Cape Town - The Two Oceans Aquarium has called on all those over 18-years-old and who are passionate about ocean education, ocean conservation and who would like to join the Aquarium family to become volunteers through their volunteer programme that opened for applications last month.
With closing date for applications on Friday this week, October 15, the Two Oceans Aquarium appealed to those interested in spending time interacting with Aquarium visitors, or getting their hands dirty while helping the aquarium aquarists, to apply for the four-week online Volunteer Induction Course.
The course was set to start on November 1 and take place both online, with self-study content, and in-person, with practicals on Saturdays from November 6 until December 4 at a cost of R200 per person.
Two Oceans Aquarium spokesperson Renée Leeuwner said after completing the course and passing all the assessments, individuals would be qualified as Two Oceans Aquarium front-of-house (FoH) volunteers, which would enable them to interact with aquarium visitors at areas like the Microscope Exhibit, the Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibit and the I&J Ocean Exhibit.
“FoH volunteers who wish to move to volunteering behind-the-scenes (BtS) need to complete a prescribed number of FoH shifts and meet a minimum level of commitment.
“In the BtS areas, volunteering is focused on helping the aquarists with the cleaning of exhibits, feeding of animals and any other practical assistance that is needed,” said Leeuwner.
What's it like to be a volunteer at the Aquarium?
— Two Oceans Aquarium (@2OceansAquarium) October 12, 2021
🐟If you'd like to join this team, you can sign up for the next induction course here: https://t.co/kgVr8dYSoo #CapeTown pic.twitter.com/IMOJh5zIsp
Volunteer Faatin Samodien said he started volunteering at the aquarium two years ago, where he worked front-of-house with the microscope and found that he loved interacting with and teaching children about the ocean.
“I then moved to behind-the-scenes, and I’ve really enjoyed it so much because I’d personally like to become a veterinarian, and this teaches me how to interact with animals and how to respect them,” said Samsodien.
Leeuwner said volunteers have been part of the backbone of the Two Oceans Aquarium since its inception in 1995 and these individuals offered up their time to help in various areas of the aquarium; from helping visitors discover the microscopic life found in oceans, to feeding some of the animals and assisting with the day-to-day care of aquarium exhibits.
Those interested in applying were encouraged to complete the online application form at https://www.aquarium.co.za/blog/entry/be-a-two-oceans-aquarium-volunteer or more information.