Rehabilitation of oiled wildlife relies heavily on volunteer labor. Without the hundreds of volunteers who helped out in our spills, we would not have been able to function. Volunteers do a multitude of vital tasks including washing and feeding birds, preparing food for the animals, building cages, running errands and doing laundry. All these tasks are essential to provide the best possible care for the animals.

When an oil spill happens, we will rely on our staff and trained volunteers to respond. If the spill is large enough to exceed the capacity of our trained personnel, we will put out a call through the media for additional volunteers.

Training

The Oiled Wildlife Care Network conducts regular online "webinars" for volunteers. You must have wildife rehabilitation experience to qualify to participate in the webinar program. Participants who complete the core webinar series are eligible to participate in advanced hands-on trainings. Please note that participation in the webinars does not provide guarantee of inclusion in any particular aspect of spill response.  For more information email mwcc@humboldt.edu

Spontaneous Volunteers

If a spill is large enough to exceed our trained personnel's ability to respond, we will put out a call for community and student volunteers.
When you volunteer during a spill, you will fill out some State paperwork, and go through a short safety training. Learn more here.