These volunteers provide the hands-on care so necessary to our patients.  During baby bird season the majority of the effort centers around feeding babies and preparing them for release.  However, injured birds are in need of treatment year-round.  We have excellent veterinarians who work with us, but all follow-up care and treatment are performed at the Center.

​

You will have the opportunity to work with birds of many species as you learn how and what to feed them. Besides feeding duties, hospital volunteers are expected to participate in food preparation, general cleaning, laundry and washing of food dishes, keeping birds clean ad changing nesting materials as needed. The work can be intense, particularly during Baby Bird Season, but the rewards are many.  Knowing that you personally helped to return a bird to the wild is a wonderful feeling.

​

This work is not for everyone. It can be physically demanding; you are largely on your fee for four hours at a time, with lots of bending down, carrying and cleaning. It is not for the squeamish; handling live mealworms for the babies and dead mice for the raptors is part of the work. All volunteers are required to become BRC members, have health insurance coverage, and be up to date on their tetanus booster. Anyone with a compromised immune system should not work in hands-on wildlife rehabilitation, through there are many other volunteer opportunities available at BRC. 

​

Extensive training is required to work in the Rehabilitation Hospital, and our staff invests a lot of time and effort in that training. There are four mandatory 4-hour training sessions in addition to the Volunteer Orientation. We Require a minimum commitment to a regular 4-hour shift per week during the height of Baby Bird Season (April through September), so please seriously consider your schedule and workload before joining the Rehab Team. Our birds and staff depend on volunteers being on-time and ready to work! 
 

There are many ways to support the Center. If you are not able to commit the time required for Rehab work, please consider joining our Feld Rescue Team, Off-Site Support or other area. And simply becoming a BRC member helps cover the expenses incurred in caring for our native wild birds.