunteer Opportunities Offered by Greater L.A. Zoo Assoc. July 11, 2010

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
FOR HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS AND DOCENTS
OFFERED BY GREATER LOS ANGELES ZOO ASSOCIATION

PROSPECTIVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT VOLUNTEER INFORMATION MEETING
(Grades 9 - 11)
Sunday, July 11, 2010, 10 am to 4 pm

PROSPECTIVE DOCENT VOLUNTEER INFORMATION MEETING
Saturday, July 25, 2010, 10 am to noon

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. To explore the possibilities,
prospective high school student volunteers (entering 9th, 10th and 11th
grades) and their parents are invited to an information meeting on Sunday,
July 11, 2010, 10 am to 4 pm; and prospective adult Docent volunteers are
invited to an information meeting on Saturday, July 24, 10 am to noon. Both
meetings take place at the Los Angeles Zoo's Witherbee Auditorium, and
check-in tables will be set up at the Zoo entrance. To attend, please call
(323) 622.8114 to RSVP.

"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. "We offer comprehensive
training, and no previous experience is necessary. We're looking for people
with a willingness to learn and a commitment to the welfare of our animals."
Daugharty was quoted in a recent newspaper story as saying, "We have 800
volunteers and 800 reasons to volunteer." Many of GLAZA's docents and
volunteers have provided over 40 years and more of service. In 2009, GLAZA
docents alone contributed more than 76,000 hours to the Zoo.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
Students entering grades 9, 10, or 11 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. Members complete a 10-week
training course to learn about the world's biomes, animal adaptations,
conservation, ecology, and education, and they are then required to
volunteer a minimum of 60 hours per year for two years. The training course
is offered on Sundays from 9 am to 4 pm beginning September 12, 2010.
Applicants must attend the day-long July 11 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 11, 2010.

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. The weekly six-hour Monday or Saturday classes focus 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 August 14, 2010.

The Zoo's volunteer programs are among many programs presented by the
private, non-profit Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association, founded in 1963.
For more than four decades, GLAZA has successfully supported the Los Angeles
Zoo and Botanical Gardens as an international leader in the preservation of
endangered species and a conservation center for the care and study of
wildlife. As a major cultural and entertainment resource for Southern
California, the Zoo is a place of beauty and inspiration and a catalyst for
discovery of the natural world for children of all ages. GLAZA funds Los
Angeles Zoo exhibits, plant and animal species conservation, capital
projects, and education and community outreach programs. GLAZA currently
has 69,000 member households, the largest membership base of a cultural
organization in Los Angeles, and 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) 622-8114 or emailing
[email protected].

Official Website: http://www.lazoo.org