88 Days Volunteer In A Widlife Sanctuary

🦘 Volunteer Program at Potoroo Palace Wildlife Sanctuary

🌿 About the Sanctuary
Potoroo Palace is a not-for-profit wildlife sanctuary located in Merimbula, New South Wales. Our mission is to care for rescued, injured, and orphaned Australian native animals while educating the public about conservation and wildlife protection. Volunteers play a vital role in helping us provide daily care, enrichment, and maintenance for our animals and the sanctuary grounds.

🐾 Volunteer Responsibilities
Animal Care: Feeding, cleaning enclosures, and monitoring the wellbeing of a wide variety of Australian wildlife, including wombats, kangaroos, cockatoos, koalas, dingoes, flying foxes, and more.

Sanctuary Maintenance: Keeping the sanctuary clean and safe by raking leaves, tidying enclosures and pathways, and maintaining a welcoming environment for both animals and visitors.
Food Preparation: Preparing animal meals for the following day — chopping vegetables, mixing specialised diets, and organising feeding schedules.

Flexible Tasks: Assisting in other roles as needed, such as occasional help in the café (unpaid), supporting educational activities, or helping with visitor engagement.

This position offers hands-on experience working closely with Australian wildlife and contributes directly to the care, wellbeing, and conservation of the animals.

💪 Skills & Qualities Required
Passion for animals and wildlife conservation
Reliability and ability to follow instructions
Team spirit and positive attitude
Willingness to work outdoors in all weather conditions
Basic physical fitness for cleaning, feeding, and maintenance tasks

🏕️ Accommodation & Facilities
Volunteers are housed in individual caravans located within the sanctuary grounds.
Each caravan includes a bed, small living space, and access to shared facilities such as:
Kitchen
Bathroom and shower
Laundry area
Composting toilet
Electricity, water, and gas are included. Volunteers are responsible for keeping their living area clean and tidy.

🕒 Schedule & Duration
Volunteers work 5 days per week, with 2 consecutive days off.
Working hours are generally between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

The minimum stay is 3 months to ensure proper training, animal care continuity, and a meaningful experience.

👕 Clothing & Requirements
Please bring:
Closed shoes or work boots
Comfortable outdoor clothing that can get dirty
A hat and sunscreen for sun protection
A reusable water bottle
All volunteers must have:
A valid travel/health insurance (mandatory)

💰 Program Fee
To help cover the costs of training, gas, insurance, and maintenance of volunteer facilities, a one-time contribution of AUD 350 is required at the beginning of the stay.

AUD 150 is kept by the sanctuary to cover essential costs (training, gas, insurance, maintenance).

AUD 200 are refunded at the end of the 3 months if the volunteer completes their full commitment.
This contribution helps ensure that the sanctuary can continue to operate sustainably while offering volunteers a fair, meaningful, and rewarding experience.

💬 How to Apply
If you’re passionate about wildlife and want to make a real difference, please send your application to [insert email address] with the following:
A short introduction about yourself
Why you’d like to volunteer at Potoroo Palace
Your availability and preferred dates
We welcome caring, motivated individuals who want to be part of a positive team and contribute to the wellbeing of Australian wildlife.

💚 Join us and make a difference for Australia’s wildlife!
At Potoroo Palace, every volunteer helps create a better life for the animals in our care — and leaves with unforgettable memories and lifelong connections.