Prior to the last 2 months, I had been volunteering at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest for 4.5 years. I can easily say that it was the best way I spent my time! It was so incredibly meaningful for me that I decided, at 52 years old, to pursue a career change and am now a full time staff person! How lucky am I? So I compiled a list of reasons that YOU TOO should become a volunteer. We’d love to see your smiling faces 🙂
- Burrito
- Terry
- Foxie
- Annie
- Cy
- Jamie
- Missy
- Gordo
- Dora
- Mave
- Honey B
- Willy B
- Negra
- Lucky
- Rayne
- Diana
- JB
- Anna
- Dr.Erin
- Kelsi
- Grace
- Jenna
- Chad
- Katelyn
- Sabrina
- Ellen
- Krissy
- Deer families
- Marmots for days
- Raven shenanigans
- Frogs – you may have to save them from the playrooms (Negra will eat them!) **
- Snakes – no wait, that’s a different list!
- Volunteering is incredibly rewarding
- Free snacks!
- Raspberries – the kind you blow, not the kind you eat, also known as a Bronx Cheer
- The property is breathtakingly beautiful!
- Only one chimpanzee throws poop
- Bragging rights – your friends will be so jealous (which is why they should become volunteers, too!)
- We share 98.76% of our DNA with chimpanzees – so that makes us family
- Jamieween
- Trifecta Jubilee
- Enrichment prep parties – such as pumpkin carving for Jamieween
- Making chow bags (actually, that’s why WE want you to volunteer)
Volunteer Katie making chow bags
- Volunteering is FREE
- Friendship
- Strengthens our community
- Volunteers know the inside scoop – they’re part of the team
- Plenty of parking
- Troll toss with Foxie ***
- The sanctuary couldn’t do it without volunteers!
- Learn chimpanzee facts that you can use at cocktail parties (do people still go to cocktail parties?)
- Watching meal service from Mechanical Room 3
- Satisfaction gained through a job well done
- Witnessing sweet moments between chimps
- Dancing with Terry ***
- The opportunity to bond with another species
- Combats depression
- Taking walks around the hill
- Grooming ***
- Volunteers make the staff very happy – think Norm entering Cheers
- Tug-o-war with Burrito ***
- Most of the time, the spit flying at your face is just water
- Gain career experience
- Espresso machine
- Meet new people
- Negra kisses ***
- Camaraderie
- You can make a difference
- The rare opportunity to groom Missy ***
- Gardening
- We have ice!
- And air conditioning!
- Bipedal Annie
- You get to go home early!
- You become a more interesting person
- Lunch forages
- You’ll want chimp tattoos
- You can check out books from our library
- Cows
- Teeth clacking during grooming
- Chimp laughter
- Looking for enrichment outside of chimp house (finding old dolls/boots/magazines)
- Barn Kitty – look but don’t touch!
- The excitement of Cy’s group when we roll out the food cart for meals
- Acquiring chimp art through online auctions, and such (first to know)
- Burrito’s toes
- Lizard (Travis)
- Gordo/Rayne in a box
- Gatorade pools
- Willy B eating lettuce/bok choy/celery, and such
- Making forts **
- Making paper braids – just kidding, they’re a nightmare, but lots of enrichment is fun to make!
Volunteer Sarah S making firehose knots
- Annie bird noises and hair/face washing
- Otter pops
- Making nests **
- Dora’s head bobble
- It makes you happy!
- Watching the big boys display – gets your heart pounding!
- IT’S JUST PLAIN FUN!!!!!
Now that you are ready to fill out an application to volunteer, you need to know about the different levels of volunteer:
*Level I – tasks include doing laundry, washing dishes, preparing enrichment, lunch prep, putting produce away, etc. Please note, Level I volunteers do not interact with the chimpanzees, besides a polite head nod.
** Level II – in addition to Level I tasks, Level II volunteers assist in cleaning enclosures. Please note, Level II volunteers do not interact with the chimpanzees, besides a polite head nod.
***Level III – In addition to Level I and II tasks, Level III volunteers serve meals and engage in protected physical and non-physical interactions with the chimpanzees.
You can fill out an application to become a Level I or Level II volunteer. Trustworthy and dedicated volunteers are invited to train to become Level III volunteers – while all levels are rewarding, you and I both know that the real magic happens when you work to become a Level III volunteer. It’s so worth it!
