Prior to the last 2 months, I had been volunteering at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest for 4.5 years.  I can easily say that it was the best way I spent my time!  It was so incredibly meaningful for me that I decided, at 52 years old, to pursue a career change and am now a full time staff person!  How lucky am I?  So I compiled a list of reasons that YOU TOO should become a volunteer.  We’d love to see your smiling faces  🙂

1. Burrito
2. Terry
3. Foxie
4. Annie
5. Cy
6. Jamie
7. Missy
8. Gordo
9. Dora
10. Mave
11. Honey B
12. Willy B
13. Negra
14. Lucky
15. Rayne
16. Diana
17. JB
18. Anna
19. Dr.Erin
20. Kelsi
21. Grace
22. Jenna
23. Chad
24. Katelyn
25. Sabrina
26. Ellen
27. Krissy
28. Deer families
29. Marmots for days
30. Raven shenanigans
31. Frogs – you may have to save them from the playrooms (Negra will eat them!) **
32. Snakes – no wait, that’s a different list!
33. Volunteering is incredibly rewarding
34. Free snacks!
    
35. Raspberries – the kind you blow, not the kind you eat, also known as a Bronx Cheer
36. The property is breathtakingly beautiful!
37. Only one chimpanzee throws poop 
    
38. Bragging rights – your friends will be so jealous (which is why they should become volunteers, too!)
39. We share 98.76% of our DNA with chimpanzees – so that makes us family
40. Jamieween
41. Trifecta Jubilee
42. Enrichment prep parties – such as pumpkin carving for Jamieween
43. Making chow bags (actually, that’s why WE want you to volunteer)
    
    Volunteer Katie making chow bags
    
44. Volunteering is FREE
45. Friendship
46. Strengthens our community
47. Volunteers know the inside scoop – they’re part of the team
48. Plenty of parking
49. Troll toss with Foxie ***
50. The sanctuary couldn’t do it without volunteers!
51. Learn chimpanzee facts that you can use at cocktail parties  (do people still go to cocktail parties?)
52. Watching meal service from Mechanical Room 3
53. Satisfaction gained through a job well done
54. Witnessing sweet moments between chimps
55. Dancing with Terry ***
56. The opportunity to bond with another species
57. Combats depression
58. Taking walks around the hill
59. Grooming ***
60. Volunteers make the staff very happy – think Norm entering Cheers
61. Tug-o-war with Burrito ***
    
62. Most of the time, the spit flying at your face is just water
63. Gain career experience
64. Espresso machine
65. Meet new people
66. Negra kisses ***
    
67. Camaraderie
68. You can make a difference
69. The rare opportunity to groom Missy ***
70. Gardening
71. We have ice!
72. And air conditioning!
73. Bipedal Annie
74. You get to go home early!
75. You become a more interesting person
76. Lunch forages
77. You’ll want chimp tattoos
78. You can check out books from our library
    
79. Cows
    
80. Teeth clacking during grooming
81. Chimp laughter
82. Looking for enrichment outside of chimp house (finding old dolls/boots/magazines)
83. Barn Kitty – look but don’t touch!
84. The excitement of Cy’s group when we roll out the food cart for meals
85. Acquiring chimp art through online auctions, and such (first to know)
86. Burrito’s toes
    
87. Lizard (Travis)
88. Gordo/Rayne in a box
89. Gatorade pools
90. Willy B eating lettuce/bok choy/celery, and such
91. Making forts **
    
92. Making paper braids – just kidding, they’re a nightmare, but lots of enrichment is fun to make!
    
    Volunteer Sarah S making firehose knots
    
93. Annie bird noises and hair/face washing
94. Otter pops
95. Making nests **
    
96. Dora’s head bobble
97. It makes you happy!
98. Watching the big boys display – gets your heart pounding!
99. IT’S JUST PLAIN FUN!!!!!

Now that you are ready to fill out an application to volunteer, you need to know about the different levels of volunteer:

*Level I – tasks include doing laundry, washing dishes, preparing enrichment, lunch prep, putting produce away, etc.  Please note, Level I volunteers do not interact with the chimpanzees, besides a polite head nod.

** Level II – in addition to Level I tasks, Level II volunteers assist in cleaning enclosures.  Please note, Level II volunteers do not interact with the chimpanzees, besides a polite head nod.

***Level III – In addition to Level I and II tasks, Level III volunteers serve meals and engage in protected physical and non-physical interactions with the chimpanzees.

You can fill out an application to become a Level I or Level II volunteer.  Trustworthy and dedicated volunteers are invited to train to become Level III volunteers – while all levels are rewarding, you and I both know that the real magic happens when you work to become a Level III volunteer.  It’s so worth it!