Volunteer Opportunities
Interested in Volunteering at Carolina Waterfowl Rescue?
We have a wide range of opportunities available for all skills and interests. We hope you join our team!
Orientations are held the first Saturday and third Sunday of every month from 10 AM - 12:30 PM at the rescue.
Complete the brief volunteer registration below, and our volunteer coordinator will be in touch with next steps!
Around 500 volunteers donated their time to Carolina Waterfowl Rescue in 2023. We are in Indian Trail, North Carolina but we also have volunteer positions available across the state and US. Below is a description of our volunteer jobs, where they are based, and the days and times we currently need the most help. They are broken up into three categories: weekly onsite, weekly remote, and flexible onsite or remote. We rely heavily on regular volunteers to help us with the daily operations at our rehabilitation center. During the busy summer season, there are always cages and dishes to clean, laundry to be done, animals to be fed, and additional tasks depending on the needs of the day.
We hope that one of these opportunities interests you and will allow you to support our mission to Rescue, Rehabilitate, and Release wildlife, and Adopt selected domestic animals.
Please visit our pages on corporate volunteering or student internships for more information on these opportunities.
Opportunities
Animal Care Shift
Weekly Onsite • Perfect for the active, outdoor types who want a little exercise and fresh air! You will interact with our resident animals by providing food and fresh water, collecting eggs, and, at sunset, herding birds into predator proof enclosures. You may also clean cages of animals undergoing medical care.
7 days a week. Morning shifts: 8 AM-12 PM. Evening shifts: 4 PM-8 PM.
Baby Songbird Feeding
Weekly Onsite • This is a seasonal position and follows the hatching of songbird babies. Anticipated start date is early April and anticipated end date is early October. In addition to feeding, duties include keeping babies and cages clean, food prep and light housekeeping including dishes, laundry, and floors.
There are four 3-hour shifts daily and a lot of flexibility in scheduling. 7 days a week, 8 AM-8 PM. Orientation is not required.
Produce Prep
Weekly Onsite • Produce Prep (orientation required)
Easily the most loved volunteer by all the animals! Sort and chop produce. Then head outside to distribute it through the various yards and feel the love!
Produce Pick-Up (orientation not required)
If you are short on time, consider picking up donated produce from various designated locations.
Inside Care
Weekly Onsite • Enjoy keeping a tidy house? Help us with laundry and dishes, floor cleaning and possibly some small animal care.
7 days a week. Morning shifts: 8 AM-12 PM. Evening shifts: 4 PM-8 PM.
Hotline Volunteer
Weekly Remote • You can literally live anywhere, and help orphaned and injured animals from the comfort of your own home! We have hotline volunteers in the Midwest and the West Coast. All that’s required is a computer, basic computer skills, and an internet connection to help finders who have questions on wildlife in need.
Help arrange referrals to other rescuers, provide nuisance wildlife advice, and arrange for transport to CWR. Without a doubt, one of the most important roles at the rescue! If interested in volunteering with our hotline, please email hotline@cwrescue.org to get scheduled for training.
7 days a week. Morning shifts: 8 AM-12 PM. Evening shifts: 4 PM-8 PM.
Social Media Moderator
Weekly Remote • Social media moderators promote, develop, and maintain our online presence to maximize our impact and to promote CWR as widely as possible to the local community and beyond.
Key Tasks: Use social media to promote the activities and achievements of CWR. Encouraging others to comment on our posts and share them with others. Ensure that communication reaches a wide range of local and diverse audiences. Keeping up to date with CWR events and news. To be able to communicate effectively, be articulate, with strong communication skills and the ability to engage with our comments’ sections accurately.
7 days a week. Morning shifts: 8 AM-12 PM. Evening shifts: 4 PM-8 PM.
Animal Ambulance
Flexible Remote & Onsite • Love driving? Up for a little adventure? Both? Arrive on the scene of injured or orphaned animal, determine if it needs help, safely capture it, and bring it back to rescue for care. Drive injured animals to veterinary appointments, our sanctuary, release sites, or facilities.
