Celebrating our fantastic volunteers for Volunteer's Week

Volunteer's Week is happening from the 2 - 8 June this year, celebrating the amazing contributions that volunteers make to communities across the UK.

It wouldn’t be possible to do the amazing conservation work here at the zoo and in our communities without the volunteers who support us in our mission to prevent extinction every year. Who better to ask for some insider zoo tips and special facts than the volunteers you’ll often meet as you explore the zoo and everything there is to do!

In 2025, it's been 10 years since we started an official visitor engagement volunteer programme. In that time, the programme has grown into many different roles, including Education Volunteers, Garden Volunteers, Youth Volunteers, Archive Volunteers and more! 

Heather Fleming-Williams

How long have you been a volunteer for?

This will be my tenth year volunteering at the zoo!

What’s your top tip for members visiting the zoo?

Be patient. Sometimes just staying by a habitat for a few minutes will get you a wonderful sighting that walking past would miss.

Which area of the zoo do you most enjoy spending time in as a volunteer? 

I have a soft spot for Monsoon Forest. I like to champion the less well-known species so I love pointing out all the birds, frogs and critters in the habitat that people might otherwise miss.

Finn Holmes-Kellett

How long have you been a volunteer for?

I have been a volunteer at Chester Zoo for 7 years.

What's your top tip for members visiting the zoo? 

Arrive early, there is so much to see – you might even need two days! As a charity, the money raised by public admission and purchases goes towards both the running of the zoo and its programmes and the conservation projects it supports in the field. Every visit makes a difference for nature!

Be aware that animals, like ourselves are individuals with personalities and a mind of their own. This means they may not be immediately visible upon first look, so it is worth a few passes during a visit. During each look, I advise spending a few minutes observing or searching before moving on.

Marco Trebbi

How long have you been a volunteer for?

5 Years.

Why did you decide to volunteer? 

I have been coming to Chester Zoo since I was a child and always been enthralled by the zoo's ethos and mission. My family are all members now, so I wanted to give back to Chester Zoo, what I could, for the years of excitement and pleasure I had as a child visiting our wonderful zoo. I want to do my bit towards our zoo's conservation mission and the preventing extinction journey.

What do you love about Chester Zoo? 

I had to really think about this question, but it is actually a theme I discuss with our guests quite regularly. The very much unsung work that our zoo does both out in the field, spreading its mission statement, and both here at home. It’s an amazing zoo, with amazing staff, fantastic leadership and then there's our animals!

Vanessa Greatorex Roskilly

How long have you been a volunteer for?

Just over five years.

What do you do in your role as a volunteer? 

I love the variety. Mostly it's archiving, visitor engagement, Hedgehog Watch and helping out at events such as the Wildlife Connections Festival and Lanterns and Light , but I've also done race marshalling, provided written transcripts of keeper talks for online videos, appeared in a musical conservation video and participated in security training exercises. On top of this I really enjoy all the opportunities to develop my skills and knowledge through the zoo's online training and volunteer engagement sessions.

Do you have any special facts about the zoo you’d like to share with visitors? 

Female giant walking leaves were unknown to scientists until 1984, and it was another 10 years before male giant walking leaves were spotted. Until then, it was believed that every giant walking leaf was a clone of its mother via a process known as parthenogenesis.

David Lomas

How long have you been a volunteer for?

I have been a volunteer at Chester Zoo for nine years.

What do you do in your role as a volunteer?

Initially, my role was to engage visitors on Islands, but gradually the role expanded and new opportunities arose. In my case, I'd mentioned an interest in the zoo's history and several small projects came my way. I'm also a member of the Archive Team where we're bringing together papers and photographs and cataloguing them.

What's your top tip for members visiting the zoo? 

Our megafauna is amazing, but take time to seek out and observe our smaller animals, their natural histories can be just as interesting.

A big thank you to all our wonderful corporate volunteers helping us to make a difference!

Our corporate volunteering scheme offers a unique opportunity for our valued corporate members to help make a difference. By partnering with dedicated zoo teams, corporate volunteers not only make a meaningful contribution to wildlife conservation, but also gain unique insights into the inner workings of a global conservation charity.

Whether it's supporting animal welfare, aiding our field teams in wildlife and biodiversity efforts, or participating in conservation education work, corporate teams leave with a profound sense of accomplishment and a deeper connection to the incredible animals and conservation projects here at Chester Zoo.