New Bedford Zoo Delivers Sweet Sendoff for Valued Volunteer

If you grew up on or around the SouthCoast, chances are you have fond memories of New Bedford's Buttonwood Park Zoo.

From the moment you purchase your ticket to viewing the animals to simply strolling the grounds, the experience wouldn't be the same or even possible without the hard work of the many zookeepers, staff and volunteers who spend their time making Buttonwood accessible and enjoyable for visitors.

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Valued Volunteers at Buttonwood Park Zoo

"Our hardworking zookeeping team relies heavily on volunteerism during their very busy workday, but it is also valuable work experience for those who are interested in pursuing this as a career," said Kerri Donlan, Training & Engagement Manager at Buttonwood Park Zoo.

Many of the current animal care staff got their start as volunteers.

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A Bittersweet Goodbye

The zoo recently posted on its Facebook page about the success of one of its own. Volunteer Eric Condon got his start with an animal behavior internship and his passion took off from there.

"Over time, our volunteers have been able to branch across the country to other zoos," Donlan said. "They are able to learn valuable skills that give them a leg up on competition when applying for positions in this industry."

That's exactly what Condon has done.

"Eric was able to take this opportunity working with geriatric elephants and now in Houston he will work with multi generations of elephants," Donlan said. "We are beyond excited to see Eric thrive, after graduating from URI on May 17th to moving May 31st, it will be fun to follow his journey."

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How Do I Become a Volunteer?

Volunteers can apply on the Buttonwood Park Zoo's website under the "Volunteers" tab or by emailing Donlan at KDonlan@bpzoo.org.

"There are a variety of ways to volunteer at the zoo – working with our maintenance team on the grounds, manning information and activity tables with our education team, handing out candy at our annual Halloween events, or supporting our animal care team by assisting with things like cleaning, preparing diets, and creating enrichment for all their animals," Donlan said.