Education Officer

Education Officer

Home of ‘We Bought a Zoo’ we have over 250 animals and 100,000 visitors a year and an international reputation for achieving our mission in conservation, research and education.

Our award winning Education Team is central to our visitors’ experience and their engagement with animals and conservation issues and we deliver this through diverse, fun and exciting means.  We also reach over 12,000 students each year in our taught sessions, ranging through all the key stages and above.

We’re currently on the search for an Education Officer to join our team specifically to deliver taught sessions for our primary school groups and outreach programme.

We’re looking for a creative mind, able to develop and deliver engaging, high quality curriculum-linked workshops and resources for school, college and university groups.  You’ll need a degree in a related field and a teaching qualification or equivalent experience in teaching a wide range of ages and abilities.

We’re looking for someone confident in using IT packages, interactive whiteboards, tablets, presentation software and audio visuals.  You’ll also need to be able to communicate complex concepts in an innovative and practical way.  And, we’re a busy team so you’ll definitely need good organisational skills - time management, administration, workload planning and meeting deadlines.

A full UK driving license is essential.

This position is subject to a DBS check.

It’s a full-time, permanent position, primarily Monday-Friday but may include evening and weekend work.  We are offering a salary of £14,040 per annum.

To apply for this position, please provide your current CV and covering letter stating why you believe you should be considered for our Education Officer role to coral.dartmoorzoo@gmail.com by the 9th March at 12pm. Interviews will be carried out on the 16th of March.

Please mention ZooNews Digest should you apply for this post

Many Thanks

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The Zoo Hubs

Volunteer opportunity in Montserrat, West Indies

As part of an international collaboration to save the mountain chicken frog from extinction, there is an opportunity for highly motivated volunteers to get involved and support field work on the Caribbean island of Montserrat for this Critically Endangered species.

In Feb 2009 the deadly chytrid fungus was discovered on the island of Montserrat, threatening populations of the already endangered mountain chicken frog. With the fungus already devastating populations in Dominica, the only other island in the world where these frogs are still found, a collaboration was established between Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, London Zoo, Chester Zoo, Parken Zoo and the Government of Montserrat, called the Mountain Chicken Recovery Programme to take frogs into a bio-secure captive breeding programme. In Montserrat the MCRP has initiated a field conservation project, supported by the UK Government's Darwin Initiative, to study the frog and lead reintroductions. With the breeding programme being so successful, we are now ready to bring frogs back to Montserrat to trial a pioneering introduction of this species to its natural habitat.

In order to achieve this, we require the support of two volunteers to work alongside our Montserratian field team to radio track and monitor the frogs once released. We are looking for two people who are able to commit to four months starting around 15th January 2011.

Volunteer activities will be focused around intensively tracking and searching for released frogs and taking samples and data in the field. Training will be given in radio tracking, handling of amphibians and bio-secure techniques. Volunteers will also be responsible for the inputting of data and writing blog posts for the website.

Ideally, applicants will have a background in biological sciences, experience of working in the tropics and previous radio tracking experience. However, as the work will be at night and sometimes long hours involved, flexibility, commitment and determination to work, under sometimes uncomfortable or frustrating conditions, combined with good physical fitness and careful attention to data recording are the most important attributes we look for.

Volunteers will need to cover their own flights, vaccinations, personal equipment and insurance but the project will cover in-country costs for basic subsistence and accommodation.

This is the ideal opportunity for someone looking for practical conservation experience working with some of the world's most threatened species. However, the nature of this work requires the volunteer to be focussed and self-motivated. Working hours are long and fieldwork will take place 6 nights per week with one day off. However, as fieldwork is at night, volunteers have the days to rest and relax. Also the opportunity to live and work in a tropical country on real conservation projects will be more than compensation for this for the right candidates.

If you wish to apply, please contact recruitment@durrell.org  with a cover letter and CV. For more information about the volunteer post, please contact: sarah-louise.smith@durrell.org  A short interview will be arranged by phone with the project leader based in the region. Deadline for applications: 10th January, 2010.

