Conservation volunteers – Father and daughter Bob and Hayley

Bob Pearce volunteers with his daughter Hayley

"Volunteering provides an opportunity to watch your family members grow in confidence by handling different situations in different and sometimes challenging environments."

What do you do? Describe your volunteering role.
I volunteer with my daughter at the Mon Repos Conservation Park near Bundaberg, where the sea turtles nest. I assist with the running of the Information Centre on my rostered nights, provide information to visitors, collect entrance fees as well as provide customer service to visitors in the souvenir shop.

I also assist rangers and turtles guides in managing guided groups on the beach. I assist in crowd control on the beach when visitors are viewing turtles nesting or hatching and answer visitor questions. I help with research duties when required and any other duties assigned by the rangers.

How much time do you commit?
Our hours are 6.45pm – 11.15pm. On many occasions I volunteer to stay back and help the rangers on the beach with nest relocation and turtle research. I also volunteer two days per week to the Fresh Water Turtle program run from Mon Repos Research Centre during the fresh water season.

What motivated you to volunteer?
My daughter wished to volunteer, plus I've always been an outdoors person and was looking for something after leaving the Army.

What do you get out of volunteering?
The enjoyment of watching the reaction of young children and adults seeing turtles for the first time, also helping our endangered wildlife, meeting people committed to helping our marine and fresh water turtles and a better understanding of our wildlife.

How did you come to volunteer as a family?
During one of our first visits to Mon Repos, my daughter was asking a lot of questions regarding marine turtles as she was doing a paper as part of her marine studies at high school. The volunteer program was mentioned as something she could be interested in so we gave the rangers our contact details for the next turtle season.

Are there benefits volunteering as a family?
Yes. By enjoying quality time together, as a family other than in a home situation. Watching your family members grow in confidence by handling different situations in different and sometimes challenging environments.

Any advice for families considering volunteering together?
Yes, it could be the most rewarding time you have together.

Hayley Pearce volunteers with her father Bob

"Conservation volunteering is the best and most rewarding time you can have together with your family."

What do you do? Describe your volunteering role.
I volunteer with my father at the Mon Repos Conservation Park near Bundaberg, where the sea turtles nest. I assist with the running of the information centre on my rostered nights, provide information to visitors, collect entrance fees as well as provide customer service to visitors in the souvenir shop. I also assist the rangers and turtle guides to manage guided groups on the beach. I assist with crowd control when visitors are viewing turtles nesting or turtles hatching and answer visitor's questions.

How much time do you commit?
We do it once a week between the hours of 6:45pm to 11:15pm, sometimes longer.

What motivated you to volunteer?
I like helping people and I wanted to help the environment.

What do you get out of volunteering?
I love seeing the look of enjoyment on the faces of our visitors when they see the turtles for the first time, and helping our endangered wildlife.

How did you come to volunteer as a family?
When we first came down to Bundaberg we went to Mon Repos. I was asking a lot of questions about the turtles and was told about the volunteers so I left my contact details for next turtle season with the rangers.

Are there benefits volunteering as a family?
It's good because you are spending time with family.

Any advice for families considering volunteering together?
Yes, do it. It's the best and most rewarding time you can have together with your family.