Volunteer Management How to Get, Keep and Release Volunteers Rachel Avilla Wildlife Rehabilitation Volunteer Manager Lindsay Wildlife Museum.

Volunteer ManagementHow to Get, Keep and Release VolunteersRachel AvillaWildlife Rehabilitation Volunteer ManagerLindsay Wildlife Museum

About Me

Graduated from Saint Mary’s College with a B.S. in Environmental Sciences

Wildlife Rehabilitation 11 years Started as an Intern at

Santa Rosa Bird Rescue

Intern and volunteer at Lindsay Wildlife Museum

Staff at Lindsay Wildlife Museum for 8 years

More About Me

Six years volunteer manager at Lindsay Wildlife Museum

Specialize in Volunteer Management, Swifts and Passerine Care particularly House Finches and Corvids

About Lindsay Wildlife Museum

Officially established rehabilitation hospital in 1970’s

In 1980’s 10,000 animals a year

1990’s new building introduced species

policy 8,000 animals a year developed the current

training system

Currently Museum Wide 500+ volunteers 80,000 hours of volunteer

service each year 20,000 students a year 75,000 visitors a year

Rehabilitation Hospital 350 rehabilitation

volunteers Average of 5400 native

animals a year 10’s of thousands of

phone calls a year

Why Volunteer

Management? Without volunteers

wildlife rehabilitation would not exist (no $$$$$)

Quality care requires well trained, managed and dedicated volunteers

Volunteers are a facilities greatest resource

Most Important Points to

Remember

Be honest

Training

Structure

Easy, simple and clear information

Acknowledgement and appreciation

Volunteers can do volunteer management

Volunteering is a privilege, not a favor

Recruitment

Who

People that bring in animals

Local medical facilities, Nurses!!!

Local retirement communities

Other local animal rescue organizations

Community Service (schools and courts)

Recruitment

How

Fliers

Local volunteer centers

Website!

Word of mouth

Easily accessible information

Effort

Training

Must have a pre-training program

Better the training better the volunteers

Longer the training→ more committed the volunteers

More organized the training → more comfortable the volunteers

More prepared the volunteer → happier the volunteer

Happy Volunteer = Better Animal Care

Pre-Training

Mandatory Introduction Class This is what you are

getting yourself into Laundry, dishes, poop

and food prep… Any ?’s

Beginning Volunteer Training Charge small fee for

class This is what you need

to know before volunteering

Pre-training Priorities

Health and Safety

Rules and Regulations

Basic Anatomy and Physiology

Handling

Basic bird and or mammal care

What ever your facility specializes in

Pre-Training Tips

No more that 2 hours

Lectures and Labs combined in 2 hours

Lots of cool pictures in presentations

Handouts to compliment training

Homework

Videos of class

Bring in animals halfway through training

No preferential treatment

Lindsay Wildlife Museum’s Method

Introduction to Wildlife Class 3 times a year in Oct. and Jan., charge $65 for class

Core Curriculum Training Program 1 time a year Feb.-Mar. There are 7, two hour classes

totaling 14 hours of pre-training.

Provide 3 different sections to maximize flexibility in schedules for new volunteers

Been doing it this way for 25 years, it works!

Continuing Education

Natural History and Care of Species

Advanced handling and restraint classes

Medications

Nutrition

Husbandry and enrichment

Releases

Rescue training

Be creative and use your strengths

Have a system of what new volunteers can do

and what they can achieve with time

Without potential for advancement…

What’s the point?

On-shift Trainings

Laundry

Dishes

Cage Cleaning

Enclosure set-ups

Medications

Diet preparation

Pool cleaning

Almost all skills

Make sure all volunteers are on the same page for all house keeping needs

Volunteer Maintenance

Avoid Burnouts

Shift Unity

Shift Structure

Special Opportunities

Recognition of Years Volunteering

Keep Updated and Involved

Appreciation Events

Lindsay Wildlife Museum’s Method

Short frequent shifts

Shift leaders and mentors on every shift

Before and end of season meetings

Involve them when something cool is happening

Check up on them and get to know them

Release of Volunteers

They Leave Because

Life happens

Bored

Not a good fit

Confusion and frustration

Lack of supervision

Staff or other volunteers

We Release Because

Blatant disregard of policies or protocols

Inappropriate injury to themselves, an animal or another volunteer

Inappropriate interaction with another volunteer or staff.

Before Our Volunteers Start

Committed to 9 meetings

A grand total of 18 hours of training

Completed all necessary paperwork

They are worthy of becoming a volunteer

Volunteering is a privilege, not a favor

Other Requirement

s

Yearly membership

Minimum hour completion

Continuing education

There should be requirements for

maintaining an active volunteer status

Thank You