Please Mention Zoo News Digest should you apply for this post

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Volunteer Divers in Marine Protected Areas (Philippines)

Volunteer Divers in Marine Protected Areas (Philippines)

 Mar / April 2011

The Project Seahorse Foundation for Marine Conservation (registered Filipino NGO) seeks volunteer, certified SCUBA divers (minimum 15 logged dives) who are interested in participating in a long-term monitoring program for assessing Marine Protected Area (MPA) effectiveness in northern Bohol, Philippines.

The surveys are conducted biannually, one in the dry season (March - April) and one in the wet season (September - October). An eight-week commitment is required comprising approximately two weeks of training and six weeks of survey work. Surveys are easily influenced by weather and other unpredictable events, so the duration of the fieldwork may vary. If completed quickly, volunteers will be asked to assist with other conservation work, such as data encoding or assisting with other biological field programs.

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathaninsandiego/3605208614/

The Project Seahorse Foundation requires a donation of $2,400 USD to help cover survey costs, local travel, accommodation, and food. Volunteers must also provide their own SCUBA gear and are responsible for the cost of their return airfare to the Philippines, visa costs, travel/health insurance and appropriate vaccinations, together with providing proof of a current dive medical and dive insurance.

A working knowledge of coral reef fish families and benthic fauna (esp. corals) and flora would be an advantage.

Volunteers will be supervised by the Project Seahorse Foundation Survey Biologist and based in Handumon (Jandayan Island). On arrival in Cebu City, the Project Seahorse Foundation National Coordinator will organize a comprehensive orientation on its programs and projects, MPA survey schedule, safety protocols, and community and team living.

To apply and to find out more information please visit the Project Seahorse website for more details: http://seahorse.fisheries.ubc.ca/AboutPS/volunteerPSFDry2011.html

The application deadline for the 2010 DRY season is November 30, 2010

Please Mention Zoo News Digest should you apply for this post

***

For regular updated Zoo News, Views, Reviews and Vacancies please visit
 Zoo News Digest on

FACEBOOK

Learn More About Zoos and Aquariums by visiting

The Zoo Hubs
Visit
The Zoo Professionals Book Store
and subscribe to the largest and longest established zoo related ezine
by clicking

HERE

 

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/flex/19277906/

To advertise in Zoo News Digest please see HERE 

'Volunteering' at UmPhafa Private Nature Reserve

The UmPhafa Private Nature Reserve, situated in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, is a 5,000 hectare reserve comprised of three farms, Gevonden, Geluk and Vertrek.

The reserve encompasses a wide range of habitats from bushveld to mountainous terrain. A number of species inhabit the reserve, including kudu, impala, mountain reedbuck and black-backed jackal and several species have been released including giraffe, zebra, blesbok, red hartebeest, waterbuck, common reedbuck, nyala and white rhino.

Action for the Wild is currently offering placements at UmPhafa Reserve, in particular to those seeking to gain experience before pursuing a career in conservation. This will not be a glorified safari and successful applicants will be shadowing the research coordinators as their assistants, to collect valuable data necessary to make key management decisions. This in itself is much more fulfilling than simply visiting Africa as a tourist and research assistants will have the satisfaction of being close to the animals and knowing that their contribution is having a direct influence on the wellbeing of the fauna of UmPhafa Reserve.

This is an opportunity to gain valuable experience in the field and learn new skills from qualified staff members over a wide range of aspects involved in the running of a reserve. Days will be varied with duties including the conduction of behavioural observations on game species, as well as aiding the current research projects in order to complete the species list of the reserve and to monitor populations.

At certain times in the year, vegetation surveys will be an important undertaking, as will the general maintenance of the reserve’s roads, fences and structures. The programme is open to anybody with a genuine love of nature and the environment, in particular African ecosystems.

As competition is expected to be high for these positions, placements will be offered following a successful interview process, which will be held at Colchester Zoo.

The minimum age of prospective research assistants is 20 years by the time of deployment to UmPhafa. Due to limited facilities, the maximum number of available positions is 4 placements at any one time.

The minimum period of stay is 4 weeks with a maximum of 90 days and, after successful application, dates of deployment will be allocated based on the applicant’s preferred month of commencement.

A contribution of £1,000 for stays of four weeks, with an additional contribution of £500 per four weeks thereafter, will be required to a maximum of a total 12 week period of stay. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Rebecca Perry, Director of Conservation, Education and Research at Colchester Zoo on rebecca.perry@colchester-zoo.co.uk  for more details.