TAFE and University Students – studying animal care or biosciences
Walkabout offers a limited number of volunteer places to students needing practical experience to complete their studies.
Positions for students enrolled at TAFE or University studying animal care or biosciences.
Walkabout Wildlife Conservation Foundation (WWCF)
Walkabout Park internships are offered through the separate but supportive not-for-profit organisation WWCF. WWCF’s purpose is ecological and cultural conservation in Calga on Australia’s NSW Central Coast. WWCF supports Walkabout Park’s conservation efforts in a number of ways, including the provision of volunteer workers. In exchange, Walkabout Park provides WWCF volunteers with practical hands-on training and experience in various conservation areas, from wildlife conservation to eco-educational-tourism.
Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary (Walkabout)
Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary is a unique wildlife sanctuary on 80 acres of Heritage Listed natural bush protecting ancient Aboriginal sites, just off the M1 at Calga where the Sydney and NSW Central Coast borders meet.
The Walkabout team provides various levels of care for different animals depending on their needs and level of independence.
Completely wild animals live independently in the fox-proofed bush; semi-wild macropods and emus free-range but require a certain amount of monitoring and ranger intervention; human-dependant animals in naturalistic camps require a balance of maintaining natural features of their environment while tending to their daily needs; farm animals as introduced species require close management; and small reptiles and mammals in fully artificial enclosures require the highest level of attention.
Training Opportunities
Students who are enrolled at TAFE studying Animal Studies or Primary Industries, or are studying biosciences at university, may apply to Walkabout Park to join our vocational training volunteer program.
As a vocational volunteer, you are given the opportunity to learn how to perform all aspects of animal husbandry and habitat management for over 60 species of Australian native and small farm animals, do presentations for visitors on the animals, the bush and local Aboriginal history, and keep guest amenities clean and well presented.
Unlike many other parks and zoos, Walkabout does not limit vocational volunteers to only a subset of routine tasks. All vocational volunteers focus on the basic routines of the job to start with but, as they develop, get the opportunity to work on all other aspects of husbandry and visitor education.
Applicants must satisfy the following criteria
Students can only be considered for a place if they commit 2 full days a week every week (and a make-up shift within a fortnight for any missed shift) for at least 6 months. Although TAFE’s and Uni’s may not require as many hours, we have learned in our experience that any less than 2 days a week is not sufficient to maintain your pace of learning in the complex workplace environment of our wildlife sanctuary.
Other volunteering opportunities
Students who cannot commit to 2 days a week may be interested in joining our community volunteer team. Community volunteers do not necessarily get exposed to all the animal husbandry work that our team performs. Walkabout does not provide TAFE/Uni documentation and feedback to teachers on work done, performance and experience gained (signing off workbooks, teacher interviews, etc.).
More information and how to apply
Apply via our Better Impact volunteers’ platform [please come back to this page after 24 February to find the link (being added soon)].