Adult Volunteer Program

Please read below about our Adult Volunteer Program and the volunteer process.
We are always looking for new commited volunteers!

Volunteer Opportunities

Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue has many volunteer opportunities, please check them out below or call our office for more information, 707-992-0274.

• New Volunteer Process
• Volunteer Orientation and IWR class
• Adult Volunteer Programs
• Commitment is Number One  

New Volunteer Process

Because this is a very specialized volunteer commitment, all new volunteers must take part the Volunteer Orientation and the Introduction to Wildlife Rehabilitation class provided by SCWR every three months.

These classes allow us to explain the commitment requirements and the training process for new volunteers. It gives you a chance to consider if Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue is the right organization for you and for you to decide if you would like to become a commited volunteer and attend the many other trainings we provide.

Depending on your level of commitment, there is specific training required and we are looking for long term volunteers willing to undergo all the necessary training.

To make an appointment to begin volunteering, please call our office at 707-992-0274.

Volunteer Orientation and IWR Class

The Volunteer Orientation and the Introduction to Wildlife Rehabilitation class run every three months on the second and third Saturday of the month.

Months offered: January, April, July and October
Volunteer Orientations are always the second Saturday of the month
IWR class is always the third Saturday of the month

*Please note, you do not need to take the orientation or the IWR class to volunteer, but you must take both the orientation and the Introduction to Wildlife Rehab before you handle any wildlife. If you do not take the classes, you will not be permitted to perform any wildlife care.

Adult Volunteer Programs

Foster Care: Orphaned and injured animals are kept and cared for at your home until they are too big for your facilities or are ready for release or transfer to the Wildlife Community. Foster care requires very dedicated volunteers who are able to take patients for 1-3 months and feed them every 2-5 hours.

Wildlife Community: Here volunteers get a chance to work with wildlife that are on the last phase of rehabilitation before release back to the wild. You will also take care of the residents in the Education Exhibit Area. You may be caring for coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, squirrels, etc. In addition to this, you will be keeping the wildlife kitchen clean and organized, and various other chores to keep the Wildlife Community beautiful for the animals during their stay with S.C.W.R.

Hotline: We have three shifts per day. Volunteers regularly call our voice-mail system to retrieve messages. These calls are for animals needing assistance and questions about wildlife. Hotline is S.C.W.R.’s first link to the public, and requires good public relations skills. It is important that Hotline volunteers respond in a timely and professional manner. Hotline can be done from the volunteer’s home or office or even on the go.

Rescue Team: It is not always possible for the Hotline volunteer to pick up or receive an orphaned or injured animal. The Hotline volunteer has a list of current volunteers whom they may call upon to pick up or receive animals as needed. These volunteers may also respond to critical or trauma patients that need immediate medical attention. We also will occasionally need volunteers to transport an animal to one of our local vets or other wildlife rehabilitation centers.

Medical Team: This is a group of volunteers who work with animals in distress or that need medical attention. They are also the support group for the foster care volunteers who might need assistance with medical needs or need site visits. Often these volunteers have a background in veterinary medicine or a lot of experience working with wildlife, but that is not a requirement.

Education Outreach Program: We have 5 different areas of outreach in our Education Program. Our Education Outreach Director will train volunteers for classroom presentations, docenting in our Wildlife Education Exhibit area, participation during the fair season, and special public events. Junior Volunteers are most welcome in this program as well as all of those who are interested. It is one of the most important programs we have at S.C.W.R.

Enrichment Program: You will learn how to provide stimulating activities for wildlife in their enclosures. This helps get wildlife better prepared for return to the wild, or keeps the permanent residents happy and healthy.

A Wildlife Exclusion Service: This program generates much-needed funds into our organization by helping the public with nuisance wildlife issues. We train volunteers to conduct site visits to the public’s homes or business, and find solutions to how, where, and why wildlife is populating their property. These volunteers are called Wildlife Exclusion Technicians. They are prepared to go under houses, in attics, on rooftops, and can also do carpentry work so animals are “excluded” from entering into human dwellings. All revenue generated through this program goes directly to our education and rehabilitation programs.

Special Projects and Facility Maintenance: There are always projects needing attention at S.C.W.R. and we are always looking for people to take on the task of getting these projects done. It can be as simple as chopping wood to larger things like building a new enclosure, but there is never a shortage of things to do.

Administrative: Volunteers do a variety of administrative duties such as mailings, record keeping, fundraising assistance, membership service, public relations, computer help, and more. This is a very important area to the survival of S.C.W.R. You may be working in the Community Resource Center of S.C.W.R., (which is our administrative offices) doing receptionist work, animal intake, and public education.

Hotline: (707) 526-WILD(9453) ~ Bussiness Office: (707) 992-0274 ~ Exclusion Service/Fax: (707) 992-0276
Location: 403 Mecham Rd, Petaluma Ca 94952
Mailing Address: PO Box 448, Cotati Ca 94931