Volunteer with Project Wildlife
With over 10,000 animals cared for annually, volunteers play a crucial role in these efforts year-round, seven days a week, at each of our campuses!
Choose a location:
The goal of Project Wildlife’s rehabilitation efforts is to restore our sick and injured wild patients to full health so that they may be released safely back into their natural habitats. With over 12,000 animals cared for annually at our Bahde Wildlife Center, volunteers play a crucial role in these efforts year-round, seven days a week! We are grateful for the enthusiasm, dedication and love they share with us every day. Project Wildlife is very much at the whim of Mother Nature. During the wildlife baby season, typically April through September, we are caring for our highest volume of wildlife patients at the Bahde Wildlife Center, some days up to 400 patients at a time.
Volunteer Activities:
- Volunteer activities include assisting with essential tasks such as dishes, laundry, diet preparation, crate disinfection, and stocking supplies.
- Volunteers can apply to "Step Up" into direct animal care activities after 10 hours of service and additional training. Step Up teams are recruited for on an as-needed basis.
Minimum Commitment:
- One 2-hour shift every other week for a full season (April-September)
- Flexible schedule - shifts available daily between 9 am and 5 pm
- Shifts are booked online by the volunteer
Volunteer Requirements:
- At least 18 years of age. If you're under 18 check out our DIY page or Youth Services page!
- Access to email, as all volunteer communication is done via email
- Ability to complete online training courses accessible via computer or smartphone
- Ability to stand for an entire shift, up to three hours
Application Process:
Our Bahde Wildlife Center is currently closed for standard volunteer applications. Candidates with previous wildlife rehabilitation experience may email a resume to [email protected] for waitlist consideration.
Project Wildlife restores sick and injured wild patients to full health so they may be released safely back into their natural habitats. With over 1,000 animals cared for annually at our Ramona Campus, volunteers play a crucial role in these efforts!
Volunteer Activities:
- Assist staff in caring for wildlife patients, 29 ambassador animals and San Nicolas Island cats on site. The 13-acre wildlife center provides care to animals including native predators such as bobcats, coyotes, bears and birds of prey.
- Volunteer tasks include cleaning, diet prep, habitat enrichment and grounds assistance.
Minimum Commitment:
- One 2-hour shift every other week
- Flexible schedule - shifts available daily between 8 am and 4 pm
- Shifts are booked online by the volunteer
Volunteer Requirements:
- At least 18 years of age. If you're under 18 check out our DIY page or Youth Services page!
- Access to email, as all volunteer communication is done via email
- Ability to complete online training courses accessible via computer or smartphone
- Ability to stand for an entire shift, up to three hours
Application Process:
Our Ramona Wildlife Center is currently closed for standard volunteer applications. Candidates with previous wildlife rehabilitation experience may email a resume to [email protected] for waitlist consideration.
Externships:
For post high school graduate students, ages 18 and up, currently enrolled in an accredited academic program. We are unable to accommodate high school externships at this time.
Wildlife Husbandry Externs provide direct care to rehabilitation patients and may assist with sanctuary animals in our care. Externs must have reliable transportation to travel to our Ramona Wildlife Center multiple times each week.
Recruitment for the 2026 wildlife rehab team is now open. Please review the details and requirements below before submitting your application.
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 Open
The 2026 volunteer application period is open. Please click the button below to apply.
Satellite Teams:
- Bat: requires pre-rabies exposure vaccine series
- Corvid
- Duck/Gull
- Hummingbird
- Opossum
- Rabbit
- Raccoon/Skunk
- Songbird
- Squirrel