Want to tell kids and adults bizarre facts about estuary animals? Get free entry into the Estuarium by volunteering to assist our lead interpreters on the weekends. Work directly with the public to help engage and educate people of all backgrounds on estuaries. Training is provided and shifts are 2.5-hours starting at 11:00am and 1:30pm. No experience necessary, just a desire to learn more through teaching others. All ages 14 and over are welcome!

Are you stronger than a sea star? Can you keep fish from stealing a sea star’s lunch? Find out these lessons and more by joining our Animal Husbandry team. Learn from our Lead Aquarist how to care for our estuary ambassadors and maintain our tanks. You’ll gain behind the scene knowledge and hands-on experience while volunteering with us. Training is provided, but a three-month commitment is desired. Shifts are weekdays, but times are flexible!

Do you want to explore our beaches and see firsthand all the amazing plants and animals that inhabit South Puget Sound? Become a Beach Naturalist for our Meet the Beach program. As a naturalist, you will be fostering a connection between people and the desire to protect our environment. Show beach visitors your interesting finds and share facts to inspire people of all ages. Trainings start in early Spring with presentations from experienced scientists and beach visits to practice species identification. The program runs for 3-hours a day Friday-Sunday, June through August, with dates and times determined by the tide. Click the Beach Naturalist Training tab for more details.

*To become a Beach Naturalist for the Meet the Beach program, additional training is required. Click HERE for details.

Come explore what’s in the water at night as seasons change with beautiful harbor views. Show participants the unique habitat piers provide for a myriad of species. Collect mobile specimens for an up close and personal look. Exhibit gentle behavior when touching our sessile pier residents. Drop lights into the darkened water and wait to see what comes out of the depths. Shifts are 3-hours to include time assisting our Program and Volunteer Coordinator with set up, take down, and ensuring participants follow safety guidelines. Program dates vary, with times dependent on sunset.

Did you know much of downtown Olympia was dredged from Budd Inlet and filled in? Or that this area was a prominent trading post for Coast Salish Tribes? Sign up to help our Sea Stroll leads give historical walking tours that discuss the cultural and physical changes of downtown Olympia starting from the 1800s. Training provided, shifts are 2-hours, and the walk is about 1.5 miles round trip. This walking tour was adapted from our K-12 Field Trip, Estuary Life and Landforms.

Be a part of a national database! Track the species of birds that can be found around downtown Olympia. Help our Bird Walk leads give birding hotspot tours to participants of all ages and birding experience. During the Spring and early Summer, you’ll walk the Olympia Port Peninsula looking for birds nesting, feeding on flowers, or flying in from the Puget Sound. In late Summer and Fall, you’ll walk to Capitol Lake and West Bay looking for birds migrating through, feeding on fish, or rearing their young. Training provided, shifts are 2-hours, and the walks are about 2 miles round trip.

Be an inspiration to a K-12 student! We run educational programming year-round that includes everything from Estuarium visits to beach trips to school visits. We serve school groups, scouts, homeschoolers, and more. Field trips are tailored to fit the age, interests, and needs of each visit. Solidify your own understanding of estuary ecosystems by helping teach students about marine biodiversity, watershed ecology, food webs, and human impacts. You’ll be sure to stay inspired by those “Aha!” moments. Trainings provided for larger field trips, and shifts range from full 8-hour days to 1.5-hour quick trips.

Represent the Estuarium and attend community events for free! As a prominent community organization, we get invited to many events throughout the year. Talk with attendees about the multitude of programs the Estuarium offers. Show off our shells and jarred invertebrates to wide-eyed kids and adults. Run games, microscopes, demonstrations, or our mobile touch tank for event attendees! Don’t forget to take some time to explore the event yourself or enjoy the following production.

Make a bigger impact at our facility or in our programing; leave your legacy! Teams meet once a month and are the driving force behind the Estuarium. Work directly with staff and board members to improve our facility, programs, or events. Practice grant writing to get funding for our new larger Estuarium building as part of the Development Team. If you love planning parties, join our Events Team to put on the best shows in town! Be a part of our Outreach and Exhibits Team and cleverly mix art and science together to redesign or create new exhibits. Help us become more inclusive and serve underrepresented communities as part of the Equity Team.  Or try your hand at creating new K-12 field trips as part of the Education Team to keep up with our every expanding educational reach. Check out our Teams page for more information!