TreeHouse Wildlife Center
Volunteer
If you already know you want to volunteer, go straight to the Volunteer Form.
TreeHouse needs a few good volunteers. For those of you visiting our web site from the St. Louis area, please consider joining us!
TreeHouse Wildlife Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned native Illinois wildlife for release back into natural habitat, and to using this activity as an opportunity to educate people about the value of wildlife, the basic needs of wildlife, and man's impact on wildlife.
Located just north of Alton, Illinois, TreeHouse provides a community service to people in southwestern Illinois who encounter injured or orphaned wildlife by providing a legal and professional means of assisting them and the wildlife involved.
TreeHouse Wildlife Center is not a zoo. It is essential that the creatures in our facility remain wild. Care is taken by the volunteers to maintain the patient's wild instincts and wariness of humans, until their eventual return to their natural habitat.
Volunteers are essential here, TreeHouse is run by volunteers. Without our volunteers, the creatures we've been entrusted with end up paying the ultimate price. Without volunteers TreeHouse would have to close its doors.
What's in it for you?
- It's exciting to be part of an organization that gives something back to the environment.
- It's rewarding to see an animal released back to the wild that would most likely have died without your help.
- It's never boring. The patient load changes daily. You never know from day-to-day what might come through the door.
- It's a learning experience. Whether you know a lot about wildlife, or know nothing at all, working with these animals one on one will give you knowledge that you cannot gain from books.
- It's hard work but it has to be done. We don't sugar coat the work involved. Cleaning cages and hauling water buckets outside in the wintertime is hard, but they have to be done. You can learn a lot about these animals just by cleaning cages - just ask our volunteers.
- It's interesting. Learn how to admit an animal, to do a physical exam, emergency treatment, tube feeding, body stockings, diets etc.
- It's a conversation starter. We have several families that volunteer time together. Think of the dinner conversations they have!
For those interested in volunteering, no previous experience is necessary. You must have your own personal medical insurance. Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older to volunteer without a parent.
Volunteers are divided into 2 major shifts: Day and Evening. We ask that you sign up for 1 shift per week. The bulk of our patient load is in the spring and summertime because we care for orphaned wildlife. Those animals need to be fed several times a day, hours during those seasons are extended.
Volunteers make a regular time commitment to TreeHouse. If a volunteer is unable to work a shift because of illness, emergency or vacation, it is requested the volunteer inform a supervisor as soon as possible.
Day shift: Hours are flexible and can start anywhere from 8-9 am in the spring and summer to 9-10 am in the fall and winter. The shift is over when all the duties completed (typically 3-4 p.m. in the spring/summer and 1-2 p.m. in the fall/winter).
Day shift duties include cleaning cages, and feeding and watering all animals except owls. Added to that are admitting incoming patients, medicate animals, emergency treatments, releases, etc. Because of the variety of animals cared for during the day, day shift training is more extensive than the evening shift.
Evening shift: Hours are anywhere from dusk on. Duties include feeding orphaned mammals their late feeding in the spring and summer; feeding owls and cleaning cage their cages year round: feeding the rodent colony (maintained for raptor food); admitting patients, releases, emergency treatments and medications. Evening shift lasts 1-3 hours depending on the time of year.
Weekend shifts: Weekends are a bare bones version of the weekday shifts.
Baby Boomers: Baby Boomers are part-time and temporary spring/summer workers. Part-time Baby Boomers are those persons who volunteer to come in and care for orphaned mammals only (feeding and cleaning). These positions are available early morning, noontime and late-evening.
Animal Transporters: There are ways to help if you cannot manage a weekly shift. Animals have to be transported to and from veterinarians to volunteers to TreeHouse. If you travel to and from your home and job in different cities, and wouldn't mind an extra passenger or two, fill out an application as a transporter.
Building and Maintenance: In order to give our animals the best care possible, the cages at TreeHouse are as large as space and money will provide. If construction is your passion, we need you!
Fund Raising: It's a very simple idea, the more money we have the more we can do. From straight forward fund raising to wrangling prizes for local merchants for our fall open house if you've got the time we can use you.
Grant writing: We can use someone experienced in the art of grant writing, if that's you please contact us here - treehousewildlifecenter@gmail.com
Want to Volunteer? Let us know.