Volunteering at the Academy

Take a deep dive into volunteering at the California Academy of Sciences! Love talking to people? Passionate about our beautiful California coast, coral reefs, or sustaining our water planet? The California Academy of Sciences is currently recruiting for Water Is Life (aquarium) docents. During our five training sessions, you will learn the basics of helping guests investigate the stunning Steinhart Aquarium. You may find yourself inspiring guests to protect coral reefs or explore a purple sea urchin with children at the Tidepool. Volunteer in a spectacular setting, and help others learn how to sustain our living seas. This is at least a 6-month commitment with three-3.5 hour shifts per month.

Docents must be able to attend all trainings: June 3, 10, 12, 19, 27. Times listed in position description below.

Help Academy collections managers prepare and maintain scientific collections in our research departments. Individual duties are diverse—mount plants, classify bones, re-bottle specimens, document collections, and more—but all volunteers are immersed in the principles and techniques of modern scientific-collections management. Most research placements require a 3- to 4-hour weekly commitment, and hours are available only on weekdays. ​Please visit our Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability pages to familiarize yourself with our areas of research.

• Special need in Entomology: Help with a wide array of tasks from databasing specimens to helping pin and curate the collection. Prior experience is valued, but not required. Tasks can include:
  • Cut out and organize pre-made labels
  • Record label data into an Excel spreadsheet or on paper (prefer someone who is familiar with computers)
  • Re-pinning crickets with new labels
  • More info in position description below

Enjoy being outside and working with plants? Join us in becoming an integral part of beautifying our iconic living roof and botanic gardens. Our volunteer teams are a great way to expand your knowledge of California native plants and horticulture in a friendly group environment. The Landscape department offers two weekly morning roof volunteer days and a monthly grounds afternoon; each shift lasts 3 hours. Enthusiasm is all that is required as we provide ongoing training opportunities.

Join the Academy’s guest experience team! Meet, greet, and guide Academy visitors as a roving concierge, helping visitors to make the best use of their time by providing impromptu itineraries and helpful suggestions. We ask for a commitment of two 2-hour shifts each month and offer additional volunteer opportunities at special events throughout the Academy. Orienteering is the Academy’s most flexible volunteer program and great way to make your first connection with the Academy.

Looking for a project-based volunteer opportunity? Have Excel experience, a strong attention to detail, and an easy demeanor? Volunteer Services at the Academy is looking to develop a corps of volunteers we can contact as data entry is needed throughout the Academy. Throughout the year our data entry needs fluctuate, but there’s always work to be done behind the scenes to support our world-class museum and research. For more information about this new volunteer opportunity, please see the full position description below. Link to the volunteer application is on the right side of this page.

Put your office, organizational, and computer skills to good use by providing administrative assistance to Academy staff. Volunteers who work behind the scenes enjoy a variety of assignments tailored to their interests and abilities.