Are you looking for a way to get involved in your community and marine conservation this summer? Blue Ocean Society is still recruiting new volunteers for our Discovery Center at Hampton Beach! If you’re interested, read on to learn more about the position and how to apply.
Volunteer Experience
Volunteers at the Blue Ocean Discovery Center help visitors have their best experience while exploring our exhibits.
At our observation tanks, you’ll talk to visitors about the live ocean animals they can see, including lobsters, crabs, sea stars, horseshoe crabs, and fish. At our touch tank, you’ll help them reach in and interact safely with our 150+ Asian shore crabs and green crabs, all of which are too tiny to pinch and love to hide among our rocks.
You may strike up a conversation with a visitor about our whale identification research that is ongoing while next to our whale exhibit wall, or share stories of Hampton Beach at our local history section. Visitors can also get hands-on with our real lobster trap, examine barnacles under a microscope, and read ocean-themed storybooks.
As a volunteer, you will help visitors enjoy these experiences, answer questions, and share ways to protect our beaches.
Scheduling
Volunteers commit to one, four-hour shift per week throughout the summer, at the same time and day each week. If you would like to volunteer for a partial shift, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate! We can also plan in advance for vacations or known unavailability, as well as going back to school in September. Our highest priority shifts are currently:
• Fridays 11am-3:30pm
• Fridays 3:30pm-7:30pm
• Saturdays 11am-3:30pm
• Saturdays 3:30pm-7:30pm
• Sundays 11am-3:30pm
• Sundays 3:30pm-7:30pm
Business Hours
The Blue Ocean Discovery Center is open from 12pm-7pm every day of the week through September 21st. Early shifts from 11am-3:30pm include setting up the center for the day, and evening shifts from 3:30pm-7:30pm include packing everything back up.
Parking
We offer free parking passes for all volunteers to park at the Hampton Beach State Park, next to the bridge. This is a 10-15 minute walk away from the center. Some of our volunteers walk to the center or are dropped off.
How to Apply
Please fill out our online Volunteer Application at this link: http://www.blueoceansociety.or
Volunteer Coordinator Katie will be in touch to set up a quick phone call with you to confirm details as soon as possible! Please reach out with any questions directly to katie@blueoceansociety.org.
