Become a Volunteer

The Wildlife In Need Center (WINC) admits over 2,000 wild animals a year so we need your help! From handling admissions and answering phones, to providing hands-on routine care for injured adults and orphaned babies, to providing a safe place for our patients to start a new life, as a WINC Volunteer you can make a difference in the lives of our wild neighbors everyday. Download Volunteer Brochure here. Short on time? Not to worry, [click here] to make a donation to help cover the costs of food, medicine, housing, and outreach.

 

Safety is our number one priority for staff, interns, and volunteers.  Due to certain inherent risks in handling wild animals, PERSONAL HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE IS REQUIRED to volunteer at the Wildlife in Need Center.

 

Adult Volunteer Opportunities

Thinking about joining our amazing volunteer brigade?  We’d love to have you!  Please note the following requirements to volunteering in one of the areas listed below:

• We invest a lot in our new volunteers and their training, and ask for a volunteer commitment of 1 shift/week for 10 months minimum after your training is complete
• All volunteers must have personal health insurance
• Volunteers in the areas below must be 18 years of age or older
• Attending an orientation is a requirement of anyone interested in volunteering.  Please see below for more details.
• No prior animal handling experience is required
• We currently do not accept volunteer applications (in any of our volunteer areas) for court ordered community service hours. We apologize for any inconvenience.

 

 

Animal Care: If you are interested in helping our staff with routine wildlife care, then this hands-on program is the place for you!  Animal Care volunteers participate in the rehabilitation and day-to-day care of our wild patients, assisting with diet preparation, enclosure set up and cleaning, washing dishes, laundry, animal handling and other aspects of routine wildlife care.  

 

 

Office and Phones: If you enjoy talking with people and want to learn a lot about native wildlife, you should consider volunteering in our office. Volunteers in this program aid in admitting wildlife patients as they come into the center and help answer our Wildlife HelpLine. We receive over 10,000 calls a year and always have a need for help fielding those calls! Office volunteers are trained to handle calls regarding sick and injured wildlife, orphans, “nuisance” situations, and to help educate the public on ways to coexist with wildlife

 

 

 

Education / Ambassador Care: Interested in building relationships with animals? Becoming an education volunteer is the right job for you! You will learn all about our ambassadors, including how to handle them, and be able to interact with them every shift. The education team is handles the day-to-day care of our animal ambassadors. You can stay behind-the-scenes, helping care for our animal ambassadors, or if you are eager to share your knowledge with the public, jump in on helping out with programs, booths, and our fun events. If you have always wanted to have an opossum (or two!) as your coworker, look no further!

 

 

 

 

 

Maintenance and Grounds: We are always in need of help maintaining our facility, enclosures and property as well as our grounds and garden areas. If you have a green thumb, can swing a hammer or saw a board, we can use your help!   

 

 

 

 

 

Fundraising & Marketing: Without money, we would not have the facility, food, or medicine for our patients. Fundraising volunteers work on various projects throughout the year including banquets, silent auctions, raffles, and mailings.

 

 

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Ready to join us? To become a WINC volunteer, you must:

1. Attend a volunteer orientation, held at Wildlife in Need Center – see upcoming dates below.

NOTE: Space is limited, and you must RSVP first by calling (262) 965-3090.

2. Fill out a 2025 Adult Volunteer Application & Release and bring it with you to orientation (please do not mail/email it in advance).  We will also have blank copies you may use to fill out once you arrive at orientation.

Upcoming Adult Volunteer Orientation Dates:

Wednesday May 7th 5:30-7pm and Sunday June 8, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Space is limited – please RSVP in advance by calling our center at (262) 965-3090

 

Youth Office and Phones Assistant Volunteer – New opportunity for ages 15 and older!

Join us for this summer-only volunteer position for people 15 years and older. Do you like hearing wildlife stories and helping people? You will be assisting experienced volunteers and staff to help with phone calls, admit patients, and interact with office visitors. You also may help with office tasks such as data entry, filings, and mailings. We never know what the next call or patient that comes to the door will be, so this is an exciting place to be. Shifts are available 7 days a week in the morning (9:00-1:00) or in the afternoon (1:00-4:00).

Seasonal Office and Phones Assistant duties

• pick up and log phone messages
• monitor Google Voice for photos/video and texts
• start people filling out admissions forms
• take animals to exam
• talk to visitors
• enter admissions in database, print intake form and deliver to AC staff
• Look up patient updates
• File admission paperwork
• The experienced year-round office person would return calls needing discussions or direct Seasonal Office and Phones Assistant to call and give simple answers to tell the public to bring animals in or direct call to someone else. The experienced year-round office person would take donations and sales – we might train Seasonal Office and Phones Assistant to do this too.

Anyone interested in this position must attend a New Volunteer Orientation. (Dates and times above). If you are 15-17 years old, please bring a completed 2025 Minor Volunteer Application & Release

Anyone 18 years and older should bring a completed  2025 Adult Volunteer Application & Release 

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Baby Bird Feeding, an opportunity for adults and youth 12+ years old. Orientation dates are Sunday May 4th, 2025 from 1-3:30pm and Sunday May 18th, from 3-5:30pm.

Baby Bird Feeding and Care We receive hundreds of hungry orphaned baby birds from May to September that need lots of quality care. If you are 15 years old or older, you can volunteer and help provide the attention and care that each baby bird needs to help return it to the wild. If you are 12 -14 years old, you can team up with and adult (family member or guardian) to help us with our baby birds. People Ages 12-14 must complete a brief pre-orientation interview by emailing Lynn at volunteer@helpingwildlife.org.  All Baby Bird Feeders must attend one of our Baby Bird Feeding Orientations and also commit to working one four and a half hour shift each week for about eight to twelve weeks. For more information, read our introduction letter to this program and Baby Bird Feeder FAQs.

• Baby Bird Feeder Letter
• BBF FAQS
• Download our Baby Bird Feeder Flier here.

 

To become a Baby Bird Feeder, you must:   

1. Complete an application and release form an 2025 Adult Volunteer Application & Release  or 2025 Minor Volunteer Application & Release
2. Attend a Baby Bird Feeder Orientation (held at WINC).  Please RSVP by calling (262) 965-3090. Dates are Sunday May 4, 2025, from  1:00-3:30om and  Sunday May 18, 2025   3:00-5:30pm
3. Ages 12-14 must complete a brief pre-orientation interview by emailing Lynn at volunteer@helpingwildlife.org.

 

 

Are you or your child too busy or too young to be a Baby Bird Feeder? Check out our Kids Helping Wildlife page to see other ways that they can help wildlife!