Volunteer With

Join our passionate community of wildlife lovers. Whether assisting with patient care, helping with education, or welcoming visitors, your hands-on help makes our vital rescue missions possible.

Explore Opportunities

Please read this page in full before applying

Our volunteer program is designed around the needs and welfare of the wildlife in our care. Submission of an application does not guarantee volunteer placement.

OUR IMPACT BY THE NUMBERS

Your Time Supports Wildlife Care

Active Volunteers

0 +

Hours Each Year

0 +

Wildlife Patients

0 +

Resident Animals

0 +

Volunteer Opportunities

Join our passionate community at Peace River Wildlife Center. By sharing your time and talents, you directly assist in the rehabilitation and care of Florida's unique native wildlife.

Habitat Cleaner

Help maintain clean, sanitary, and safe outdoor aviaries and wildlife habitats. This is an active, hands-on position that may involve entering occupied wildlife habitats after appropriate training. Because volunteers may work in proximity to wild animals, following habitat-specific safety procedures and staff instructions is essential.
Schedule: Mornings only

Hospital / Resident Care

Assist animal-care staff with cleaning, laundry, diet preparation, dishes, and other essential support duties. These positions support animal care but do not automatically include direct animal handling.
Schedule: Morning and afternoon opportunities may be available at the Wildlife Hospital and Education Center.

Tour Guide / Education

Help visitors learn about PRWC's resident wildlife and Florida's native species. Volunteers become familiar with our resident animals and their stories, answer visitor questions, assist with scheduled tours, and may support educational programs. Strong communication skills and a willingness to learn are important for this role.

Greeter

Welcome visitors to the Education Center, provide basic information, and help connect guests with tour guides and other resources.

Gift Shop Volunteer

Assist visitors and gift shop staff with merchandise, customer service, and retail transactions. Volunteers in this role must be comfortable interacting with the public and willing to learn PRWC's point-of-sale system.

Wildlife Rescuer / Transporter

Assist with the rescue and/or transportation of injured or orphaned wildlife.
Training and/or prior experience is required for this role.

Intern / Extern

College students seeking internship, externship, or educational credit opportunities may be able to assist with wildlife hospital, resident animal care, or other approved activities.
PRWC does not currently offer a structured internship program, paid internships, or student housing. Students should consult with their academic advisor to confirm their school's requirements and eligibility before applying.

Wildlife Comes First

What Volunteering at PRWC Is - and Isn't

Volunteering at a wildlife center can be an incredibly rewarding experience - but it may be different from what you imagine.
PRWC is not a petting zoo, and the wild animals in our care are not pets.

Unlike domesticated animals, wild animals have not been bred over generations to live alongside people. Their behavior can be less predictable, and they may be particularly vulnerable to stress caused by unnecessary human interaction. Even animals that have lived in professional care for many years retain their natural behaviors and instincts.

We ask our volunteers to appreciate wildlife as wildlife. While it is natural to feel affection for the animals in our care, volunteers should avoid treating them like pets or assigning human emotions, motivations, or expectations to their behavior. Understanding and respecting an animal's natural behavior is an important part of providing appropriate care.

Caring for wildlife is a privilege and a responsibility. At PRWC, the needs and welfare of the animal always come before the experience of the volunteer.

The Reality of Wildlife Care

Wildlife care isn't always glamorous. Depending on your assignment, you may get hot, dirty, sweaty, wet, or smelly. Florida heat and humidity are part of working at our facilities, as are feathers, fur, animal waste, insects, raw food, dirty laundry, muddy habitats, and plenty of cleaning.

Much of the work that makes excellent wildlife care possible happens behind the scenes. Cleaning habitats, washing dishes, preparing diets, doing laundry, maintaining facilities, and completing other routine tasks may not be the most exciting parts of volunteering, but they are essential to the health and welfare of the animals entrusted to our care.

Working Around Wild Animals

Working in and around wildlife carries inherent risks. Even positions that do not involve directly handling an animal may require volunteers to work in or around occupied habitats.

Volunteers must follow established safety procedures and staff instructions at all times. Access to animals, habitats, treatment areas, and other restricted spaces is determined by PRWC staff based on the volunteer's position, training, and experience.

