Volunteering at the museum is an opportunity to share, learn, serve, meet people, teach, and experience the stimulating environment of Mississippi's natural resources. Volunteer commitment in time and talents is a vital contribution to the museum's mission of preserving natural Mississippi.

How to Get Involved

All kinds of people volunteer at the museum: teens, college students, professionals, and retirees. A wide variety of volunteer positions are available--even for SCUBA Divers! Training is provided, and the number of hours you commit is flexible.Group of museum volunteers

Positions include:

  • Education Docent
  • Preschool Assistant
  • Aquariums Assistant
  • Exhibit Assistant
  • "Touch Tank" Aquariums Docent
  • Trails Maintenance
  • Park Maintenance
  • Conservation Biology Assistant

To start the process of becoming a volunteer, please review our volunteer job descriptions, then fill out and submit the appropriate application below.

For All Volunteers

SCUBA Divers

Please complete either the Adult, College, or Teen Volunteer Application and review the SCUBA Diver Guidelines.

Dive into Volunteer Action

Visitors enjoy watching our volunteer divers in action! After entering the museum volunteer program, these certified divers learn to feed fish in the large Salt Water and Pearl River tanks. The divers also educate, entertain, and interact with visitors during live presentations.

Behind the scenes, these volunteers prepare the fish feedings, a task that includes cutting fish, peeling shrimp, and cleaning and blending worms. Volunteers also spend long hours keeping the tanks sparkling clean, especially the terrarium. In the summer, when algae grows so quickly that the glass needs to be scrubbed at least twice each week, divers put on their masks and wetsuits and spend an hour in the chilly water, scrubbing the glass from the inside. From the slimy task of preparing feedings to the hard work of cleaning tanks, this is some very serious volunteerism!

Group of kids on a fossil trip

Volunteer Milestones

3,000-Hour Volunteer Milestone:

  • John Davis
  • Joy Rushing

1,000-Hour Volunteer Milestone:

  • Peter Kuchirka
  • Lou F. Moore