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Anyone work/volunteer at the Camden aquarium?

S

saltwater4life

Hey guys,
Finally got some time to visit the forum. Been busy with school and stuff lately...
Anyways, I was just wondering does anyone work or volunteer at the aquarium? I was checking out their site to see what was available and i am wondering about doing an internship in the fall, Fish and Invertebrate Volunteer or maybe a dive volunteer once i get enough dives. Just wondering if anyone else has done anything there. I know these would look good for college and fun ;D

Thanks guys,
~Nick
 
H

hurtback

i have a friend who volunteered at the aquarium---it was 2 days out of the month---he cleaned the inside of the tanks!!!! he said it was awesome---him and i worked together but we ( the guys at work ) never got a chance to go see him at work----
whats stopping me is the amount of dives you need ---i dont have enough---the diving stopped when the kids started popping out and since then other things took over---but, thats something on my mind---getting enough dives so i can volunteer
sure would be nice.........
good luck
steve
 
S

saltwater4life

Cool, I just finished my NUAI course not to long ago just gotta wait til May 1st and 2nd to get my certification then I'll be working on mine. The one instructor that helped during the pool dives, she cleans the tanks too... That would be so awesome ;D Only thing is most of their stuff requires you be 18... My mom was going to call and ask about that but i'm sure it's some legal reasons if not only 6 more months lol
 
H

hurtback

i was certified many years ago---went as far as open water certified--------but, like i said before---life gets in the way of things you would really enjoy doing---but my times acoming!!!!
so you should talk to that one instructor about whats required---maybe with her input and the fact that she was your instructor might be a big help in getting ' in '--
your right---cleaning those big tanks would be kinda kool---they also need volunteers to help with other parts of the aquarium---check out their website---once my time starts to free up thats something i'm gonna check into--even 1 day a month would be great..........
steve
 
V

vangvace

I volunteer there every other Sunday as a Fish and Invert Volunteer. Nancy, the volunteer coordinator is great. It was about 2 months before I was called for an interview. Volunteers are paired with biologists and are responsible for the same areas. My schedule when there is normally:

0700: Arrive, clock in and start cleaning display tanks before the aquarium opens. ( I work on touch-a-shark, The Jules Vernes exhibit (minus the jellies but including the GPO), the sea dragons not on display, and the quarantine building.

0900: Done with display tanks and now it's on to food prep. The animals get fed restaurant quality food and it's prepped daily btw. Small krill, large krill, cubed gel, and shredded gel gets added to TV trays. Then I start cutting up ~a 5 gallon bucket worth of capelin, squid, and mackerel.

1100: Meeting about the goings-on for the day so far.

1200: Lunch hour

1300-1600: Cleaning off exhibit tanks, skimmers, or other projects that might need to be done, like cleaning out 500 pounds of filter sand for instance.


Something of note: If they don't have a radio, a cleaning cart, or trying to sell you something they are a volunteer. The only paid employee that stays with any of the touch tanks can be found with the rays.

Benefits:
Free Tshirts, coffee mug (with free beverage refills while working), free parking in the garage, discount passes, free passes once you have 6 months under your belt, and other stuff too. For instance for this April I have free admission to many of the museums and the like around Philly.


If I remember (and the wife oks it) I'm planning on taking my camera with me Sunday.
 
Hawkeye

Hawkeye

vangvace said:
I volunteer there every other Sunday as a Fish and Invert Volunteer. Nancy, the volunteer coordinator is great. It was about 2 months before I was called for an interview. Volunteers are paired with biologists and are responsible for the same areas. My schedule when there is normally:

0700: Arrive, clock in and start cleaning display tanks before the aquarium opens. ( I work on touch-a-shark, The Jules Vernes exhibit (minus the jellies but including the GPO), the sea dragons not on display, and the quarantine building.

0900: Done with display tanks and now it's on to food prep. The animals get fed restaurant quality food and it's prepped daily btw. Small krill, large krill, cubed gel, and shredded gel gets added to TV trays. Then I start cutting up ~a 5 gallon bucket worth of capelin, squid, and mackerel.

1100: Meeting about the goings-on for the day so far.

1200: Lunch hour

1300-1600: Cleaning off exhibit tanks, skimmers, or other projects that might need to be done, like cleaning out 500 pounds of filter sand for instance.


Something of note: If they don't have a radio, a cleaning cart, or trying to sell you something they are a volunteer. The only paid employee that stays with any of the touch tanks can be found with the rays.

Benefits:
Free Tshirts, coffee mug (with free beverage refills while working), free parking in the garage, discount passes, free passes once you have 6 months under your belt, and other stuff too. For instance for this April I have free admission to many of the museums and the like around Philly.


