Piedmont Wildlife Center Volunteer Programs

Piedmont Wildlife Center Volunteer Programs

Administrative Office | Hospital | Home Rehabilitation | 17 and Under

WebCalendar Sign-in (current volunteers)

Administrative Office

Administrative opportunities are open to all ages (youth under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult) and include the following:

• Outreach Booths (e.g. Eno River Festival, Bugfest at NC Museum of Natural Sciences)
• Fundraiser Events (e.g. PWC Benefit Gala and Auction, Festival for Wildlife)
• Administrative Support (helping at our Admin Office in Durham, NC)
• Education Programs (summer and intersession camps, public programs)

If interested in becoming a volunteer for education, outreach, or administrative services, no orientation is required. Simply contact our volunteer coordinator at volunteer::piedmontwildlifecenter.org (substitute an "@" symbol for the "::").

Hospital Volunteers

As we recently announced, due to a critical lack of funding, the wildlife hospital will be closing at the end of July. As a result, we are not currently training volunteers for this opportunity. We will still need a great deal of assistance in packing up and moving instruments, equipment and supplies out of the hospital during the last part of the month. If you would like to help, please contact our volunteer coordinator at volunteer::piedmontwildlifecenter.org (substitute an "@" symbol for the "::"). Thank you for your support during this difficult time.

* Letting wildlife be "wild": Our hospital patients are wild animals in critical states of health. Their condition can worsen when they are handled, or even looked at, because they perceive people as large predators. Because we want to release these animals with the best possible chance of survival, we strive to minimize their exposure to people so that they do not become overly stressed or habituated, both of which can mean a death sentence for these animals. It is for these reasons that we at PWC keep contact with patients to a minimum.

The primary role of a hospital volunteer is to be responsible for the daily husbandry required to keep the animals safe, clean, and healthy, which allows our medical staff to tend to critical patients. PWC volunteers gain the unique experience of learning the vocabulary of husbandry as they are trained in proper diet preparation, caging requirements, and other tasks critical to running a rehabilitation clinic. Though a supervised volunteer may be able to advance to animal care once s/he has gained enough experience and understanding of basic husbandry, almost all animal handling is done by trained hospital staff. We make this point explicit so that our volunteers know what to expect from the PWC experience.

If you are looking for more personal and intimate contact with animals, perhaps volunteering with an organization helping domestic animals may be a better fit for you. Groups such as the SPCA and Second Chance Pet Adoptions could also really use your help, and their cats and dogs are grateful for the TLC!

Requirements:

Please note that volunteers working inside hospital must be at least 18 years old (NO exceptions! If you are under 18, please see Administrative Office above or section below), in good health, and have a tetanus shot within the last 10 years. No prior wildlife experience is required. An orientation class and approximately 2-3 hours of home study are required before a new volunteer begins working at the hospital. All hospital volunteers must be ready to commit to regular shifts, and reliably show up for their schedules shifts. The online registration form and dates of the orientations are listed below.

Underage volunteers can also perform tasks that are vital to the daily operations of the hospital (e.g. sorting newspaper, preparing food for the animals) or one time projects such as cage building and mowing the lawn. There is no age limitation for these support tasks, although youth under the age of 18 will not be allowed inside the hospital and any minor under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Volunteer Orientations:

No Hospital Volunteer Orientations are currently scheduled.

Pre-registration is required. Please click on the link to fill out and submit the Volunteer Orientation Registration Form. If you are unable to register for the date(s) below, register for the waitlist option and/or check back later for additional dates.

The orientation lasts about 2 hours and covers the mission of Piedmont Wildlife Center, ways to volunteer with Piedmont Wildlife Center, expectations the Center has of volunteers, what volunteers should expect from the Center, diseases that affect wildlife and people, a summary of some of the issues concerning wildlife in our area, and a virtual tour of the hospital.

There is a $10 charge for the orientation to cover expenses. You may also become a PWC Member at a special volunteer rate of $20 and the orientation fee will be waived! Once you register, you will receive a confirmation and further information by e-mail.

Questions regarding volunteering should be directed to volunteer::piedmontwildlifecenter.org (substitute an "@" symbol for the "::").

**PWC staff reserves the right at anytime to dismiss a volunteer if they prove to be a constant danger to the animals, themselves or other people working at the hospital.**

PWC often relies on a network of home licensed rehabilitators to help raise orphaned mammals until they are old enough to be released as healthy adults.

Wildlife rehabilitation is a serious commitment and it entails a lot of time, constant learning, some amount of money, some joy and some heartache. These animals are NOT to be perceived as pets, but as temporary charges which will be released into the wild. They must be nurtured but handled as little as possible so they will have a successful release.