Volunteering at the Wildlife Center

Volunteering at the Wildlife Center is an exciting experience. New volunteers must attend an Orientation lecture (usually offered the second Saturday of each month) and work in conjunction with a permitted mentor. Expect to begin working with older orphans; feeding (some baby birds require feeding every 30 minutes), prepare specialized individual diets, house-keeping and cage cleaning duties. You do not need to be permitted (or sub-permitted) by Texas Parks and Wildlife or U. S Fish and Wildlife to work at the Wildlife Center. However you must attend an Orientation lecture and be willing to work under the close direction of a permitted rehabber. There are no minimum requirements, however it is preferred that volunteers be willing to work several 2, 4 or 6 hour shifts each month.

The Wildlife Center provides a rich educational experience. The sheer diversity and quantity of wildlife species in residence at the Wildlife Center at the height of baby season ensures that even the experienced rehabber will see new and interesting cases. Caring for so many of a given species at the same time also quickly teaches what should be considered normal behavior and what signals a problem.

If there is interest in becoming permitted at the federal and/or state level, volunteering at the Wildlife Center can provide the necessary contacts, education and guidance. The permitting process is much like an apprenticeship program. The individual is first sub-permitted under a permitted rehabilitator for training and guidance. It usually takes a year or two for the sub-permittee to feel prepared for the approval process.

Individual permitted rehabilitators tend to specialize in either birds or mammals.  Some even limit themselves to just one or two species. The reason for this is the caging, facilities, food and medical requirements for birds and mammals are very different. The advantage of working in conjunction with WR&E is that there are enough rehabbers to "spread the wealth". The founders of WR&E believe that all native Texas wildlife is underserved, especially hard to rehab and expensive to rehab species like fish eating water birds and raccoons. Working alone, a rehabber couldn't be expected to accept and care for every animal that came their way. However, an individual permitted rehabber can accept and stabilize these animals if there is a network of permitted rehabbers and the Wildlife Center available in support.

If you are interested in volunteering at the Wildlife Center please contact Sheryl Rogers, volunteer coordinator at 979-345-2513 or 713-254-5724 or Sheryl@wrande.org

To Contact Us:

713-643-WILD provides a partial list of our permitted rehabbers

713-861-WILD Direct line to the Wildlife Center
E-mail: SharonSchmalz@wrande.org