Volunteer
With the help of volunteers, the California Raptor Center is able to care for and rehabilitate the 100-200 sick, injured, and orphaned raptors we receive each year. Student and community volunteers feed and provide medical care under the direction of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Theirs is an extraordinary labor of love and learning.
The reward for their efforts? About 40-60% of our patients are eventually released.
We offer unique opportunities to work with local raptor species. We specifically provide invaluable hands-on training in the compassionate clinical care and management of birds of prey, and provide educational programs to the general public and the university community.
Special volunteer work days can be arranged for community groups or businesses who wish to help the Center. Projects vary considerably based on the skills and resources of the participating groups. Contact us at 530.752.6091 for further information about how your group can schedule a day.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Rehabilitation:
NO prior experience is required to volunteer with us. All training will be provided.
Some tasks you can expect to perform:
- Cage cleaning
- Feeding
- Catching, handling, and restraint of birds
- Weighing birds
- Physical exams
- Ambassador bird training and handling (holding an educational bird on the fist)
- Care of nursery (spring and summer)
- RELEASE of birds back to the wild
Facilities Maintenance
Help with building or repairing cages, constructing or rewrapping perches, fixing netting, fixing broken aviaries, and setting up for exhibits. Most projects must be completed at the Center. The time commitment varies per project and season.
Grounds
We have a great need for support in this area since it is critical to the daily operation of the facility and care of the birds. There is a constant need for help with landscaping – leaf raking, mowing, removing weeds.
Education
Present the mission of the Center to the public about raptors, their place in the environment, their biology, and how humans impact them with both on-site and off-site presentations.
Time requirement
Volunteers are required to work a minimum of 4 hours per week in a single 4-hour block. The Center is in operation 7 days a week.
Age requirement
All volunteers must be 18 years or older.
Dress code
Long pants, close-toed shoes, and covered shoulders are required at all times. Any volunteer who shows up without the aforementioned will not be allowed to work with animals. Short-sleeved shirts are OK.
Contact
Rehabilitation Office: 530.752.6091
