Volunteer

Support Wildlife Rehab: Volunteer with Us

Volunteers at Gold Country Wildlife Rescue are the pillars of our organization. We could not accomplish our mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured and orphaned wildlife without their hard work and dedication. The devotion and enthusiasm of GCWR volunteers is truly an inspiration and is vital to keeping our doors open to animals in need.

Our center is open and operating 7 days a week, all year-round.  We rescue thousands of wild animals each year, with our busiest season happening March through October, during baby wildlife season.  During this time, we receive thousands of orphaned and injured newborn animals that have fallen from nests or been displaced from their parents. These babies require extensive and manytimes long-term wildlife care. 

When you volunteer at GCWR, you will be giving sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife a second chance at life. You will be joining a passionate team of wildlife lovers, literally, willing to go the extra mile to help save a life. 

GCWR volunteers fulfill our mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and release wildlife by helping care for thousands of wild animals by cleaning enclosures, prepping food, overseeing our front desk/animal intake, transporting wildlife to and from our center, shopping for supplies & food, assisting with events & outreach, and so much more!  Every task is important and every task helps us get one more animal just a little closer to returning to the wild!

A Note on Volunteering in Wildlife Rehabilitation

In wildlife rehabilitation, we’re responsible for saving many lives, however, no matter how well we do our job, some animals simply will not make it. Although a last resort, animals that are too sick or injured to be rehabilitated must be euthanized to reduce suffering. Working in wildlife rehabilitation, we learn to focus on what you can do and not what you can’t. You will gain an appreciation for a job well done, when you see an animal recovers and returns home wild. GCWR believes in keeping wildlife wild through the entire process of rescue, rehabilitation, and release. Allowing these animals to successfully return to the wild with their natural skills intact. This is not a volunteer position to apply for if you want to play with animals.

Volunteer Requirements

  • Must be at least 18 years of age.
  • Submit your annual volunteer fee ($50 first year, $25 annual renewal)
  • Complete ongoing training to include sexual harassment training, eLearning modules, etc.
  • See ‘ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS’ below for specific volunteer roles.


Required Time Commitment:

Operations Volunteers

  • Assists with wildlife animal husbandry, cleaning enclosures, laundry, dishes, food preparation, facility maintenance
  • REQUIRES: 4 hour commitment each week

Special Project Volunteers

  • Assists with “non-animal related” projects for administrative support, transportation, maintenance, and workdays.
  • REQUIRES: No weekly time commitment.

PLEASE CONSIDER your ability to follow through with your weekly commitment.

  • Volunteering with GCWR requires training to become a successful volunteer.
  • Significant time and resources are dedicated to training and coordinating volunteers
  • Our center and the wildlife depend on your regularly committed service expected of our volunteers. If you’re unable to keep your required commitment, or exceed our “3 strikes and you’re out” policy, you will be asked to leave GCWR’s volunteer program.
  • Volunteer roles are usually not suitable for short-term activities such as community service or short-term school or family projects.


Volunteer Location:
GCWR Wildlife Intake Center (WIC), 11251 B Ave., Auburn, CA 95603   

Volunteer Positions

There are many ways to get involved in protecting and caring for wildlife at Gold Country Wildlife Rescue. Volunteers can choose to become either an Operations Volunteer or a Special Projects Volunteer.  Each volunteer position has different responsibilities and time commitments. Read on for more details and to apply.

Wildlife rehabilitation requires a lot of people power and a serious commitment to care for the hundreds of wild animals recovering at our center each day. Operations Volunteers assist GCWR wildlife technicians and interns in the daily tasks at our Wildlife Intake Center (WIC) in Auburn, CA. Every animal requires daily enclosure cleaning, feeding, and observation; some even require these multiple times a day.

Therefore, our daily wildlife care tasks include, but are not limited to: sanitizing animal enclosures, washing lots of bedding, sanitizing feeding equipment, setting up new enclosures, preparing food for individual species, washing lots of food dishes, and helping keep the Wildlife Intake Center organized for maximum efficiency. Keep in mind, this position can be HARD WORK, but totally worth it!

