SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Wildlife Care Internship Opportunities at Center for Wildlife- Spring, Summer, and Fall positions now available!

**We are now accepting applications for the following positions for the 2013 season, please note the dates of the internships and deadlines for application:

The Wildlife Care Internship Program at the Center for Wildlife is a non-paid work/learning experience for students interested in wildlife. We hope that our internship can serve as an exciting introduction for students to wildlife career opportunities. Typically, our interns are majoring in one or more of the following areas of study: Biology, Zoology, Marine Biology, Psychobiology, Wildlife Ecology or Management, Environmental Science, or Veterinary Science.

The large number of animals and variety of species admitted to the Center for Wildlife gives our interns the unique opportunity to become familiar with these species' identification, diets, habitats, and conservation needs. Due to the hands-on and sometimes veterinary nature of rehabilitation, interns will also have an opportunity to focus on physiological, behavioral and some pathological aspects of the animals admitted.

Students selected will be encouraged to participate in all aspects of rehabilitation management – from cleaning, feeding, cage habitat and maintenance, assisting the public on the phone or admitting animals, to close observation, treatment, and release of animals. Focusing on hands-on animal care has given our past interns valuable experience in such crucial tasks as diagnosing injuries and illnesses, administering medication, learning how to safely handle wild animals, raising orphaned birds and mammals, and understanding the current challenges our wildlife face.

Click here for an application and complete description of the internship, duties, and requirements. Scroll down for more information on our program or email us with any questions.

**New** Wildlife Education Docent Opportunity!!

The Center for Wildlife is currently accepting applications for our newly developed Wildlife Education Docent Program! As the Center continues to grow and reach new audiences, we are experiencing more and more community members interested in our organization. The role of a Wildlife Education Docent is to greet rescuers dropping off animals, provide information about our organization, as well as give interested parties a tour of our educational facilities.

What are some things Wildlife Education Docents do?

• Share information on the Center for Wildlife’s history, mission, native wildlife and ecology, and statistics with rescuers and the public looking to learn more about wildlife and our work
• Guide rescuers dropping off injured and orphaned wild animals to the intake office and around our educational facilities
• Run our outdoor gift shop
• Offer guided tours of our non-releasable educational ambassadors
• Field questions about the Center for Wildlife, our education programs and our Wildlife Ambassadors

We welcome all volunteers over the age of 17! No previous experience in education or wildlife care is necessary, but all docents must complete one 2 hour training session, and commit to one, four hour shift each month for one season (spring-summer) from 9-1pm on Saturdays. We're looking for docents that have an enthusiasm for native wildlife, their habitats, Center for Wildlife, and can represent wildlife rehabilitation and education in a professional manner!

Click here for more information on this position, or click here to download the application and mail to P.O. Box 620, Cape Neddick, ME 03902. Qualified applicants will be contacted to set up an interview. Feel free to email Emily our Education & Outreach Fellow for more information.

Senior Wildlife Care Internship Opportunities at Center for Wildlife

We have filled all 3 Senior Intern positions for the 2013 season. Thank you for your applications and interest!

The Center for Wildlife Senior Internship offers practical, hands-on experience in a large rehabilitation clinic. Some of the skills learned include species identification, husbandry techniques, wild animal handling, medical exams/triage, administration of medication, managing, supervising, and training other interns and volunteers, and other procedures.

Senior Wildlife Care Interns report directly to staff and work closely with the medical clinic team in a more experienced and supervisory role than junior Wildlife Care Interns. Extensive training and workshops are provided as part of a Senior Intern’s training. A Senior Intern is expected to work 40 hours/ week in 5 shifts. Schedule includes some early, late, and weekend shifts, and will be assigned in advance so that interns have plenty of notice. Vacations are unpaid and must be approved in advance.

For a detailed description of qualifications, stipend amount, and specific duties click here. To apply for this position, please fill out an intern application and note 'Senior Intern' on top. Send the application to our mailing address- P.O. Box 620, Cape Neddick, ME 03902.

if you have any questions please email us or call the center at (207) 361-1400

Education & Outreach Fellow Opportunities at Center for Wildlife

We have currently filled our Education & Outreach Fellow position. Please stay tuned for the next opening!

