Portland Audubon

Baby Bird season is here! It is our busiest season, and we still have some holes on our schedule. Please apply to volunteer, then you will attend a general orientation, followed by a series of on line and in person training. 

Volunteers are the lifeblood of our Wildlife Care Center (WCC). They work alongside staff in various roles to help provide care and support to over 5,000 wild animals per year.  Our Wildlife Care Center (WCC) volunteers learn about wildlife rehabilitation while supporting wildlife care and educating the public about our conservation mission.

• New volunteers should be aware that much of the Care Center work involves support such as cleaning, laundry, diet prep and transport. 

• All year-round positions require a 6 month commitment to the same weekly shift (same day and time) and seasonal shifts require a 4 month commitment to the same weekly shift (same day and time).

• Shifts are 4 hours long, from 8:45 am-1:00 pm, 12:45-5:00 pm and (seasonally) 4:30-8:30 pm

• As much as possible, we need volunteers to attend their weekly shifts. Details on expectations regarding absences & coverage included in orientation.

• We require a background check for all WCC volunteers. 

• We require a COVID-19 vaccine for indoor WCC roles and some outdoor roles. Tetanus vaccine required for volunteers who work with animals.

• Volunteers are trained using a series of videos and on-site trainings.

• WCC volunteers must be at least 18.
• For 2022, our seasonal volunteer schedule is from May 1- September 3

SEASONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Seasonal WCC volunteers (May through August) help in several ways: admissions, an extra evening hospital shift, and extra patient support. Seasonal WCC volunteers must commit to a weekly shift (same day, same time) for 4 months from May through the end of August. 

Seasonal Admissions Greeters 
Admissions Greeters are responsible for assisting staff in the admission and documentation of new patients; this job primarily includes welcoming visitors, providing instructions on the patient drop-off procedures, and ensuring the information provided for each patient is as complete and legible as possible. This is currently a seasonal (May - August) position.

This is a seated, outdoor role.

Seasonal Wildlife Care Assistants 
Seasonal Wildlife Care Center Assistant volunteers are responsible for assisting staff in the care of animals inside the clinic and maintaining a clean and healthy environment for personnel & patients. Job consists of laundry, dishes, enclosure cleaning, food preparation, and other chores as well as assisting in daily weighing & medicating of patients. 

Requires standing work during most or all of the shift, also bending, lifting, standing, gripping, and repetitive fine-motor tasks.

YEAR ROUND OPPORTUNITIES
Wildlife Care Assistants 
Wildlife Care Center Assistant volunteers are responsible for assisting staff in the care of animals inside the clinic and maintaining a clean and healthy environment for personnel & patients. Job consists of laundry, dishes, enclosure cleaning, food preparation, and other chores as well as assisting in daily weighing & medicating of patients. 

Requires standing work during most or all of the shift, also bending, lifting, standing, gripping, and repetitive fine-motor tasks.

Mews volunteers 
Mews volunteers are responsible for assisting staff in the care of animals housed in outdoor enclosures. Job consists of cleaning & setting up outdoor enclosures, providing daily patient enrichment & diets, monitoring & reporting on patient condition, upkeep of enclosures, tools, & grounds for the safety of personnel & patients.

Requires bending, lifting, using a tall ladder, carrying, and walking on uneven ground.

Flight cage volunteers 
Flight cages volunteers are responsible for assisting staff in the care of animals housed in off site outdoor enclosures. Job consists of cleaning & setting up outdoor enclosures, providing daily patient enrichment & diets, monitoring & reporting on patient condition, upkeep of enclosures, tools, grounds for the safety of personnel & patients. Flight cages volunteers report to the Care Center, then drive their own vehicle out to our flight cages at a remote location

Requires bending, lifting, using a ladder, carrying, and walking on uneven ground.

Wildlife Solutions Counselors 
Wildlife Solutions Counselors are responsible for providing advice to members of the public who call and email the center for help with injured animals and wildlife conflicts. Callers leave voicemail messages and volunteers return the calls. 

Volunteers generally work in pairs, and new volunteers are always paired with an experienced mentor during training. Volunteers “Graduate” after minimum 4 months of experience, including at least 2 months of busy season, at which point can work alone and/or be paired with newer volunteer

Seated, remote, phone- and email-based role.

Sanctuary volunteers help keep our extensive trail system and sanctuary grounds beautiful for guests and the native wildlife that calls it home. We welcome volunteers with special skills as well as those who may just want to on occasion.

We have a regular weekly work party for volunteers who have gone through our screening. Training occurs during the volunteer shift, and depends on the volunteers’ skills and interests.

Portland Audubon is invited to many community events, celebrations and classrooms throughout the year. Volunteers assist in outreach and educating about our mission and our work.

Volunteers are trained in the content of our educational materials as well as best practices in interacting with the public.

Portland Audubon has long been a pioneer in involving the public in wildlife research and monitoring. Our community science projects span the urban environment in Portland to projects statewide including on the Oregon coast. We engage members of the public to help us better understand the ecology, biology, and natural history of birds and other wildlife so we can more effectively accomplish our conservation efforts and inform policy and management.

Community Science projects vary in location, duration and required skills. Learn more about Community Science here: https://audubonportland.org/get-involved/community-science/ You do not need to attend a Portland Audubon Volunteer Program Introduction to participate in Community Science- you may sign up at the Community Science webpage (same link repeated) https://audubonportland.org/get-involved/community-science/