Volunteers are the Foundation of Pacific Wildlife Care
If you care deeply about your connection with wildlife and want to help us ensure a healthy co-existence between humans and animals, please volunteer. As a nonprofit organization we depend upon the commitment of nearly 200 volunteers that help staff our programs-and we can always use more!
Each year over 35,000 hours of time are given to treat close to 3,000 wild animals and to educate our community about the wildlife in San Luis Obispo County. Volunteers support wildlife by assisting with animal care in the Rehabilitation Center, by answering our Wildlife Hotline, by rescuing and transporting animals as a RTV (rescue/transport volunteer), by helping at the Front Desk, by conducting community outreach programs, and by assisting with many other needed tasks such as events and fundraising, grant writing, or other administrative tasks.
Learn more about volunteer opportunities with Pacific Wildlife Care.
Volunteer Training Process
- Volunteer Orientation
- Initial Basic Training about the specifics of the area you have selected (Wildlife Hotline, RTV, Center Volunteer, Front Desk, etc.)
- Ongoing training as needed until necessary skills are acquired.
- Other classes throughout the year on specific topics including animal handling, zoonotic diseases, baby bird/mammal care, common presentations, basic seabird care, among others.
Step One: Volunteer Orientation
The Covid-19 pandemic forced PWC to think differently about how to conduct our Volunteer Orientation meetings for new volunteers since on-site gatherings were not possible.
And, now that many of us are accustomed to virtual meetings, we are working toward an online volunteer orientation process. After submitting your application, we will let you know the next steps to take to get ready to volunteer!
Volunteer Requirements
- Minimum age to volunteer is 18 years old. We cannot make exceptions due to the nature of the work we do.
- Must complete all required trainings for each volunteer area.
- Must have a passion for wildlife rehabilitation and education!
