Join our team of dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers!

Volunteers are an important part of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. Each year, we benefit from the efforts of dedicated volunteers who assist us with a variety of projects and tasks. We need volunteers for various activities, both indoor and outdoor. While we may not always have available positions in all areas, we’ll be glad to inform you when positions open in your area of interest.

As an RTPI volunteer, you will receive an individual or family membership, a 20% discount in the museum store, and will be recognized during our annual volunteer appreciation event.

Volunteer opportunities:

Activate your curiosity and others’. Become an RTPI Docent while learning about the life and art of Roger Tory Peterson. Docents will guide RTPI visitors in learning about temporary exhibitions, the building, and the life and work of Roger Tory Peterson. Docents will learn pertinent information about exhibitions, the building, RTPI and its mission, Roger Tory Peterson’s life and work, his role in the environmental conservation movement, and his connection to the Jamestown community.

Put your hospitality skills to use as an RTPI Visitor Services Assistant. You’ll play a critical role by connecting with visitors and providing them with a meaningful experience. As a Visitor Services Assistant, you’ll welcome visitors to the museum, take admissions, answer questions, and provide information about current exhibitions and programs.

Join the RTPI team as a Collections Assistant and learn about collections management while assisting with the organization, documentation, and safekeeping of objects in the Peterson Collection. Projects will include entering information about objects into the online database, documenting and labeling objects, and assisting with location audits of objects in the collection.

What does it take to mount an exhibition? Become an RTPI Exhibition Assistant and learn the art of installing and deinstalling artworks. Exhibitions assistants will assist with the installation and de-installation of temporary exhibitions, including unpacking and packing artwork, preparing condition reports, and hanging artwork and labels.

Do you love spending time outdoors? Become a Building and Grounds Volunteer, and you can help beautify and maintain the RTPI gardens and grounds. Put your green thumb to good use by weeding, watering, staking, raking, cutting, shoveling, and mulching the RTPI gardens, nature trails, and landscape.

RTPI hosts a variety of special events throughout the year, including fundraisers and program-related activities. Join us as a Special Event Volunteer, and experience the excitement of being a part of our vibrant team. Special Event Volunteers assist with the set-up of events, the overall guest and vendor experience, and help with post-event clean-up.

For more information, please contact Amy Hudson: ahudson@rtpi.org 716.665.2473 ext. 227