Opportunities

Carpentry/Maintenance:
Volunteers with carpentry skills are needed to assist with a variety of projects, including building or repairing travel boxes or cages, re-wrapping perches, and fixing outdoors mews.

Clinic crew: Clinic crew volunteers assist clinic staff, veterinarians, and other volunteers in the medicating and feeding of recuperating raptors. Volunteers often work independently with fellow volunteers to provide treatments and prepare food. In addition, they help maintain a healthy environment by cleaning cages, washing floors, and doing laundry. Volunteers learn how to handle birds and restrain them safely during exams and treatments.

Education:
Education volunteers present our mission to the public, teaching visitors about raptors and their place in the environment. Duties include greeting the public, informal tours, light maintenance of bird areas, food preparation, and keeping public areas presentable. Education volunteers receive ongoing education to improve their knowledge, and attend a monthly education meeting. Promotion to bird handler is achieved as skills are developed and needs arise.

Flight crew:
Volunteers on our flight crew help with the physical conditioning of recovering raptors, exercising the birds and assessing their abilities as they regain their flight skills. Volunteers often work independently with fellow volunteers to exercise birds on the "flight list." When not exercising birds, volunteers help maintain a healthy environment by cleaning cages and washing floors.

Hospitality crew:
Volunteers meet and greet visitors traveling from other states and countries to spend time at The Raptor Center. Responsibilities include picking up visitors from the airport, transporting them to their lodging, and familiarizing them with local amenities (grocery store, bus line, etc.).

Lobby assistant: Lobby assistants greet the public and provide information about The Raptor Center. Additional tasks include assisting with small administrative projects and gift shop sales.

Special events crew:
Volunteers are responsible for transporting, setting up, and taking down displays and staffing membership tables, merchandise tables, and program information booths at public and on-site events. Scheduled programs include two annual public bird releases, annual open houses, a fundraiser event, and a variety of public exhibits throughout the year.

Spic-and-span crew:
Volunteers on our spic-and-span crew help keep the clinic areas, halls, and steps tidy. No necessary skills other than a desire to improve the appearance of the area and the ability to wield cleaning implements. Volunteers commit to three hours a week, preferably early evenings and weekends.

Transport:
Transport caged or contained raptors to and from The Raptor Center. Trips are typically to and from the airport, special events, or private homes where injured birds have been found.