Jennifer Tracey Senior Director, Marketing, Communications & Partnerships

Transcription

1 ZB19.8 STAFF REPORT To: From: Board of Management Jennifer Tracey Senior Director, Marketing, Communications & Partnerships Subject: VOLUNTEER SERVICES REPORT 2017 Date: SUMMARY: The purpose of this report is to review and update the Board of Management on the activities of the Volunteer Services Unit for the year The volunteer team consists of Year-Round Volunteers, Summer Volunteers, Zoo Ambassador Student Volunteers, and Panda Ambassador Volunteers. All volunteers assist in the delivery of the Zoo's educational programs, helping to raise public awareness and involvement in conservation, interpreting the zoogeographic and ecological relationships of the animal and plant kingdoms, and enhancing the experience of each Toronto Zoo visitor with whom they come in contact. In 2017, a team of 456 volunteers donated 29,210 hours of their time to the Toronto Zoo reaching an estimated 701,603 people. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that this report be received for information. COMMENTS: One hundred twenty-four volunteers were recruited and attended volunteer training courses Twenty one people completed the ten-session course to become Year-Round Volunteers. In addition, 60 Summer Volunteers were trained to assist visitors at interpretive stations throughout the Zoo during the busy months of May to August. Thirty-two new Zoo Ambassador Student Volunteers also joined the 34 returning volunteers in this group, assisting at special events and with summer Zoo Camp programs. Fifteen new individuals joined our roster of Panda Interpretive Volunteers for a total of 94 new and returning volunteers in this role for Effective Volunteer engagement results in high numbers of Volunteers returning and progressing to leadership positions In 2017, approximately 50% of our Panda Ambassador roster returned to complete multiple 6-month terms. In addition, four Volunteers from our short-term programs (Summer Information Volunteer and Panda Ambassador Volunteer) moved up to our Year-Round Volunteer program, one which requires a higher investment of time, Volunteer Services Report 2017 Page 1 of 6

2 knowledge, and skills. These trends have continued to be strong over several years, indicating the success in our objective of increasing our Volunteer roster by providing a positive introductory Volunteer experience through short-term Volunteer opportunities. Interpretive support continued at Giant Panda Interpretive Centre Volunteers continued to operate two interpretive stations in the Giant Panda Interpretive Centre daily during opening hours. Using a variety of fun and interactive touch points, visitors not only discovered the amazing adaptations giant pandas have for eating bamboo, but learned more about the life cycle of the giant panda cubs and how, through the breeding program, the Zoo is working to conserve this important species. Volunteers connected with 145,299 visitors in the Giant Panda Interpretive Centre in 2017 and donated 3,687 hours. Volunteers continued to expand and upgrade their skills Volunteer monthly meetings provide continuing education presenters included: Pauline Delnatte, Veterinarian Dawn Mihailovic, Veterinary Technician Julie Ward, Keeper, Wildlife Care Robin Hale, Chief Operating Officer Kim Meehan, Keeper, Wildlife Care Gabe Magnus, Behaviourist Cedric Larouche, Veterinary Resident Julie Teichroeb, Associate Professor, UTSC A series of refresher training sessions were delivered during the winter months for Year-Round Volunteers. Sessions included: animal care and training, native trees, Horticulture tours through the pavilions to focus on the plant collection, giant panda tours, policy reviews, and interpretation refresher trainings. Additional relevant skill development was fostered through various other training sessions throughout the year including a Certified Interpretive Guide course delivered for Volunteers interested in becoming a Certified Interpretive Guide. Certified Interpretive Guide course delivered The internationally recognized National Association for Interpretation Certified Interpretive Guide training program, of which two Volunteer Services staff are sanctioned trainers, was delivered in April Upon completion of the four-day course, 10 of the participants applied and were successful in receiving their certification from the National Association for Interpretation as a Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG). The Toronto Zoo continues to benefit from the dedication of long-service volunteers Eighteen Volunteers received awards for years of service to the Zoo at our annual Volunteer Appreciation/Strawberries and Wine event held in September. This included two Volunteers recognized for 10 years of service, eight Volunteers awarded for 15 Volunteer Services Report 2017 Page 2 of 6

3 years of service, five Volunteers reaching the 20 year level, one Volunteer with 25 years of service, one Volunteer awarded at the 30 years of service level, and one reaching 35 years of service. We also awarded Volunteers in our new hourly service award categories, a program that was introduced to recognize and motivate Volunteers who contribute high numbers of hours over a short amount of time, or who show longstanding commitment in our seasonal Volunteer programs. As this was our first year of presenting these hourly service awards, and awards were based on past service, a total of 117 Volunteers received recognition for their cumulative service contributions. This included three Volunteers with over 750 hours of service, three with more than 1,125 hours of service, and two reaching the 1,500 hours of service level. The Toronto Zoo supports a variety of recognition events and programs for volunteers One-hundred thirty-five volunteers received awards for years or hours of service. Volunteers were recognized each day throughout National Volunteer Week in April with light breakfast snacks and refreshments. Six Year-Round Volunteers and three youth volunteers were honoured for their service at the annual Volunteer Services Awards ceremony hosted by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration. Volunteers recognition events were held in September (Strawberries and Wine and Volunteer appreciation awards ceremony) and December (Winter Holiday Party). A newsletter for volunteers is produced each month (It s Happening), in addition to the bimonthly issue of the staff newsletter Browse, keeping volunteers informed about Zoo events. Volunteers receive uniforms partially subsidized by the Zoo. Valuable animal data gained from volunteer observations Volunteers continue to provide support to Wildlife Care staff by participating in animal observation studies throughout the year. Important information has been collected for the following animals: African spoonbill, cheetah, clouded leopard, Egyptian goose, lemur, plantain eater, pygmy hippopotamus, snow leopard, white rhinoceros, and zebra. Zoo Ambassador Student Volunteers assist with summer camps Thirty-five Zoo Ambassador Student Volunteers assisted staff with day camps throughout the summer, contributing 1,875 hours. Volunteers support a number of International Conservation Awareness Days Volunteers and Zoo Ambassadors were active in operating a number of activities and interpretive tables in support of international conservation days for animals such as bats, wild cats, giraffes, hippopotamuses, insects, lemurs, lions, orangutans, penguins, vultures, and white rhinoceros. Volunteer Services Report 2017 Page 3 of 6