If I remember (and the wife oks it) I'm planning on taking my camera with me Sunday.
Click to expand...

that is freakin' awesome vangvace! I wish we lived closer because that would definitely be something I'd be interested in. Also if i haven't said it before - many thanks for serving our country.

i wish I had a volunteer for my 120....oh wait that's me. :p
 
S

saltwater4life

vangvace said:
I volunteer there every other Sunday as a Fish and Invert Volunteer. Nancy, the volunteer coordinator is great. It was about 2 months before I was called for an interview. Volunteers are paired with biologists and are responsible for the same areas. My schedule when there is normally:

0700: Arrive, clock in and start cleaning display tanks before the aquarium opens. ( I work on touch-a-shark, The Jules Vernes exhibit (minus the jellies but including the GPO), the sea dragons not on display, and the quarantine building.

0900: Done with display tanks and now it's on to food prep. The animals get fed restaurant quality food and it's prepped daily btw. Small krill, large krill, cubed gel, and shredded gel gets added to TV trays. Then I start cutting up ~a 5 gallon bucket worth of capelin, squid, and mackerel.

1100: Meeting about the goings-on for the day so far.

1200: Lunch hour

1300-1600: Cleaning off exhibit tanks, skimmers, or other projects that might need to be done, like cleaning out 500 pounds of filter sand for instance.


Something of note: If they don't have a radio, a cleaning cart, or trying to sell you something they are a volunteer. The only paid employee that stays with any of the touch tanks can be found with the rays.

Benefits:
Free Tshirts, coffee mug (with free beverage refills while working), free parking in the garage, discount passes, free passes once you have 6 months under your belt, and other stuff too. For instance for this April I have free admission to many of the museums and the like around Philly.


If I remember (and the wife oks it) I'm planning on taking my camera with me Sunday.
Click to expand...
That is awesome!
So do you get choose what you want to do or do they just tell you what area your working? like your working with the touch tank. Man that sounds fun :eek:
 
H

hurtback

vangvace ---that is awesome---your doing something I've thought about for a long time---now with my sons older now and time not involved taking/doing something with/for them I'm gonna check into volunteering---
now i cant wait !!!!
good luck
Steve
 
M

Mbodell

I was thinking of volunteering since I am close to the aquarium. I think it would probably make me want a bigger tank, but everything tends to do that to me anyhow.
I haven't done the scuba cert yet. My wife and I are going to both do that once she is back to normal (shoulder surgery) and working again.
 
S

saltwater4life

Just about everything on their site requires you be 18 but i think i'm going to call them i'm sure they have something fish related that i can do :(
Lol I'd just adopt the tanks you would work on there :D Yeah i've got a 55gal and an 760,000 gallon tank ;D
 
H

hurtback

:D Yeah i've got a 55gal and an 760,000 gallon tank ;D
[/quote]
imagine the look on someones face once they realized and understand what your saying!!! :eek:
 
V

vangvace

Hawkeye said:
that is freakin' awesome vangvace! I wish we lived closer because that would definitely be something I'd be interested in. Also if i haven't said it before - many thanks for serving our country.

i wish I had a volunteer for my 120....oh wait that's me. :p
Click to expand...

No prob Hawkeye. Where else can I play with cool toys, work out, and yell at people while getting paid?
 
V

vangvace

saltwater4life said:
That is awesome!
So do you get choose what you want to do or do they just tell you what area your working? like your working with the touch tank. Man that sounds fun :eek:
Click to expand...

They are willing to work with you if there is an opening in an area you are interested in. Even if you start out on one thing and decide it's not your thing you can normally change it up. The touch tanks can get tedious because you don't want to siphon too much sand out and leftover food will clog the hose. But the skimmer and sump on it is huge :eek:.

One thing I was surprised about was how big most of the display tanks are. You can't always tell, but many of them are 3 feet deep or more from the glass.

saltwater4life said:
Just about everything on their site requires you be 18 but i think i'm going to call them i'm sure they have something fish related that i can do :(
Lol I'd just adopt the tanks you would work on there :D Yeah i've got a 55gal and an 760,000 gallon tank ;D
Click to expand...

Be sure to mention that Keith sent y'all. (I don't think it gets me anything, but just in case. :D)
 
S

saltwater4life

Sure will,
I always wondered what the equipment looked like on those tanks. Since they have so many people sticking their dirty hands in the water. I got to check out behind the scene last year and i was surprised they used bio balls.
 
V

vangvace

Update...

They are currently interviewing for Fish and Invert Volunteers. In particular they are looking for Monday, Thursday and/or Friday volunteers. Might get a Sunday one as well since they realized I was all by my self.

For the divers volunteers... They aren't planning on interviewing again until the fall for now.
 
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