Direct animal handling is not an entry-level volunteer opportunity and is not listed on our general volunteer application.

PRWC's animal handlers have completed extensive training and earned this responsibility through experience, demonstrated competency, reliability, good judgment, and an understanding of wildlife behavior and safety procedures. Animal handling privileges are granted by PRWC staff based on organizational needs and an individual's qualifications and readiness - not simply on length of service.

Special Considerations at the Wildlife Hospital

The PRWC Wildlife Hospital is a medical facility for injured, ill, and orphaned wild animals undergoing treatment and rehabilitation.

Wildlife patients can be extremely fragile, and minimizing stress is an important part of their care. Volunteers working in or around the hospital are expected to keep voices low, minimize unnecessary activity around patients, and follow staff direction carefully.

Animals being rehabilitated for release require particularly thoughtful care. Unnecessary human interaction must be minimized so patients retain the natural behaviors and appropriate wariness of people they need to survive successfully after release.

Our goal is not to make wildlife comfortable with people. Our goal is to give releasable wildlife the best possible opportunity to return to the wild.

Before You Apply

At least 16 years old

Regular weekly 3-4 hour daytime shift

Minimum 3-month commitment

$25 non-refundable application fee

Is Volunteering at PRWC Right for You?

A love of animals is a wonderful reason to become interested in wildlife conservation, but successful wildlife volunteering requires more.

Our volunteers work in an active environment where safety, reliability, good judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to follow established procedures are essential.

Requirements vary by position, but volunteers must be able to:

- Understand, remember, and consistently follow verbal and written instructions
- Recognize and respond appropriately to safety directions
- Remain attentive to their surroundings while working around wildlife
- Complete assigned tasks with an appropriate level of independence after training
- Communicate effectively with staff and fellow volunteers
- Accept instruction, correction, and changes in direction
- Remain focused on assigned duties without frequent prompting or supervision
- Work safely in Florida heat and humidity
- Stand or walk for extended periods
- Bend, reach, kneel, or perform repetitive tasks
- Navigate uneven, wet, or outdoor surfaces
- Lift and carry up to 25 pounds when required by the position
- Work around animal waste, strong odors, raw food, insects, feathers, fur, cleaning products, and other conditions associated with wildlife care
- Maintain appropriate behavior and composure around wild animals
- Follow staff direction and established procedures during emergency situations
- Communicate appropriately and avoid confrontational behavior with visitors, staff, or fellow volunteers

Applicants should carefully consider whether they can safely and consistently perform the essential responsibilities of the volunteer position for which they are applying.

Shadowing & Volunteer Placement

Depending on the position, applicants may be invited to participate in orientation, training, and/or a shadowing experience as part of the volunteer placement process.

Shadowing provides an opportunity for both the applicant and PRWC to determine whether the duties, working conditions, schedule, and expectations of the position are an appropriate match.

The safety and welfare of our wildlife, volunteers, staff, and visitors must always come first. If an applicant is unable to safely and consistently perform the essential responsibilities of a particular assignment, PRWC may determine that the position is not an appropriate placement. When possible, applicants may be considered for other available volunteer opportunities for which they can safely and successfully perform the essential responsibilities.

General Volunteer Expectations

PRWC volunteers represent the organization and are expected to contribute to a safe, respectful, and professional environment for wildlife, visitors, staff, and fellow volunteers.

Attendance & Reliability
Wildlife care happens every day. Volunteers are expected to arrive on time for scheduled shifts, maintain their agreed-upon schedule, and provide appropriate notice when they cannot attend.

Safety & Appropriate Attire
Volunteers must follow all safety procedures and dress appropriately for their assigned duties. Depending on the position, work may involve outdoor conditions, uneven or wet surfaces, cleaning products, animal food and waste, and proximity to wildlife.

Fragrance-Free Environment
For the comfort and well-being of the wildlife in our care, volunteers may not wear perfumes, colognes, body sprays, or other strongly scented personal products while volunteering.

Phones, Headphones & Situational Awareness
Volunteers must remain alert and aware of their surroundings when working in or around wildlife. Headphones, earbuds, and similar listening devices may not be worn inside wildlife habitats or designated animal-care areas.

