Project Wildlife - Satellite Rehabilitation Teams
Satellite Team members work with wildlife in their own home to ensure they receive the care needed to be released back into the wild. These volunteers are a crucial component in allowing wildlife to be released safely back to their natural habitats by offering a quiet, calm environment for rehabilitation. This assignment is very different from fostering domestic animals. Wildlife should only be handled when feeding, cleaning or medicating and should be left alone as socializing may result in non-releasable animals. Wildlife patients are released as soon as appropriate to prevent habituation.
Volunteers can join one species specific team to care for sick, injured or orphaned wildlife in their home. Length of each assignment and number of animals depends on type of species and age group cared for.
Experience not required! Training, supplies and medical support from the Bahde Wildlife Center all provided!
Volunteer Requirements
- Must be at least 18 years of age.
- Must complete the entire recruitment process and training series prior to independent volunteer service.
- Must make a minimum commitment of one full wildlife season (about 1 year). Due to the amount of time and resources we invest in our volunteers, we are unable to offer one-time or short-term volunteer opportunities with the Project Wildlife team.
Volunteer Duties
- Transporting animals to/from the Bahde Wildlife Center to/from satellite care.
- Daily feeding of patients as indicated by species protocols.
- Daily assessment of animals in care for medical concerns and growth milestones.
- Daily cleaning and maintenance of animals’ enclosures and enrichment items.
- Updating the database on a weekly basis.
Application Process
Volunteer selection, placement and training is typically completed within 4 weeks after applications close. In-person training is completed in the spring.
- Online Application: Available on this webpage in the fall for the following year’s busy season (spring/summer baby season).
- Online Learning: Complete your online eLearnings from home and then schedule your interview.
- Onsite Interview: Includes a behind-the-scenes walking tour of the Bahde Wildlife Center and an opportunity to find out if satellite is the right fit for you.
- In-person Training: New volunteers complete online and in-person training with staff before taking rehabilitation patients home.
Recruitment Status: Application Closed
The 2024 volunteer application period is now closed. If additional volunteers are needed, the application may be reposted mid season. Otherwise please check back in Fall 2024 for the next recruitment round. We hope you get involved as a volunteer in otherways!
Satellite Teams: highest recruitment priority for 2024 season*
- *Bat: requires pre-rabies exposure vaccine series
- Corvid
- *Duck/Gull
- Hummingbird
- Opossum
- Rabbit
- *Raccoon/Skunk
- Songbird
- *Squirrel
