Volunteer

Welcome Center

If you like working with the general public, this is the place for you! Duties include greeting arriving visitors, answering phones, booking passengers on our boat and kayak tours, answering general questions about MDC, and assisting visitors in our gift shop. Basic computer skills are needed. Our volunteers commit to 4-hour shifts one day per week; all training will be provided.
Availability: All year; currently this is a big area of need for us
Age Restrictions: 16+

Education

Do you enjoy working with children and adults and sharing your knowledge of nature? We provide learning opportunities for over 4000 students and adults each year. These programs require a team of dedicated staff and volunteers especially during the fall and spring months. Volunteers assist with setting up and delivering our Hands On/Feet Wet educational programs, which take place at various MDC facilities including the lab, classroom, boat, dock or kayaks. This includes field trips, homeschool programs, toddler programs, and more. Opportunities in this area are very limited in the summer due to camp.
Availability: Mostly fall, winter, and spring
Age Restrictions: Some activities are 14+ or 16+

School Holiday & Summer Camps

Our popular Summer Adventure Camps, which run from June through August each year, are one of our strongest and longest-running programs, and it takes a team of enthusiastic volunteers to help our education staff run 3-4 camps at the same time. In addition, we offer camps throughout the school year during Volusia County School holidays that need volunteers. Camps require volunteers to be outside and can encompass a variety of activities depending on the camp. All camp volunteers are required to attend the MDC Volunteer Orientation and complete the necessary Volunteer Application. Volunteers over the age of 18 must complete a Level II background screening. Volunteers under 18 must submit two letters of recommendation by a teacher, coach or organizational leader; these letters must be on organization letter head or, if via email, must have the organization’s information near the signature line. 

Availability: All Year
Age Restrictions: 14+ or 16+ depending on the camp

Shoreline Restoration

Do you like to be outdoors and get involved in hands-on projects? Our oyster recycling and restoration program, Shuck and Share, needs volunteers throughout most of the year to help with lots of different jobs from shell collection to assembly of restoration materials to deployment in the lagoon. Some of the work takes place at MDC but often we assist in other locations throughout Central Florida and with a variety of partner organizations. Other restoration work may include mangrove and marsh grass planting or harvesting as well as other activities as needed.
Availability: All year but dependent on grant funding and needs of project partners
Age Restrictions: Some activities are 16+ or 18+

Citizen Science

Want to help contribute to a variety of research and data collection that can help the Indian River Lagoon? There are many opportunities for citizen science – especially in the areas of animal & plant surveying and monitoring – and they may include field work, lab work, or a combination of the two. Opportunities often vary seasonally and are dependent on available grant funding and needs of our organizational partners.
Availability: All year but dependent on grant funding and needs of project partners
Age Restrictions: None

SWAT Team

Our Site Work Action Team is comprised of volunteers who don’t mind getting their hands dirty and helping keep our site looking great! We have a team of volunteers that help us maintain our grounds with most tasks encompassing landscaping, weeding, mulching, and other general site maintenance. We have organized events on a monthly basis to tackle specific tasks, and volunteers can also help at their convenience depending on our site needs.
Availability: All year
Age Restrictions: None

General Maintenance

Are you a Jack or Jill of all trades or have some helpful handy skills? We sometimes are in need of specialized skill sets in areas such as carpentry, painting, light construction, and other as-needed tasks to keep MDC in tip-top shape.
Availability: All year but dependent on facility needs
Age Restrictions: None

Exhibits

If you love the creatures in our tanks, perhaps you’d enjoy sharing information about them with our visitors! Our docents introduce guests to the tanks and other displays in our exhibit area. We also sometimes need volunteers to help care for our live exhibits with cleanings, feedings, and maintenance. Regular trainings will help you learn all you need!
Availability: Docents are needed.
Age Restrictions: None

