This week is National Volunteer Week, 13 - 19 May 2013 and Taronga Western Plains Zoo celebrated today with a special barbecue to say thank you to the many volunteers at the Zoo who provide countless hours of time and service every year. National Volunteer Week is an opportunity to highlight the role of volunteers in the local community and to say thank you to those who provide hours of dedicated service to the many different organisations and associations in the region including the Zoo.Volunteers play an important role at the Zoo fulfilling a wide variety of functions from guiding the Early Morning Walk experience, observing animal behaviour, creating enrichment items for the animals to testing the water quality and assisting visitors during the school holidays.  Volunteers are a valuable assist for any organisation and the Zoo recognises and thanks its volunteers for their ongoing support, dedication and commitment to conservation and the environment.The Zoo has over 100 adult volunteers and over 30 youth at the Zoo volunteers who assist with school holidays programs such as Zoo Adventures, community education campaigns, animal handling and overnight programs.The Zoo’s volunteers are passionate people who love wildlife and educating people about the animals at the Zoo.  A big thank you must go out to everyone who continues to generously donate their time to help get the conservation message across to the Zoo’s visitors.Today, a number of Zoo volunteers were recognised for their 5, 10, 15 and 20 years of service as a volunteer, as well as a number of volunteers receiving awards for their dedication and ongoing support of the Zoo.