Tamarack Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education Center

Doing (Actually, Giving) Time at TWREC

Tamarack Wildlife's' lifeblood -what keeps us up and running -has tw0 main ingredients: volunteers and donations. Donations whether monetary or in the form of goods and services, ensure that wildlife are adequately fed, housed and provided with medical care. But without our volunteers, we wouldn't be able to put those donations to work. In this newsletter we thought we would put out a plea for more volunteer help to our membership. Most of our volunteer needs are best met by adults with a willingness to learn, the physical abilities to do the job at hand, their own transportation, and the commitment to stay with us for the long haul. There are exceptions though - we've had some great short term projects from students and eagle scouts, and we couldn't do without those volunteers who show up for a one day fundraiser.

Please take a moment to look through the various jobs and see if one might suit you. Then call us! Offered to help with something in the past, but we never caught up with you? Call us! Sometimes we don't need help right away, and we are guilty of misplacing names and phone numbers. You'll notice one of the positions listed is for a volunteer coordinator...

Positions Available:
Wildlife Care: On-site job cleaning, feeding and caring for injured, ill, orphaned birds of prey, waterfowl and other wild patients as well as our education animals. Ideal candidates should be will to commit to volunteering at least 2-3 hours a week.

Education Program Assistants: Training to work with our education birds of prey, doing on-site education programs or off-site education at schools, camps or community events. This position requires more intensive training initially on working with and learning about the birds or prey and PA conservation issues: reliable transportation; public speaking to a variety or age groups.

Assistant/Satellite Rehabilitator: For persons seriously considering seeking a PA rehabilitation license. We are particularly hoping to find people interested in specializing in small mammals. Ideal candidates must be willing to care for, on their own property, at least one species during the entire rehab process through to release (you decided how many you can responsibly care for). TWREC will provide training, some material support, ongoing consultation, and act as the point of contact with the general public.

Transporters: must have reliable transportation and be willing to bring wildlife to us when we can't make other arrangements. Some of our transporters willing, and have, engaged in capture of wild animals.

Volunteer Coordinator: We need this - I mean really need this position filled. You could write your own job description. This job includes creating and updating a list of folks who would like to volunteer, and in what capacity, and calling on potential volunteers for various projects. Ideally that person would also keep our work schedule of volunteers, interns, work-study and our occasional paid staff organized. A lot of this work might be accomplished from your own home - but might entail number of long distance calls and/or emails.

Fundraising Coordinator: Another position we REALLY need filled. We have some great help working on some individual projects, but need someone to look at the the big picture for us. Developing fundraising project ideas; seeking out more corporate sponsorships or grants, helping project coordinators stay on track. Flexible hours; you can define the scope of your job. We just wish we could afford to pay you...

Corresponding Secretary: Assist Sue DeArment in preparing membership dues notices, thank you letters to contributors and other correspondence as needed.

Skilled Craft People: You name it; it either needs to be built or it's breaking down when you combine a non-profit with animals. We need to add to our list of carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and all around handypersons to call on, especially in an emergency. When the water doesn't run or the heating fails around here, it is a crisis that can threaten the lives of our patients.

Other: Willing to help serve tables at a fundraising dinner? Make ornaments for our Christmas tree to be raffled? Have a specific fundraising or public awareness project of our own? Just want to help out in some limited specific way? These volunteer jobs require only a willingness to pitch in for a specified time usually for a specific fundraiser.