Wildlife Care Assistant

Save to Favorites

Volunteer Wildlife Care Assistant

Time Commitment: Because work in animal care requires a significant amount of training, we ask for a minimum 6-month commitment, 2-4 hours/week (depending on the season). Volunteers are scheduled to work the same shift every week. Wildlife Care Assistants begin volunteering at the Wildlife Center at the beginning of one of two sessions per year, which are based on the seasonal cycles of wildlife and have different duties (see below):

• Spring/Summer Baby Season (April - September)
• Fall/Winter Season (October - March)

Volunteers must sign up for a regular, weekly shift and attend these for the entirety of that session. Please be aware that some shifts have a greater need, and placement will be where the need is greatest within the volunteer’s availability.

Duties During the Fall/Winter Season (October - March): Year round, volunteers will spend much of their time doing chores - cleaning and setting up cages (e.g. hauling large branches), doing laundry and dishes, general cleaning and sanitizing, sweeping, mopping, and maintaining a clean hospital environment. Volunteers also complete maintenance, husbandry, and special cleaning/organizing projects (e.g. shoveling new sand and gravel into enclosures, etc.).

During this season, there are very few direct animal care tasks, as patient load can be very sparse throughout the fall and winter. In many cases, the patients being admitted during this time are staff-only due to either species or medical situations. Most direct animal care training for new volunteers takes place during the Spring/Summer Baby Season.

Fall/Winter Season Shifts:

Shifts are available seven days a week at the following times:

9am - 11am

3:30pm - 5:30pm

Duties During the Spring/Summer Baby Season (April - September): During this season, Wildlife Care Assistants perform the chores listed above, as well as the following: Work alongside our expert staff rehabilitators at the Wildlife Center to assist with the daily cleaning, weighing, charting, feeding, and care of injured, ill, and orphaned wildlife patients. Volunteers prepare and deliver diets (which can include live insects and dead prey) for patients, and assist-feed young mammals and nestling/juvenile songbirds by hand. Exact tasks will vary throughout the year, coinciding with the seasonal cycles of our local wildlife. Volunteers who complete their 6-month commitment during this season and who meet set criteria may be given the opportunity to learn more advanced animal handling and medical skills if they choose to stay on.

Spring/Summer Baby Season Shifts:

Shifts are available seven days a week at the following times:

9am - 1pm

3:30pm - 7:30pm (generally available April - August; exact start/end date varies each year)

Requirements:

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Completion of Volunteer Information Session, onsite Wildlife Center orientation, and basic skills training with Wildlife Center staff
• Able to bend, lift, carry 50 pounds, and stand/walk while doing strenuous activities for most of the volunteer shift
• Ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions
• Be able to work cooperatively with a diverse group of staff, volunteers, and interns of all ages and backgrounds
• Reliable and prompt for shifts
• Can successfully work in an extremely busy, ever-changing, and fast-paced environment
• Capable of working under limited supervision after fully trained
• Comfortable approaching staff with questions and asking for direction when needed
• Open to learning from coaching and on-the-job training
• Understanding the first priority at all times is the patients’ health and quality of life
• A superior attention to detail
• Good judgment

Questions? Please contact wildlifevolunteer@whatcomhumane.org