Animal Care

We will be hosting two orientations for people interested in volunteering. April 13 at 6pm, and April 24 at 2pm. In order to participate, please fill out a volunteer application by April 10 (link below).

We are very limited in the number of volunteers that can work with animals, due to DNR regulations. For Spring/Summer 2024, we estimate that we will have 2-3 volunteer positions available in animal care.

By far this is the most popular way to volunteer with Wildwoods. It’s a life-altering thing to hold a helpless animal in your hands and help them heal, grow, and finally be released to live the life they were meant to live.

Examples of the types of animals you will be frequently working with are small orphaned mammals, nestling song birds, ducklings and fawns. You may also have the opportunity to work alongside staff members on a variety of injured wildlife species.

Volunteers are critical to the efficient running of Wildwoods. There are many tasks that need to be completed on a daily and weekly basis. Volunteers not only care for animals hands-on, but are also needed to clean and disinfect cages, wash dishes, fold laundry, prepare food, and clean the facility and common areas. There are no small jobs here at Wildwoods. They are all necessary for the health of the animals as well as for us. We ask that our volunteers have a willingness to help out wherever needed and not only on favored tasks.

Vaccinations

Required: Proof of an up-to-date tetanus vaccination is required for all staff and volunteers.

Optional: For the safety of our volunteers, a pre-exposure vaccination is required to work with foxes, bats, raccoons, bears, bobcats and mustelids, but is not required for other animals. If you wish to work with rabies-vector species, you must provide proof of a rabies vaccination and titre test within the last 2 years.

Physical Requirements

Animal care shifts are fast paced and can be physically demanding. We need volunteers who

  • Can sit and stand for long periods of time
  • Can walk and navigate uneven terrain safely and quickly
  • Can hear instructions given to them at a low to moderate volume (voices need to be kept low around wildlife)
  • Can handle being in a loud environment with high-pitched noises (baby birds have loud, shrill calls)

Duties

  • Diet and food preparation
  • Basic animal husbandry
  • Maintain accurate and legible care records
  • Routine cleaning and sanitation of cages, enclosures and facility
  • Observe and report changes in or unusual animal behavior

Responsibilities

  • Follow policies and procedures
  • Maintain a quiet and calm demeanor around wildlife, keeping handling, talking, and loud noises to a minimum
  • Communicate any schedule changes with the appropriate supervisor
  • Professionally address any concerns with a staff member
  • Maintain a positive and respectful attitude
  • Follow proper sanitation procedures

Qualifications

  • Be at least 16 years old with reliable transportation to and from Wildwoods
  • Be willing to consistently commit at least 2 consecutive hours of volunteer time each week for the season (usually mid-May to mid-October)
  • Willingness to perform a wide range of tasks including cleaning soiled enclosures, hand-feeding wild animals, power-washing kennels, washing dishes, general cleaning, and other tasks as assigned by staff
  • We need self-starters who can look for things that need to be done, and don’t need a lot of direct supervision

How to volunteer

Fill out and submit the online Application. Once we’ve reviewed it, we’ll contact you to set up an interview where you’ll learn more about what to expect. Download and sign the Release form, and bring it with to your interview. After your interview, you’ll schedule your training session and begin volunteering!