Volunteer Opportunities

Please review the following requirements before applying to volunteer with us.  Our work is serious and our time is valuable.  It is important that applicants understand and take seriously our expectations and requirements to participate in our program.

Basic Requirements:

• Adult volunteers must lift 25lbs, comfortably reach arms above head, bend down to access certain types of hospital housing, stand for 3-4 hours on hard surfaces (the hospital floors are concrete), and have good visual acuity and hand dexterity (baby songbird mouths are tiny!).
• All volunteers must attend a New Volunteer Orientation.
• All volunteers must complete, sign and turn in all required documents.
• New volunteers will receive introductory hands-on training (16 hours).  Level I training occurs over the first four scheduled shifts determined by the volunteer and director.
• Hospital Volunteers must commit to a regular shift each week, mid-April through August.       
• Volunteers should be prepared to have fun, get dirty, follow instructions for safe and effective animal care, and learn a lot!
• Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age.
• All volunteers must have proof of Covid-19 vaccination and booster.

A Serious Commitment  
We ask potential volunteers to seriously evaluate their schedules and other commitments before they join our volunteer team.  Our patients depend on us for their food, housing, and medical needs. Volunteers are expected to show up for their scheduled shift - our patients are depending on you!

All incoming volunteers are required to commit to a regular volunteer shift for the duration of our "Baby Bird Season," mid-April through August.  Many volunteers continue to volunteer after this period, but this is the minimum we require.  During the winter, shifts are scheduled based on need and availability.  At any given time, some shifts may be full and not taking new volunteers.

It is a Dirty Job!
Our work is tedious, dirty, and often physically demanding.  Most tasks involve cleaning, carrying things, bending down, and being on your feet for the duration of your shift.  There's a lot of bird poop, dirty things, and live insects involved.  If you're squeamish or don't like cleaning, volunteering in the clinic may not be for you. 

Laws and Regulations

We care for state and federally protected wildlife.  We have been granted permits by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife services to rehabilitate and care for native songbirds.  We are required to uphold and enforce all laws and regulations that protect wildlife and govern our work as rehabilitators.  

Please note: volunteering with our organization does not grant you permission to care for wildlife on your own.

It's not Disneyland or Animal Planet

Please dismiss any images of Snow White from your imagination!  We are working with wildlife and must take care to respect their wildness.  This means we do not cuddle or talk to our patients.  We do not treat them like domestic animals. Their need to remain wild and live a successful wild life is our utmost priority. If you're seeking an opportunity to connect with and cuddle animals, please consider volunteering at a domestic animal rescue.  
 

Health and Safety
Volunteering with wild songbirds involves some inherent health risks, and we are committed to minimizing or eliminating these risks.  Biosecurity protocols must be observed at all times.  Protective clothing such as gloves, eye protection, and face masks is required when conducting certain tasks around our patients. Volunteers who do not follow NSCC's health and safety protocols will be asked to leave our program.

• It is recommended that people with compromised immune systems do not volunteer in wildlife rehabilitation.
• We recommend that anyone volunteering at NSCC inform their regular doctor that they are working with wild songbirds.
• Pregnant women are not permitted to volunteer with the animals at NSCC.
• Proper health and safety protocols must be followed at all times.
• Volunteers are required to have a current tetanus and Covid-19 vaccine.

Zoonotic Diseases
All animals can carry, contract, and spread various diseases, and the wildlife we handle is no exception. Although many diseases are species-specific, some may be transferred between species and to us.  Diseases we can contract from animals are called zoonotic diseases or zoonoses.

Zoonoses are a concern in wildlife rehabilitation; however, proper hygiene (washing hands before and after handling animals, eating, or using the washroom) and proper safety techniques (wearing gloves or masks as required) greatly minimize risk.

Volunteers with Pets
Some diseases that are not transmittable to us may be a danger to pets. Potentially sick wild animals must never come in contact with domestic animals. To minimize the risk of exposure to you and your pets, observe the following:

• Keep a separate set of clothes and shoes for volunteering at the hospital.  After working a shift at the hospital, remember to change out of your hospital clothes before going into pet-occupied areas of your house.
• Volunteers with pet birds should be especially cautious as some avian conditions may be more easily transmitted between our patients and pet birds.  Wash hands frequently and well, and change clothes before handling pet birds.  Be sure to inform us if you have pet birds and minimize your contact with contagious patients.

