Museum of Southwestern Biology

Volunteering with Mammals
The Division of Mammals has limitless volunteer opportunities!
Who can volunteer?
- people 14 or older
- people younger than 14, if accompanied by a parent or guardian
- college students exploring opportunities in biology
- retirees looking to try something new
- high school students fulfilling internship requirements
- everybody!
What is there to do?
- process incoming mammal specimens, for use in scientific research
- gather materials to be borrowed by researchers
- help manage our dermestarium
- help curate newly acquired collections
- label specimens and learn how to install them into our permanent collection
- enter specimen data into our online database
- and maybe even help with fieldwork!

How much time should I volunteer?
- we request a 60-hour commitment, to be completed within about four months. That works out be about 4 hours per week
- after the 60 hours are complete, volunteers are more than welcome to stick around, with no further commitment
- our staff is available to work with volunteers Tuesday - Friday, 9am - 4pm.
- volunteers should set up a regular schedule, within the above time constraints.
How do I get started?
- fill out this form. A Google account is required.
- our staff coordinator will be in touch to arrange next steps.
- if you've never visited before, we’ll arrange a time for you to stop by to get a feel for what we do
- once you're in our system, your volunteering will begin with a training session. UNM students can complete this online, but others will need to complete the trainings in person.
- after that, you will learn as you go!
