There are no volunteer positions open at this time. Check back later!
About: Rehabilitation Volunteering
As a volunteer at the RMRP, you will be expected to work hard and get your hands dirty! There is a lot to learn from our wild raptor patients through their daily care. We are a raptor rehabilitation facility primarily, and our main objective is to return our patients to their natural wild habitat once they are rehabilitated. We look for people that have a thirst for knowledge, a desire to learn, are detail-oriented, and follow written and oral instruction well. We expect to work with enthusiastic, mature, hardworking individuals.
The more proactively, reliably, and correctly the volunteer performs their duties, the more responsibility they will be given.
Volunteers are expected to attend three classes outside of their regularly scheduled shift. These training classes will be scheduled early in the volunteer experience and will be coordinated to best fit as many volunteers’ schedule as possible.
Volunteers will commit to a minimum of one year. Shifts run 7am-12pm and volunteers are expected to commit to a minimum of one shift a week.
Volunteer positions are subject to a 3-week probationary assessment period.
Qualifications – Requirements
Previous experience in animal care (domestic or wildlife) is helpful but not necessary.
We encourage volunteers of all professions and all backgrounds. We believe that a strong interest in wildlife, enthusiasm, a strong work ethic, and willingness to learn are more important than academic qualifications.
The nature and demands of rehabilitation require prospective volunteers to meet the following criteria:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Submit to and pass a background check
- Have a current tetanus vaccination
- Devote a minimum of one year to their volunteer duties
- Attend volunteer orientation and scheduled in-person training sessions
- Complete additional online training through Google Classroom
- Good health/fitness to perform physically demanding tasks, such as cleaning and lifting, and work outdoors in all types of weather
- Possess good oral and written communication skills
- Be able to learn quickly and perform various tasks in a fast-paced work environment; work quickly and efficiently while following directions and procedures exactly
- Be able to perform repetitive tasks for extended periods
- Be able to work independently as well as a team member in collaboration with volunteers, interns and staff
To facilitate the successful rehabilitation of injured, sick or orphaned raptors the volunteer will:
- Develop in depth knowledge surrounding RMRP’s mission, raptor natural history, identification, diseases, anatomy, physiology, and related conservation challenges
- Provide for the basic husbandry of the rehabilitation patients, including food preparation, enclosure cleaning, and record keeping
- Assist staff in the restraint, safe capture and assessment of rehabilitation patients
- Demonstrate safe and ethical practices to maintain the welfare and wildness of patients undergoing rehabilitation.
- Cooperatively assist in the maintenance of the facility
- Adhere to all policies and procedures set forth by staff
Responsibilities
- Provide husbandry care for rehabilitation patients
- Bird checks
- Cleaning critical care, hospital recovery and flight enclosures
- Maintaining patient records
- Food preparation
- Assist staff in treating rehabilitation patients
- Safe capture, restraint, and feather checks of patients in recovery and flight enclosures
- Restraint of critical care and hospital patients for medical treatments
- Provide husbandry and enrichment for the live prey colony (rats/mice)
- Daily facility chores (laundry, sweeping, mopping etc)
- Disinfect empty enclosures and bird treatments areas
- Assist in perch repair
- Assist in mowing/snow removal, as seasonally needed
- Assist in deep cleaning projects
- Assist in basic construction projects
- Assist staff with releases
- Assist staff with admissions and rescues (advanced skill)
Individual experience, skills, and performance will determine the range of activities added to a volunteer’s responsibilities over time. Advanced duties will not be assigned until the volunteer has demonstrated understanding, proficiency, and reliability in basic husbandry and intermediate tasks.
Apply
There are no volunteer positions open at this time. Check back later!