Volunteer

Due to TWC transitioning into its slow season, Volunteer applications will not be accepted for the remainder of 2024. But please check back in 2025 to see if Volunteer applications are being accepted for the 2025 busy season. Thank you for your interest in wanting to help our local wildlife!

Join our team and make a difference in the lives of local wildlife that need care. We invite you to become part of a great team of dedicated wildlife caregivers. A wide variety of opportunities exist, including but not limited to rescues and releases, medicating and feeding animals, and cleaning enclosures and facilities.

Interested in working with wild animals and the great people who help them? Read below for details on the many positions we have available.

We require all of our volunteers to be age 18 or older and be current on their tetanus vaccine.

At this time, we do not accept volunteers needing to complete community service hours.

Volunteer Positions

Animal Care

Be a part of the largest group of volunteers at the center – taking care of the animals! Animal care volunteers can expect to:

Clean, sanitize and scrub enclosures and cages.
Prepare special diets, including fruits and vegetables, meat, quail, mice, and fish.
Help with general chores like mopping, sweeping, dusting, washing dishes and laundry.
Assist with physical exams, giving medications, and general medical care.
Rescue and release native wildlife.

Animal care volunteers must attend a 4-hour orientation

before starting. Animal care volunteers are required to make a 6 month commitment of one shift per week. The shift times are:

AM shift: 8:00am to 1:00pm
PM shift: 1:00pm to 6:00pm

This is a very hands-off position. Our patients are wild and the less human exposure they have, the better they can heal. However, some avian handling training will be provided to dedicated volunteers. Larger mammals can only be handled by volunteers who have pre-exposure rabies vaccines but the vaccines are not required to be a volunteer.

Bird and Bunny Care

Seasonal (March to September)

Our Bird and Bunny care (B&B) volunteers are an integral part of our center! While these volunteers do not get to work with the larger birds and mammals, they get more one-on-one animal handling experience with our smallest critters feeding baby birds and small mammals. B&B volunteers can expect to:

Clean, sanitize, and organize indoor and outdoor cages and enclosures.
Prepare liquid and solid diets.
Feed baby songbirds and small mammals.

Shift times for Bird and Bunny volunteers are:

AM: 8am-1:00pm | PM: 1:00pm-6:00pm

An orientation and training session is required for all B&B volunteers. Volunteers must also commit to the entire baby season, which runs from about March to the end of September. All baby bird and bunny volunteers are required to provide a photo ID and proof of tetanus vaccine within the last 10 years.

Education

TWC offers educational presentations for community groups, schools, and participates in community events in Tucson and surrounding areas. We are always looking for passionate public speakers and friendly personalities to share the mission of Tucson Wildlife Center during outreach events.

Education volunteers also conduct on-site tours for small groups from October thru April. Volunteers walk guests through the wildlife hospital to our outdoor enclosures and flight cages of our animals in sanctuary, while discussing the Center’s history, reasons for rescue, rehabilitation techniques, animal facts and inspirational stories of wildlife in our care.

Facilities Maintenance

General “handy man/woman” to maintain plumbing, electric, carpentry, masonry, flooring, painting, etc. Proof of current tetanus vaccine is required.

Groundskeeper

Weeding, pruning, raking, other maintenance as needed.

Newsletters & Brochures

Works with Education Coordinator to write, edit and select photos for the quarterly newsletter and monthly eNewsletter.

Office

Several areas of office management and assistant positions are needed. The work includes performing general receptionist and secretarial duties such as data entry, preparation of written correspondence, maintain files, and making copies.

Wildlife Phone Operator/Receptionist

These volunteers are critical in helping us answer our busy phones and greet people who bring wild animals to our hospital. We are open 24/7, 365 days a year, but are looking for operators for our peak phone times, every day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the summer, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the winter. Morning and afternoon shifts are available. Volunteering as a phone operator will expose volunteers to the following:

Answering questions about native Arizona wildlife.
Advising callers on steps to take when finding wildlife in need of help.
Providing humane solutions to evict nuisance wildlife.
Coordinating with staff to arrange a rescue.

Experience is not necessary, and training will be provided. Multitasking is a plus, as well as a general knowledge of native Arizona wildlife, but not required. Good customer service skills and ability to interact with the public in a professional manner is required. Some light clerical work (data entry) may also be expected.

Event Management

For our events, we could always use help in various ways. Before, during and after an event, we depend on volunteers to help us raise money for our Center. Please let us know how you would like to help.