Events

If your work or school schedule makes it hard to help during the week, you can still help with events! During the year, MDC hosts several fund-raising and community-building events, including our big fundraiser, NSB Paint Out, in the fall. A lot of advance planning is involved and on the day(s) of the event we need an energetic team of helpers willing to turn their hand to anything that needs doing. We also sometimes utilize outreach volunteers who act as environmental ambassadors for MDC at community events. Many of these events occur over weekends and sometimes in the evenings.
Availability: Mostly fall, winter, and spring
Age Restrictions: None

Marketing

Would you like to help but want to set your own schedule? With only a small number of full-time employees, we always need help to get the word out about our services. Some volunteers may wish to help by distributing brochures, flyers, and other marketing materials to local businesses and condos. Others may help with data entry, market research, etc.
Availability: NO OPPORTUNITIES AT THIS TIME
Age Restrictions: None

Kayak Tour Sweeps

Are you an experienced kayaker? We have daily guided kayak tours that need the help of volunteer sweeps to assist the tour guide in keeping the group together. Kayaking experience is required and the need for a volunteer sweep can usually be established the day before the trip. Most kayak tours are in the mornings and depart daily.
Availability: Opportunities currently are very limited
Age Restrictions: 16+

Internships

We often have a variety of internships for college students (and occasionally high school students). Areas that often utilize interns include Exhibits/Aquaria, Education, Summer Camp, Events, Shoreline Restoration, and Citizen Science.  Internship offerings vary seasonally and with the needs of our facility and may not always be available. Please visit our Jobs and Internships Page for more information on internships that currently are being offered.

Group Volunteering

We sometimes accept corporate, student, or community groups that would like to volunteer on a one-time or occasional basis. Availability for group volunteering largely depends on facility needs and/or time of year and is almost exclusively in the areas of SWAT/General Maintenance, Shoreline Restoration, and Events. To discuss group volunteering, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at [email protected].

Checklist for Marine Discovery Center Volunteers

In order to become a Marine Discovery Center volunteer, the following items need to be completed:

1. Attend one of the New Volunteer Introduction and Orientation sessions typically held on the 1st Wednesday of each month from 3:30-4:45 p.m.  (dates subject to change – please call us to confirm or visit our online calendar). Preregistration is requested; register online or call 386.428.4828. You may attend this orientation even if you are just considering volunteering but aren’t sure yet.
2. Complete an MDC Volunteer Application.
3. Read and sign our Policy against Child abuse and Workplace Sexual Harassment (the page to sign and submit is in the application packet).
4. Age 18 and over (anything other than camp): You will need to submit to a required basic background screening which is $17.50. The form for this screening can be downloaded below. Volunteers will be rescreened every 5 years.
5. Under 18: Submit two letters of recommendation by a teacher, coach or organizational leader; these letters must be on organization letter head or, if via email, must have the organization’s information near the signature line. Once you turn 18, you will need to complete a background screening and will  be rescreened every 5 years.
6. Volunteering for Camps: If you would like to volunteer for any of our camps and you are age 18 or over, you will need to submit to a Level II screening. This does have a higher cost than our basic screening (approx. $75) but is required for volunteering with all school year and summer camps. You can choose this option in lieu of our basic screening and this will allow you to volunteer for anything at MDC. The form for this screening can be downloaded below. Volunteers will need to be rescreened every 5 years.
7. Submit all documents to our Volunteer Coordinator. This is most often done at orientation but can also be done afterwards or ahead of time in person, by mail, or by email at [email protected]. Payment for the basic background check is done via our Welcome Center desk in person or over the phone; basic screenings will be processed once both payment and signed form is received. Payment for the Level II screening is not to MDC and comes a little later in the process.
8. Not sure about volunteering yet? You are welcome to attend orientation first and decide if volunteering is right for you before you submit paperwork.
9. Any questions? Contact [email protected]

Download Volunteer Application

Download Policy Against Sexual Harassment and Child Abuse

Download NSCI (Basic) Background Check

Download Level II Screening Form (18+ camp volunteering only)