Santa Barbara Sea Center seeks volunteers to help educate public on sea life
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center on Stearns Wharf is looking for volunteers ages 11 and older to help share their passion for the ocean and its inhabitants with visitors.
The Sea Center said they will give volunteers the opportunity to educate the public about Santa Barbara's coastal environment, perform hands-on demonstrations and give live animal presentations at the Shark Cove, Intertidal Wonders, Wet Deck exhibits and more.
Volunteers will be taught about the care and biology of sea creatures from sharks to rays to sea stars and anemones.
They will also gain valuable experience as educators by communicating science, scientific terminology and technical information as casual speech for aquarium visitors of all ages to understand.
This position is also an opportunity for high school students to collect more than enough of the community service hours needed to graduate. “I have far exceeded what I needed,” high school student Elena Everest said. “I wanted some community service hours, and I needed some people skills. I kinda needed to learn how to talk to people, but as time went on, I really grew to love it here. You learn something new every day.”
“Working at the Sea Center, you can not only share your knowledge about the sea creatures we have here, but also remind visitors to protect our oceans,” said Volunteer Amelia Danko. Sharing the beauty of the environment is a chance to share messages about what guests can do to make a difference: “It’s only pretty because we protect it.”
The Sea Center welcomes volunteers of all ages, but those under 14 years old must volunteer with a guardian.
Volunteers will also attend monthly advanced trainings, lectures and occasional field trips to marine habitats that may include guided tours to areas not typically open to the public.
For more information or to sign up as a volunteer, you can visit sbnature.org/scvolunteer or call the volunteer manager at (805) 962-2526 ext. 104. You can also email them at scvolunteermanager@sbnature2.org.