You will register your home and/or work address and if an animal in need is nearby, you’ll be tagged on our dedicated Facebook group allowing you to decide when you are able to volunteer. Depending on the situation, you may work with other volunteers or staff to capture an animal.
Request to join our volunteer transporter network here.
Events Educator
Flexible Remote & Onsite • Visit schools, scout troops, community fairs & festivals, and other groups to talk about wildlife, our rescue, and our environment. If you are going to school for environmental studies, teaching, or just want to work with the animals and bring awareness, this is a great opportunity for you!
Facilities Volunteer
Flexible Onsite • Like to work with your hands to build things or just putter around? Have mad organizational skills? We always have a list of projects from fixing fences to repairing hoses to organizing our cabinets and sheds.
Project Work Day
Flexible Onsite • Looking for an opportunity for your co-workers, friends, church or family? We accept groups of 4 or more people to help us with various projects around the rescue including painting, maintenance, and cleaning. We’ll work with you to find a project appropriate for you group and their interests and skill sets.
Special Note: Carolina Waterfowl Rescue does not give hours for court appointed community service.
REception Volunteer
Flexible Onsite • Enjoy interacting with the public and a pro at juggling several tasks at once? Consider this position and help support various administrative projects and daily duties.
Responsibilities include greeting visitors, assisting with intakes and entering data. You will be responsible for the cleanliness of the front office and public areas. Must have strong interpersonal, organizational and verbal communication skills.
7 days a week. Morning shifts: 8 AM-12 PM. Evening shifts: 4 PM-8 PM.
Fundraising Volunteer
Flexible Remote • A specialized role for those primarily interested in aiding CWR with funding and securing funding opportunities. Areas of focus would include exploring and applying to federal grants on our behalf, making thank you calls to donors, and researching other avenues for fundraising.
Requirements
You must be at least 16 years of age with dependable transportation.
Volunteers should be able to lift 25 pounds and be in general good health.
Volunteers working with animals must have a tetanus booster and cannot be immuno-compromised or have a positive tuberculosis test.
All onsite positions will require attending a 2.5-hour orientation at our facility to review our policies and procedures. The exception is for Baby Songbird Feeding, which instead requires completion of video training videos before your first shift.
Weekly volunteers must commit to a 4-hour shift at the same time and day each week for a minimum of 4 months. (We recognize that there will be the occasional illness, vacation, or family circumstances).
Volunteer Orientation: Arriving Prepared
On-site weekly shifts require attending a 2.5-hour orientation conducted by a volunteer or staff member. These sessions are scheduled twice a month and allow applicants to ask questions and find the best position to fit their interests and skills. Orientation always begins promptly at 10 AM. Pre-registration is required by emailing volunteer@cwrescue.org.
Step 1:
We kindly request for you to please print and sign the following FOUR attached documents and bring them with you to orientation. You may also e-sign the documents and email them to volunteer@cwrescue.org.
Step 2:
Take note of the following considerations!
Allow 2.5 hours for orientation. This is an interactive orientation where you will be able to ask questions guide to make sure CWR and this position are a good fit for you before making a final commitment to volunteer.
In addition to reviewing CWR’s policies the group will be given a tour of the 13-acre property to talk about opening and closing duties, introduced to our resident animals in the yards and discuss some of our other volunteer opportunities.
Like our shifts, tours occur rain or shine. Please dress accordingly.
Please wear rubber or waterproof boots for biosecurity purposes. You will be required to disinfect your shoes in a bleach bath prior to entering the rescue and/or yards.
Bring a water bottle with you for hydration.
We have lockers for valuables but active volunteers may be using them at the time of your visit. We recommend leaving valuable items at home or locking them in your trunk. You may carry them with you, but it is not recommend to do so. CWR assumes no responsibility for lost or stolen items.
Parking is in short supply at the rescue. Parallel parking spots are available in front of our animal drop-off building and along our privacy fence. We have a small gravel area with pull-in spots as well, but those may be filled by routine volunteers when you arrive. Overflow parking can be found at our next-door property 5415 Poplin Rd. on the grass.
