Animal Care Volunteer

Animal care volunteers are responsible for feeding, cleaning, and general care of the wildlife admitted to Greenwood. Specific duties include food preparation, hand feeding baby wildlife, cleaning cages, maintaining a clean hospital environment, refreshing food and water in outdoor enclosures, and other duties as specified by staff supervisors.

We require that animal care volunteers commit to one shift per week depending on their animal care area of choice:

Baby Squirrel Volunteers

March–May & August–October
4-5 hours a week

Baby Squirrels are the first babies to arrive at Greenwood in the spring. We receive hundreds of Fox Squirrels in addition to Abert's Squirrels, Pine Squirrels and assorted ground squirrels. Volunteers help syringe feed, clean cages, prepare meals, and assist with habitat enrichment, laundry and dishes.

Baby Bird Volunteers

May–August
4-5 hours a week

Hundreds of baby birds are displaced from their nests or separated from their parents every spring and summer. Baby Bird Volunteers syringe-feed, clean cages, prepare meals, and assist with habitat enrichment, laundry and dishes. Greenwood sees about one hundred species of birds every year. This is a great opportunity for an aspiring or seasoned birder!

Baby Raccoon Volunteers

May-September
4-5 hours a week

Due to the ever-increasing dilemma of humans and animals living closer than ever, Greenwood receives dozens upon dozens of baby raccoons and other urban wildlife that have been orphaned. Baby Raccoon volunteers bottle-feed, clean cages, help with meal preparation and habitat enrichment in addition to laundry and other cleaning duties. Baby Raccoons are very cute but grow very quickly and can be very messy. This is a good opportunity for someone who is a hard-worker and doesn't mind getting their hands dirty.

Waterfowl Volunteers

3 hours a week

Greenwood receives dozens and dozens of orphaned geese and ducks of all types as well as injured adults. The center has specialized care areas for waterfowl where volunteers help clean cages and prepare meals. This is a fun job that includes hosing out cages and refilling pools daily while being in the cage or room with the patients. A willingness to get wet is a must! Since hands-on care is limited in this area, this is a great opportunity for kids with parental supervision.

Preferred Qualifications

• Appreciation of all wild animals
• Clear understanding of Greenwood's mission
• Willingness to get hands dirty
• Patience and ability to communicate and work with others
• Reliable and punctual

Animal Care Volunteers need to be reliable in their commitment. We expect animal care volunteers to show up on their shift as scheduled. Their presence is crucial in making sure the patients get proper care. If your schedule is unpredictable or if you have situations in your life at the present moment that may cause you to be frequently absent, please consider volunteering in a different capacity.

Requirements

• Commit to one shift per week
• A reliable mode of transportation; there is no public service near the Center
• An updated tetanus shot
• A donation of $20 will be requested to help fund the volunteer program

Applicants must be over the age of 18 to work with squirrels and raccoons. We can accept those under 18, on a case-by-case basis, to help with waterfowl and birds with a parent's supervision.

Why Become an Animal Care Volunteer?

Volunteers are a valuable resource at Greenwood, and play an integral role in many of our projects. We rely on volunteers to help provide quality care to thousands of wild birds and mammals each year at our facility. Most of our volunteers work directly with the wild animals, while others provide invaluable assistance with many other essential tasks.

Interested? Please fill out an application:

 Volunteer Application (Word)

 Volunteer Application (PDF)