Operations Volunteer REQUIREMENTS:

  • Must commit to at least one 4-hour shift per week, for the entire season (Feb-Oct). We can work with you to organize planned time off for vacations, holidays, etc.   
    • Spring/Summer shift hours: 7-11am, 11-3pm or 3-7pm
    • Fall/Winter shift hours: 8-12pm or 12-4pm
  • Must arrive on time to your scheduled shifts. Absences and tardiness will not be tolerated.
  • Must be able to stand for extended periods of time (up to three hours), able to lift at least 25 lbs, and complete a variety of physically demanding tasks in a fast-paced environment.

Running a wildlife rescue that helps thousands of animals, there are many “non-animal care” related tasks and jobs that are just as important as cleaning squirrel enclosures and prepping raccoon diets. Special Project Volunteers are those of us that LOVE to help animals but looking for alternative ways to support wildlife rehabilitation.

Special Project Volunteers have a bit more flexibility with their schedule and help with a variety of projects and tasks throughout the year. 

  • Transportation Drivers – Transport wildlife to/from our Wildlife Intake Center between surrounding cities & counties for veterinarian appointments or to transfer a patient to another specialty wildlife rescue. Participating volunteers are added to our “Transportation Call List ” and are contacted when wildlife transports arise (typically weekly) based on your location and availability. **Note: this is not considered an animal handling position as the animals are always crated appropriately for transport. Transportations is highly stressful for wildlife. Drivers are required to complete a wildlife transport training prior to volunteering. We do not allow pets, children, noise, music, or strong scents in the vehicle while transporting wildlife.
    • ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
      • Must have reliable transportation and follow GCWR’s wildlife transportation guidelines.
      • Must complete the Wildlife Transportation eLearning module, sign the transportation waiver, and provide proof of driver’s license & insurance.
      • Must provide your “on-call” availability each week
    • Admin/Front Desk Animal Intake – Assist our administrative staff at the front desk of the Wildlife Intake Center (WIC) with greeting the public, intaking animals, and entering them into the patient database
      • ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
        • Must have knowledge and experience using computers
        • Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment
        • Able to stand and sit for long periods of time
        • Provide friendly, customer service while greeting, asking question, and provide information to the public
        • Must commit to a 4-hour shift each week
      • Work Days and Special Projects – These seasonal projects and chores can include sewing blankets, cooking suet, building & moving enclosures, transporting trash & recycling, property cleanup days, maintaining facilities (roofing, plumbing, electrical) and so much more. Work days and special projects are organized as needed and announced in our weekly volunteer email where you can sign up to attend.
      • Events, Education & Outreach – Part of the GCWR’s mission is to build community awareness and understanding of the critical role wildlife plays in the ecosystems we share. We do this through public education and outreach at festivals and community events. We are hoping to begin ramping up public outreach and education events this year!

Application Process

  • STEP 1: Complete a volunteer application for either an ‘Operations Volunteer’ or a ‘Special Projects Volunteer’.
  • STEP 2: Accepted applicants will be invited to attend our next Volunteer Orientation
  • STEP 3: Complete all waivers, online eLearning modules & pay annual fee
  • STEP 4: Attend a GCWR Volunteer Orientation (3 hours)

Apply for GCWR’s Volunteer Program

If you are ready to take your next step and commit to a great cause helping thousands of wild animals each year receive a second chance at life, start your volunteer application now!

You will be redirected to our volunteer management system (Better Impact) where you will need to create a username, password, and then complete your application.

Operations Volunteers will be notified of available special project opportunities, therefore, you DO NOT need to fill out a second application for ‘Special Projects Volunteer’  if interested.

Operations Volunteer

  • Assists with wildlife animal husbandry, cleaning enclosures, laundry, dishes, food preparation, facility maintenance
  • REQUIRES: 4 hour commitment each week

Special Project Volunteer

  • Assists with “non-animal related” projects for administrative support, transportation, maintenance, and workdays.
  • REQUIRES: No weekly time commitment

Questions? Please contact volunteercoordinator@goldcountrywildliferescue.org