This joint internship with the Mount Agamenticus Conservation Program links wildlife education and conservation. The Wildlife Education Interns will have the opportunity to develop and assist with displays, activities, and educational programs that teach the public about wildlife, habitats, and the natural resources within the great Mt. Agamenticus region. Specific duties include caring for wildlife ambassadors, data entry and record-keeping, developing display and hands-on materials, assisting with promotions, and attending programs and events. Additional work will include staffing the new Learning Lodge, greeting visitors as they explore the area, recommending trail routes, and helping to explain current conservation efforts. For more information and an application click here.

Email our Director of Education and Outreach Kristen Lamb with any questions or to apply by email.

Volunteer Wildlife Caretaker Opportunities at Center for Wildlife

PLEASE NOTE: We are currently accepting volunteer applications, and hope to hold an orientation within the next two weeks. Please send in your application as soon as you can!

Each year at the Center for Wildlife we admit more and more animals, close to 1,700 last year. With our limited budget we rely heavily on our volunteers and interns and staff shifts according to seasonal patient loads. We couldn't manage the number of cases and diversity of species we treat without help from our dedicated non-paid staff!

Because of this fact, we take the roles of Animal Care Volunteers and Wildlife Care Intern very seriously and hope you will too. We're looking for volunteers that:

• We can depend on, and who can take instruction easily
• Understand our goal is to give each animal a clean, comfortable, and stress-free environment
• Provide supportive care so that patients can receive intensive care from experienced medical staff
• Understands that a missed shift means that coverage is thin and the entire clinic can be set back
• Understands the need for quiet in a medical setting
• Are excited and motivated to learn natural history and best practices
• Love and respect wild animals and wants to be a part of giving them a second chance

Please be sure that you are ready to make this commitment before you apply, we are a very busy clinic and the position can be rewarding but certainly demanding!

We look forward to working with new volunteers and interns and feel that the Center can be a fun and fulfilling place when everyone does their part and the animals are well cared for.

Volunteer Program Information and Application Process

Volunteers are an integral part of the Center for Wildlife. Each year, the Center treats close to 1,700 birds, mammals and reptiles. The role of a Wildlife Care Assistant is to help create a healing environment to maximize the animals' release potential. Some of the volunteer opportunities are feeding nestling birds and young mammals, monitoring animals' conditions and preparing foods, cage cleaning and outdoor cage habitat maintenance, and assisting the public with questions concerning wildlife. General cleaning and some administrative tasks may also be included. As one volunteer has said, "The Center gives me a chance to do something positive, I am able to see the results of all our hard work. Releasing an animal back to the wild, giving it a second chance, is the greatest thrill I have ever experienced."

A real compassion for animals and a willingness to learn are the main requirements for volunteers. Because of the medical nature of the position and the need for safety at the clinic we require that you are at least seventeen years old. We provide extensive training and orientation workshops for new volunteer; thus require a minimum commitment of 6 months.

Because of the large number of animals and species that come are admitted at the clinic and the varying species' needs, we have a structured application and training process that volunteers go through before they are put up on the schedule by themselves. Training involves many hours of Staff and Volunteer Trainers' time. We realize this is an investment however, and we are happy to take the time to train serious volunteers. We are all working towards the common goal of providing the best care for our patients until release. If you feel you are ready to make the commitment of 4 hours per week for a minimum of six months, then please follow the instructions below. We look forward to welcoming you!

Step 1 - Download our Volunteer Information/Application fill it out and mail it to us at:

Center for Wildlife
P.O. Box 620
Cape Neddick, ME 03902

Step 2 - Once we receive your application, we will review it and get back to you in order to schedule a phone interview. The phone interview is an introduction to the Center for Wildlife, our needs and expectations, and to make sure that these are a good fit for you and the Center for Wildlife.

Step 3 - Once you completed your phone interview and orientation, you will need to sign up for a four-hour workshop. This is a hands-on introduction to animal care, cleaning, and food preparation, as well as an orientation to our 45+ outdoor enclosures.

Step 4 - After the orientation and workshop have been completed, volunteers generally shadow with a seasoned volunteer or intern for 2-3 shifts.

Step 5 - Dig in! After shadowing and the workshop volunteers are generally able to be on their own, helping to care for some of our up to 300 patients in residence during the busy season!

Please note: Our staff members wear many hats. Upon mailing in the application, please allow up to two weeks for a response. We appreciate the interest and your patience!  We also have a volunteer capacity and may not be accepting new volunteers. In this event we will hold on to the application until the next available opening.

If you would like to learn more about opportunities at The Center for Wildlife, please contact us.


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