Wild ARC volunteers help wildlife in a variety of ways. They care for the animals at our centre (located in Victoria, B.C.), they advocate and fundraise in the community, and they educate the public about local wildlife. If you’re passionate about your local wildlife, and looking for a challenging, inspiring, and educational volunteer opportunity, you’ve found exactly the right place.
Animal care team
Our busy baby season runs from April to September and we need plenty of helping hands to keep our wild babies fed, cleaned and on the road to recovery. It’s a lot of responsibility – and a lot of elbow grease – to care for these wild animals, but helping them return to the wild is worth every moment!
Our animal care team position description (PDF) has all the volunteer details.
Wildlife chef team
Perhaps you’re a whiz in the kitchen and want to put your dicing and chopping skills to good use. Our Wildlife Chefs prepare species-specific diets for our wild patients, making sure they get all the nutrition they need to fully recover.
Our wildlife chef team position description (PDF) has all the volunteer details.
Spit ‘n’ Polish team
Our Spit ‘n’ Polish volunteers are crucial to keeping our wildlife centre running smoothly. Cleaning kennels, folding laundry and washing dishes may not sound glamourous, but knowing that you’re ensuring our team has exactly what they need to save wild lives is incredibly rewarding.
Our Spit ‘n’ Polish team position description (PDF) has all the volunteer details.
Maintenance volunteer team
Are you handy with tools, enjoy fixing things and coming up with creative building solutions? Join our Wild ARC team to help us keep up with repairs for our facility, and specialized wild animal enclosures throughout the year.
Our maintenance team position description (PDF) has all the volunteer details.
Wildlife transport team
Our transporters act as ‘animal ambulances’ (while still obeying the rules of the road!), to make sure distressed wildlife arrives at our centre as soon as possible. No need to be a daring rescue hero, these team members transport already-contained wildlife in need of a safe ride using their personal vehicle and cell phone.
Our wildlife transport team position description (PDF) has all the volunteer details.
Outreach team
Do you love making connections within our local community with people who are equally passionate about local wildlife? Are you a natural public speaker or want more practice? Become a Wild ARC ambassador and highlight our important work by staffing tables at community events, markets and festivals.
Our outreach team position description (PDF) has all the volunteer details.
Humane education team
There’s so much potential for wildlife-lovers to make a difference. Teaching people how they can help, and introducing them to the wildlife in their own backyard, is an important first step. Our Humane Education volunteers deliver presentations to adult audiences and also work with BC SPCA humane educators who are in high demand to deliver our programs and interactive presentations to local schools.
Our humane education team position description (PDF) has all the volunteer details.
Practicum program
If you’re interested in a career in animal health or wildlife rehabilitation, our intensive two, three or four month volunteer practicum program is a great way to gain hands-on experience.
Youth volunteers
Wildlife can be unpredictable, dangerous and carry disease – we want to make sure our volunteers are safe and prepared to work with these animals. Because of these considerations, our minimum volunteering age at Wild ARC is 19 (although students age 16-18, with parental permission, may volunteer on a graduated intake process).
If you’re younger than 16 and passionate about helping wildlife, we’re looking forward to meeting you soon! In the meantime, take a look at the many exciting ways to help wildlife from home by making your backyard friendly for wildlife or helping out wildlife in the winter. You can make a difference to those currently in care at Wild ARC, and those right in your own backyard!