Spend time with our most colorful (and talkative!) residents
Thanks for your interest in volunteering at Parrot Garden! Review the calendar below to find available volunteer shifts. Scheduling your volunteer shifts in advance is highly recommended, and shifts can be scheduled as far as one year in advance. Contact the Sanctuary Volunteer Department at volunteers@bestfriends.org or 435-644-2001, ext. 4119 with any questions.
Ready to get started? Click the button below to create your volunteer account. If you already have a volunteer account with Best Friends, you can log-in to your account and start scheduling your Sanctuary trip!
Parrot Garden Volunteer Projects
Volunteering at the Parrot Garden is educational, satisfying, and fun! Both our staff and the birds appreciate your help. We house around 100 parrots, ranging from parakeets, cockatiels, and conures to the larger parrots, including five or six species of macaws, several species of cockatoos, African grey parrots, and Amazon parrots. While volunteering you may be asked to help with any of the following tasks:
- Preparing and delivering fresh food and water to the parrot cages, under the supervision of a caregiver
- Cleaning water and food bowls
- Cleaning cages: replacing old newspaper and scrubbing perches and cages
- Sweeping and mopping the floors in the parrot rooms
- Socializing with the parrots and giving them treats
- Bathing birds with a warm water spray, under the supervision of a caregiver
- Cleaning the outdoor parrot aviaries, restocking them with new toys, and raking the sand (in the warmer seasons)
- Sweeping the deck and porch areas outside
- Raking and sweeping in the outside Parrot Garden and by the waterfall
For the person who wants to be around the birds but not necessarily in close contact with them, there are kitchen projects such as wiping out cupboards, washing windows, and watering plants. Or, you could make parrot toys (materials are provided).
Parrot Garden Safety Guidelines
To keep you and our animal friends safe, here are a few things that you should be aware of before volunteering:
Closed-toe shoes are required for volunteering in all animal areas. Sneakers or hiking shoes are the preferred footwear and shoes must have a heel strap at minimum. Clog type shoes are not permitted as shoes could fall off while working with animals, climbing ladders or performing other volunteer tasks.
- You will always work with a staff person.
- Self-guided tours are not allowed, but a staff person will gladly give you a tour of the facility.
- Parrots will bite to protect their "territory." Keep your fingers well away from them, no matter how beguiling they may seem.
- Don't touch or lean on the birds' cages.
- There are zoonotic diseases that may be transmitted from birds and animals to humans. Before volunteering consult your doctor for more information about precautions you can take.
- As Parrots are sensitive to strong smells, please refrain from wearing perfume or strong scented lotion when volunteering in Parrot Garden.
Are you interested in volunteering at Parrot Garden? Click here to get started. If you already have a volunteer account with Best Friends, log-in here.