Throughout history, volunteers have played an integral part in every aspect of our society. This great country of ours has been built, progressed, and sustained through volunteerism. Volunteers have a variety of interests, skills and time, which they graciously donate to causes deemed worthwhile. One cause that is important in our modern world is environmental conservation. The World Bird Sanctuary stands at the leading edge of the conservation movement. To date volunteers have been vital in the establishment and success of the World Bird Sanctuary.

What is a volunteer?

A volunteer is a person who is willing to give of his or her own time, expertise and talents. Since its inception, the World Bird Sanctuary has worked hard to protect wildlife and the habitats in which they live, while making the public more aware of what they can do to save the environment. With the help of our many dedicated volunteers we teach that conservation is not a philosophy, but a way of life.

A Unique Opportunity

There are many things that make the World Bird Sanctuary's volunteer program one-of-a-kind. We operate as a business as well as a family. You will meet and work with a diverse group of people as well as fabulous animal species. The staff of the World Bird Sanctuary works very hard to ensure that your time spent as a volunteer is pleasant and rewarding. Our program offers something for everyone including the special opportunity to work directly with birds and animals. Discover the satisfaction of helping children understand the beauty and function of a bird's feather, assist with the coordination of a variety of special events, discover the satisfaction of assisting our staff with the beautification and maintenance of our 130 acre wilderness park or experience the awe of having one of Mother Nature's finest creatures perched on your gloved arm. If any or all of these things interest you we welcome you to our family.

Volunteer requirements

Like all families the World Bird Sanctuary has rules that must be followed. Some of these are regulations set by the federal and state governments, others by insurance carriers, and some by our staff based on years of experience in this field. The minimum requirement is 16 hours of volunteer work per month. We ask that you treat your volunteer time with the sanctuary with the same respect as you would a job. Previous animal experience is not required, all of your training will occur at the sanctuary and is hands on. Keep in mind many positions are available that do not work directly with animals; the choice is yours. All volunteers are required to become a sponsor of the World Bird Sanctuary. If you are interested in becoming a World Bird Sanctuary volunteer, please give these matters serious consideration before agreeing to volunteer.

Naturalist

Work at the Office of Wildlife Learning with our Education staff helping present education programs to the public and assisting in maintenance of all education animals. Help maintain exhibits and displays and answer questions from the public. You will handle animals in this position.

Animal Care Technician

Work with our Animal Management staff at the Education Training Center assisting with the husbandry and care of this departments animals. Duties include but are not limited to food preparation, feeding, cleaning facilities, and general maintenance. You will handle birds in this position.

Rehabilitation Technician

Assist our rehabilitation team with the care, treatment, feeding, cleaning and medicating of birds undergoing rehabilitation at the WBS rehabilitation hospital. You will handle birds in this position.

Propagation Technician

Work directly with our senior staff in our breeding department with the daily care and husbandry of our breeding birds. Assist with food preparation, cleaning and feeding of all our breeding birds. As well as assist with the care of support animal colonies. You will handle birds in this position.

Field Studies Technician

Assist the field studies department with the ongoing study of our wild bird populations on the World Bird Sanctuary property. This includes both visual and auditory census, mist netting songbirds and nest box studies. This position is for one day a week.

Docent

Assist with staffing our Visitor's Information Center and Nature Center. Talk with visitors about the amazing encounters that await them, help them navigate easily around the property with a site map, assist them in selecting a special souvenir to remember their visit with all of World Bird Sanctuary's critters. You do not need to handle birds in this position.

Clerical

Assist our staff at the sanctuary offices with answering phone calls, data entry, and filing as well as other general office work.

Junior Volunteer

Junior volunteers have the opportunity to help the education and animal management departments. Junior volunteers assist with many of the daily chores in these departments. This position allows interested children to be in a safe proximity of the animals while learning about conservation and animal care. Junior naturalists must be 13 years of age. Volunteers must be 16 years old to handle birds of prey.

Special notes:

• If you have any special skills, hobbies or abilities that you would like to share with the World Bird Sanctuary we would love to hear from you. Please call our volunteer coordinator today!
• If you have extra time on your hands ask about how you can help in more than one area of the Sanctuary.
• Can't decide which area you are most interested in? Talk with our volunteer coordinator to find out how to split your time between departments.

Where to start:
Click here for the volunteer application.
Click here for the junior volunteer application.
Click here for the volunteer reference form.