Dubbo’s Samuel Swain was awarded the NSW Adult Volunteer of the Year for the Orana region after volunteering at Taronga Western Plains Zoo for the past four years.
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Mr Swain is currently volunteering in Indonesia and said he was humbled to receive the award.
“The zoo is a fantastic place to volunteer and I am grateful to all the wonderful enthusiastic volunteers and staff,” Mr Swain said.
He said his main role was with the early morning walk, a “two-hour, behind-the-scenes tour of the zoo”.
“You have to be up early, about 6am but Dubbo always looks spectacular at that time of the morning. It's a fantastic way to see the zoo,” Mr Swain said.
“The early morning walk allows volunteers to engage with visitors in a deeper and more meaningful way, particularly around the zoo's conservation programs.”
Mr Swain said he loved volunteering and saw it as a way to give back to his community.
“It allows me to follow my interests such as conservation education away from a formal or office-based work environment,” he said.
He said his passion for conservation drove him to volunteer in Indonesia with the Australian Volunteers Program.
“I help develop a small volunteer program with Friends of the National Park Foundation (FNPF) near Tanjung Puting National Park in Borneo,” Mr Swain said.
“I look forward to making meaningful contributions to FNPF in Indonesia and applying what I’ve learned overseas back at the zoo.”
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