4 Partnership with Toronto Public Library Museum + Arts Pass Program (MAP) As a venue supporting the MAP Program, Toronto Zoo is offered an opportunity to provide outreach at various library branches. In celebration of Canada 150, we created the Amazing Adaptations of Canadian Animals Program which engaged young participants in learning more about the unique features and behaviours of Canada s wildlife. Throughout the year, the program was delivered at a variety of libraries, as well as community centres and summer day camps. Volunteers continue to showcase the Toronto Zoo at community events Volunteers take their knowledge and conservation messages on the road, travelling to various schools, clubs, seniors residences and a wide variety of events and picnics in the community. Events in 2017 included Symcor Eco-Fair, as well as various City Councillor picnics. Connecting with Conservation interpretive activities enhance festivities Connecting with Conservation interpretive tables were featured to coincide with celebratory weekends and holidays such as Valentine s Day, Family Day, March Break, and others throughout the year. With the support of our Public Relations team, visitors were encouraged to visit these tables to learn more about Zoo conservation efforts through specially-themed activities. Wildlife Health Centre interpretive experience opens to the public To ensure the new Wildlife Health Centre viewing gallery provided an outstanding visitor experience, the Volunteer Services Unit created, delivered, and evaluated interpretive commentary, tours, and a variety of engaging educational activities in the area. The goal was to encourage hands-on learning around the topics of Zoo animal health and Toronto Zoo conservation projects. The experience was very well received and 32,953 visitors were reached with our interpretive efforts. Orangutan palm oil hot spot activity zone a summer highlight again in 2017 Supporting the theme "Orangutans need rainforests, and so do we", we again offered this interactive activity zone to help visitors understand the importance of the rainforest to orangutans and raised awareness about the issue of sustainability surrounding palm oil. The hot spot was further updated and refined and operated by Volunteers throughout the busy summer months, resulting in the messaging reaching 1,321 visitors. Guest feedback was extremely positive for this initiative, reflecting well on the Zoo and indicating a desire amongst the public to take action for conservation. Extended corporate/community volunteer activities at the Toronto Zoo Outside of the activities of the Volunteer Services Unit, the Toronto Zoo also engages corporate and community groups/individuals in various volunteering opportunities under the larger co-ordination of the Conservation, Education & Wildlife Division. These activities include tree plantings and harvesting browse cuttings to support the health and nutrition of the animals. Overall, 330 people participated in these activities donating 1,290 hours of their time, representing a value of $35,527 to the Zoo. Volunteer Services Report 2017 Page 4 of 6

5 Performance Measurements: Table 1: The chart below shows the trend of various volunteer activities from 2013 to Toronto Zoo Volunteer Led Programs / Activities % change vs On-Site Number of people in groups toured Number of groups toured 15,352 13,533 10,492 13,350 11,718 (12.2%) (14.2%) Off-Site Volunteer Led Outreach a) Schools/Group Presentations b) Event Interpretive tables c) Number of people contacted (51.4%) (43.5%) (64.3%) 19,560 14,896 11,085 6,141 2,426 (60.5%) Overall Total Number of Volunteer hours 33,388 31,937 30,963 33,025 29,210 (11.6%) Notes on Performance Measures: Number of people in groups toured and number of groups toured: The labour disruption, which began May 11 and continued for five weeks, notably impacted the reach of our on-site tours in 2017 as we had a large number of school bookings that could not attend during this time. Number of people contacted through off-site activities: Again this year, the mix of outreach opportunities favoured smaller school / group presentations where the number of participants is lower compared to the larger community / summer festivals. The labour disruption also likely had an effect on bookings for later in the summer and fall as clients often need to secure outreach Volunteer Services Report 2017 Page 5 of 6

6 providers months in advance of their events and the Zoo was not able to make these bookings at this critical time. It should also be noted that additional grant funded outreach programs are delivered annually by staff of the Conservation, Education & Wildlife Division. In 2017, the Adopta-Pond program reached 37,186 individuals across the province. The Great Lakes Program returned to the Chatham-Sarnia and Kitchener-London regions in Altogether that program reached 20,000 students. Table 2: The table below provides a summary of the extended corporate/community volunteer activities in Other Extended Volunteer Activities Corporate Involvement Number of Participants Total number of hours Price Waterhouse Cooper Browse collection Symcor - Tree planting Symcor Meadow planting TOTAL 330 1,290 Contact: Heather House Education Manager hhouse@torontozoo.ca (416) Jennifer Tracey Senior Director, Marketing, Communications & Partnerships Volunteer Services Report 2017 Page 6 of 6