WildCare's Youth Volunteer Program for high school students is not currently open.
If you are interested in applying for our 2025 Youth Wildlife Hospital Volunteer recruitment, please carefully read this page and subscribe to our email list on our homepage here to receive updates on upcoming orientations.
Also: All Wildlife Hospital volunteer positions will take place at our transition site at 251 North San Pedro Rd in San Rafael for 2025. This is an exciting opportunity to get your foot in the door as a volunteer at our brand new facility which will open in late 2025!
Youth wanting to become Wildlife Hospital volunteers must be able to meet the following requirements (no exceptions):
- You must complete all application materials and communications by yourself, independently (cannot be completed by parents)
- Accepted applicants must attend a mandatory, in-person youth orientation at a date TBA.
- You must complete all online and in-person trainings
- You must commit to one 4-hour weekly shift (or 1.5 hours for school days)
- You must commit to a minimum of 6 months on the weekly shift (though we hope you’ll continue for many years to come!)
Every spring and summer, WildCare experiences what is referred to as “Baby Season,” when our patient load soars with orphans and injured wildlife in need of care.
We will be looking for high school volunteers to assist our adult Hospital Volunteers and Medical Staff with support tasks such as sweeping, mopping, laundry, dishes, patient diet prep and enclosure cleaning.
It is very important to note: while Youth Volunteers will be working within the Wildlife Hospital and will, at times, have the unique opportunity to see wildlife patients up close, they will NOT be working hands-on with any animals.
The work all of our volunteers do is imperative in order to maintain and deliver our high level of care for our wildlife patients! This is a great opportunity to learn more about the behind-the-scenes operations of a wildlife hospital.
Students who successfully volunteer in this program will be given priority when applying for an adult Hospital Volunteer position (18 years and up).
The Youth Volunteer Orientation will be held in person for accepted applicants in January 2025. Please check back for the orientation date and location.
Volunteering in WildCare's Wildlife Hospital
Our Wildlife Hospital cares for over 3,500 wild animals a year, from as many as 200 different species. We provide ongoing care for our patients seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year with a dedicated team of staff and more than 250 volunteers.
Our goal? To restore our wild patients to full health so that they may be released safely back to their natural habitats.
Student Volunteers learn species identification, hygiene and safety precautions and protocols, and proper diet and food preparation. Hospital staff provides comprehensive diagnoses and treatments for our patients utilizing x-rays, blood work and more, and the work our Student Volunteers do make this care possible. Everyone works together to accommodate the feeding, cleaning and medication requirements of each patient.
Volunteer Requirements and Additional Information
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