At Bristol Zoological Society, we engage with over 230 volunteers a year. Our volunteers help us in our mission of Saving Wildlife Together by giving up their time and sharing their skills and knowledge.
The majority of our volunteer roles are in visitor engagement at Bristol Zoo Project – here our volunteers engage with visitors and help share information about our conservation work and our amazing animals.
Due to the number of enquiries we've received, we have now closed our Expression of Interest forms for our Youth Volunteering Programme this summer.
We may have some Visitor Engagement Volunteer roles (suitable for over 18s) coming up after Easter, so keep an eye on this page and email volunteers@bzsociety.org.uk if you have any questions.
We want our volunteer programme to reflect the diversity of the West of England and to engage with different communities. We have established partnerships with organisations that support young people in Bristol and South Gloucestershire to help us achieve this. We are committed to making our volunteer roles accessible and open to all areas of the community.
"I feel part of a great friendly team who I’ve learnt so much from, yet there’s always more to learn. I’d encourage anyone interested in wildlife and conservation to consider volunteering, but be prepared to be out in all weathers! It’s really rewarding, a lot of fun, and an exciting time to be involved with Bristol Zoological Society."
Diana Harcourt – Engagement Volunteer
"I had to be a volunteer when I saw Bristol Zoo Project were recruiting. I so enjoy my shifts and the chance to work with other volunteers and staff, and the engagement with visitors brings a big smile to my face. My passion is animal conservation and being a volunteer means I can spread this vitally important work."
Mike Rose – Engagement Volunteer
"I love being outdoors and being able to walk around BZP or the Downs. It's also great to get to know the other volunteers and to support each other - I have learned such a lot from people. As a volunteer I feel valued and appreciated by the organisation which makes it a great place to volunteer. It’s been a fab experience."
Sian Mann – Engagement Volunteer
Our commitment to wildlife is centuries old. It comes from a desire to better understand life on our planet and inspire people to engage with nature. We have one mission - Saving Wildlife Together.
Our volunteers and staff are guided by a commons set of values, which shape how we behave.
If you want to know what it’s like to work, partner with or support Bristol Zoological Society, our values tell you everything you need to know.
We love our zoo and conservation, and care deeply for animals, people and the planet.
We engage our visitors, partners and colleagues, and ask how we can help.
We are brave and pioneering, and strive to show what a modern zoological society can be.
For all of our long-term volunteering roles (including our Animal Keeper volunteer roles) you need to be aged 18 or over. We do run a short-term Youth Volunteer programme with our Engagement team over the summer months which is open to young people aged 16-19. We will be accepting expressions of interest for this from April 2025.
Please see our Careers page for information about our work experience programme. Please note the majority of our volunteer roles are not suitable for work experience placements and we don’t offer work experience with our Animals team.
We aren’t currently able to offer Duke of Edinburgh placements as our minimum age for most volunteer roles is 18. We do run short term Youth Volunteer programmes with our Engagement team in the summer months, but this is only open to young people aged 16-19.
There are so many ways you can help us in our mission to protect threatened species and habitats, from fundraising and membership to donations and sponsorship.
