Wildlife Haven is in desperate need of volunteers.
Amy Wilkie, Education Program Manager, says they currently have around 140 volunteers who help in various aspects of the organization's operations.
“We wouldn't be able to run as an organization without volunteers, they're just integral to how we are able to operate. And we're appreciative of all of the hours that they donate to us.”
Wilkie says they are always in need of volunteers, but especially now as they will be losing a lot of their summer staff when fall comes around.
They are currently looking to fill about 30 to 40 volunteer spots.
Wildlife Haven has a lot of animals on site that need to be cared for.
“Not only the patients that we have, but also our ambassadors need care. We're going out doing community events that we need volunteers for, we have people who just come and cut our grass and do maintenance like that.”
On any typical day, they could have 10-15 volunteers helping out.
She says one area that you can choose to volunteer with is their hospital side of the organization where volunteers assist with prepping the patients’ food and enclosures, and with cleaning up after the animals.
Alternatively, you can help in their education program by working with their non-releasable wildlife ambassadors.
“You'd be helping with their daily care, so cleaning, feeding, and then you'd also be taking them out to public events and helping to kind of spread the word about who Wildlife Haven is.”
They also have volunteers who come and cut the grass, help with accounting, take photographs, or just help with general maintenance.
“So there's a wide range of needs that we need. We will find a spot wherever you want, we won't say no to help.”
She notes volunteering comes with a little bit of a time commitment.
They require volunteers to put in a minimum of four hours per week.
“That can be spread out or done all at once, but it is a pretty big commitment because it does take quite a lot to train all of our volunteers to be able to do things independently or to handle our ambassadors.”
They currently have 16 non-releasable wildlife ambassadors.
"And that's a mix of birds of prey, reptiles, and amphibians.”
Wilkie informs their wildlife ambassadors can't be released back into the wild, as some of them have an injury that prevents them from surviving in the wild, and some of them were raised by humans.
Because they can't release them back to the wild, they use them to help educate people about wildlife in Manitoba and how we can all peacefully coexist.
She says when you are working with the ambassadors, you can’t help but form a strong relationship with them.
“You're getting to know their personality, you're handling them, you're taking them out to schools and daycares, community centers, everywhere.”
Even if you're unsure about volunteering with Wildlife Haven, Wilkie encourages you to send in an application and come to their orientation.
“Once you see this place, you see the animals, you see the community that we have. We definitely have a lot of people who we're unsure, but then once they come here, they see how great of a place it is to work and they want to be here.”
Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older.