Clothing
Volunteers are required to wear closed-toe shoes with non-slip tread at all times. To reduce stress of our patients, do not wear white, bright colors or bold patterns and do not wear hats when working in aviaries or hospital wards. Other clothing guidelines are at the volunteer’s discretion, but we recommend comfortable short or long sleeved tops and pants as we do have poison oak and biting insects on the property. Always wear something you do not mind getting dirty!  Volunteering at the NSCC hospital is very hard on clothing.  

The Bird Care Volunteer position consists of five levels, all volunteers begin at Level 1.  Level 1 and Level 2 are completed during the first Baby Bird Season.  After successful completion of Level 2, volunteers are eligible to progress to Level 3 the following Baby Bird Season.

New Bird Care Volunteers, Levels 1 and 2, must commit to one regular 3-hour shift  per week, mid-April through August.  Shifts are 9-12 and 3-6.  Some shifts may be full and not taking new volunteers.  

Bird Care Volunteers, Levels 3 through 5, must commit to one regular 4-hour shift per week, mid-April through August.  Shifts are 8-12, 12-4 and 4-8.

Level 1:  All new Bird Care Volunteers begin at Level 1 and learn hospital support tasks essential to good patient care.  Tasks include preparing diets, folding laundry, doing dishes, setting up hospital housing for our patients, sweeping, mopping, caring for our feeder insects, and other husbandry tasks.  Excellent husbandry is vital to the well-being and recovery of all of our patients. 

Level 2:  After successful completion of Level 1, volunteers who are proficient in hospital support tasks will work with staff and mentors to learn how to care for the birds in our pre-release conditioning aviaries.  Aviary patients require fresh food and water every day, new enrichment, and clean housing.  Level 2 volunteers are also eligible to learn how to admit new patients and participate in releasing healthy patients back to the wild. 

Level 3:  Volunteers who are proficient in the duties and responsibilities of  levels 1 and 2 are eligible to work with staff and begin training for hands-on animal care.  They will learn the physical and behavioral development of baby songbirds, learn how to prepare and clean housing for nestlings and fledglings, techniques for safely handling baby birds, and hand-feeding protocols for baby birds.  Level 3 volunteers will begin by working with 1-2 species.   

Level 4:  Volunteers who have successfully completed levels 1-3 are now eligible to train new volunteers on basic hospital tasks, work with a wider variety of species, and assist with the care of adult birds.

Level 5:  Volunteers who have successfully completed levels 1-4 are now eligible to learn to perform basic intake exams, initial care, and administer medications.

Hospital Support volunteers participate in a variety of tasks essential to good patient care such as preparing diets, folding laundry, doing dishes, setting up hospital housing for our patients, sweeping, mopping, caring for our mealworms, and other vital hospital operations.  Hospital Support Volunteers work one 2-3 hour shift in the hospital each week.  These shifts are scheduled 7 days a week.  Morning shifts begin at 9 am and afternoon shifts begin at 3 pm. After attending a New Volunteer Orientation, all incoming Hospital Support Volunteers will receive hands-on instruction.

Transport volunteers pick up animals from the public and other wildlife facilities and shuttle them to our hospital.  They may also transport animals from our hospital to other wildlife facilities.  Most transports are local (in Sonoma County), but we also have a need for long-distance transports.  Long-distance transports typically involve an occasional trip to Cordelia or San Rafael.  Transport volunteer is an on-call position.  One-on-one training is provided.

Our facility requires a lot of upkeep to ensure structures and equipment remain in safe working order.  Projects include routine and seasonal tasks such as aviary repair and winterizing as well as special projects.  There are always things to do to improve and maintain our facility.  This position requires a project by project time commitment.

This program is on hiatus.  

In addition to our Adult Volunteer program, we also offer volunteer opportunities for juniors (ages 10-12) and teens (ages 13-19).  Our Junior and Teen volunteer programs provide an opportunity for young people interested in wildlife and the environment to participate in our work at NSCC.  Although they are not able to work hands-on with the birds until they're 18 years of age, Junior and Teen volunteers fulfill a very important role as hospital support and help carry out a variety of tasks essential to the care of our patients.
 

The typical commitment is a 2-hour shift every week once the initial training is complete.  This is a wonderful opportunity to fulfill community service for school and learn about wildlife care!  Junior volunteers are required to complete their training and attend all shifts at the hospital with an adult guardian volunteer (a parent or grandparent, for example).  Teen volunteers will work with an experienced volunteer initially, with the goal of working independently during their shift.  They are expected to possess a high level of responsibility and maturity and take seriously the nature of our work at NSCC.