We are always seeking volunteers to help us survey creeks and streams. However, for us to conduct research in sensitive areas we need a large number of permits and licences from various departments that all have conditions attached. Most of these conditions relate to hygiene, so diseases are not brought to or spread in areas. Animal ethics, to ensure the health and comfort of the animals we catch. Codes of practice and standard operating procedures that ensure we conduct our activities correctly as per our licences and safely.
To join us as a volunteer you will need to read and agree to follow the following:
The Australian Crayfish Project (ACP) surveys creeks and streams in a wide range of locations from suburban creeks to remote mountain sites. Surveying a creek can be an extremely dangerous activity and not for the faint hearted. Slips and falls are common on wet slimy smooth rocks, we climb up mountain sides (don’t fall off), through forests (watch out for falling branches), snakes, leaches, wasps, bees, spiders and even the crayfish we are capturing all will bite or sting. We are travelling long distances and one of the most dangerous things you can do in this life is drive on an Australian road. We go to remote areas and bushfire, lightning, storms and flooding are all normal risks to researchers. Add the risk of getting lost, running out of water or just twisting an ankle all add up to a very risky exercise. We are all volunteers on the Australian crayfish Project, we freely spend our money and give our time to participate and research freshwater crayfish to increase the knowledge on our species and strive towards their conservation.
No one pays us, no one provides workers compensation for us, no one provides any insurances for us or accepts responsibility or liability for us. We are all volunteers who freely give our time to work with other similar minded volunteers and accept full responsibility for ourselves. The ACP Liability Release is designed to ensure that if there are 4 of us researching a creek and one falls down and breaks his leg, then for example he can’t play football for the season and loses his $200K football contract, then he cant sue the rest of us. Each of us is responsible for ourselves and no other volunteers is responsible or liable for anyone else.
To join us as a volunteer you will also need to read and agree to follow the following liability release:
You can only join us as a volunteer by signing up and paying your $15. To pay your $15 you must agree to having read and agree to be bound by the four documents above.
If you’re a volunteer it is comforting to know that all other volunteers have done the same and you will not be held liable for the misfortune of others.