Personal cell phone use is not permitted inside wildlife habitats or while performing animal-care duties except when specifically authorized, required for an assigned task, or necessary in an emergency.

Designated Areas & Volunteer Access
Volunteers must remain within the areas designated for their assigned duties. Animal-care areas, habitats, treatment spaces, staff work areas, and other restricted areas may only be entered when authorized and required for the volunteer’s assigned responsibilities.

Volunteer access and privileges apply only during scheduled shifts or specifically authorized activities. When visiting PRWC outside of scheduled volunteer hours, volunteers are considered visitors and are expected to remain in public areas and follow the same access guidelines and restrictions as other visitors.

Professional Conduct
Volunteers are expected to communicate respectfully, accept instruction and correction professionally, work cooperatively with staff and other volunteers, and follow PRWC policies and procedures.

Wildlife welfare and safety always take priority over personal preferences.

Additional Application Requirements

Please review the following carefully before submitting your application:

Minimum Age: Volunteers must be at least 16 years old.
Court-Ordered Community Service: PRWC does not accept volunteer applicants seeking to fulfill court-ordered or court-mandated community service hours.
Application Fee: A $25 non-refundable application fee helps offset the cost of volunteer T-shirts, identification badges, and other onboarding expenses.
Schedule & Commitment: Volunteers must be able to commit to a regular weekly 3-4-hour daytime shift for a minimum of three months. Evening and nighttime volunteer shifts are not available.
Applicants Under 18: Parent or guardian approval is required.
Orientation & Training: Required orientation and position-specific training must be completed before placement.
Background Checks: Certain volunteer positions or program assignments may require a background check, particularly positions involving interaction with children or other vulnerable populations.
Interns/Externs: Please identify yourself as an intern or extern on the application.
Volunteer Agreements: Volunteers will be required to review and sign PRWC’s Volunteer Code of Conduct, applicable liability waiver/hold harmless agreement, and other required volunteer agreements before beginning service.

Submitting an application and paying the application fee does not guarantee acceptance into the PRWC volunteer program or placement in a particular volunteer position.

Placement is based on current organizational needs, available positions and schedules, successful completion of applicable orientation, training or shadowing, and the applicant's ability to safely and consistently perform the essential responsibilities of an available volunteer role.

APPLY TO VOLUNTEER

The Volunteer Application Process

We are thrilled that you want to dedicate your time to helping Florida's wildlife. Follow these steps to become an active volunteer at Peace River Wildlife Center.

1

Review

2

Apply

3

Application Review

4

Interview

5

Shadowing & Training

6

Placement

Review Volunteer Opportunities & Requirements
Make sure PRWC’s volunteer environment, expectations, schedule, and available opportunities are a good fit for you.

Submit Your Application
Complete the online volunteer application, identify the areas in which you are interested in serving, and submit the required application fee.

Application Review
Applications are reviewed based on current volunteer needs and available shifts. Please allow up to two weeks for the review process.

Interview
If volunteer opportunities are available and your application is selected to move forward, you will receive an email invitation for an interview. Only applicants selected to move forward will be contacted.

Shadowing & Training
Following the interview, selected applicants may be invited to participate in a shadowing experience and position-specific training. This step provides an opportunity for both the applicant and PRWC to determine whether the volunteer position is an appropriate match.

Volunteer Placement
Applicants who successfully complete the applicable interview, shadowing, and training process and are a good match for an available position may be offered a regular volunteer assignment.

Ready to Help Florida’s Wildlife?

Volunteering with Peace River Wildlife Center is an opportunity to contribute your time and talents to the rescue, rehabilitation, and education efforts that support Florida's native wildlife.

The work can be hot, dirty, physically demanding, and sometimes challenging. It can also be extraordinarily rewarding.

Caring for wildlife is a privilege. If you understand the commitment, respect wildlife for what it is, and are ready to put the needs of the animals first, we invite you to apply.

APPLY TO VOLUNTEER

PEACE RIVER WILDLIFE CENTER(PRWC) IS A 501(c)(3) NON-PROFIT WILDLIFE REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION CENTER. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-HELP-FLA OR ONLINE AT WWW.FLORIDACONSUMERHELP.COM, REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE." REGISTRATION #: CH33393