On-site Outdoors:

Animals progress through stages of rehabilitation before release. Our outdoor habitats and flight cages are the last stop before returning to the wild.

1. Daily: The animals (including our permanent Educational residents) need daily care such as food, water and cleaning of their habitat.
2. Periodic : The larger flight cages need monthly scrubbing.
3. Fixing Things: We always need cages repaired or new cages built.
4. Gardening and grounds keeping.
5. Building nest boxes (on or off site)
6. Winterizing outdoor habitats

The Clinic is the first stage of rehabilitation. Our clinic is like a hospital. Patients are assigned to rooms by species, or to ICU or Isolation for more intensive medical care.

• Daily Animal Care  Indoor animals need food, water, and cage cleaning on at least a daily basis. Therefore one must learn how to weigh animals and transfer them to other cages with minimal handling. Administering medications comes with further experience. Although a bit dirty at times, it is very rewarding!

• Seasonal Animal Care  During the peak season we are inundated with Baby Birds and Baby Mammals which need to be hand fed hourly or several times per day. This is a delicate job, but one that everyone enjoys!

• Clinic Facility Maintenance  The clinic itself needs daily attention also. Indoors, the general handyman (or woman!) can help with basic plumbing, carpentry, and general "home maintenance".
  
• Educational Outreach Program  Experienced volunteers are welcome to assist the licensed SWRC Educational Volunteeeers with one of our Educational animals at scheduled community functions.
  
• Animal Support Services  The diverse species we treat require a wide variety of diets. Foods appropriate to the species, age and condition of an animal must be prepared and baby animals require special formulas mixed to meet their particular nutritional needs. The soft towels and cloths used for handling or nest materials make laundry an ever-present task.
  
• Support Administrative Services

1. Telephone: During our busiest season (March - October) the telephone is never quiet. It takes a skilled and patient person to answer the questions posed by the public and to give appropriate instructions for emergency care, transportation and directions to the facility.
2. Admissions and Reception: Every shift needs a volunteer to accept the animals brought for care, enter the proper data into the computer and on the patient’s chart, and route the animal to the appropriate area for evaluation and treatment by an experienced volunteer.
3. General administrative assistance: As with all organizations, there is an infrastructure of administrative tasks that support the primary mission. Supplies must be ordered, received and stored; donations received and acknowledged; data needed for state, federal or internal reports must be gathered, recorded and analyzed. Both manual and computer-based systems are used to meet these basic functions.

• High School Program
  Many area high schools participate in community service projects just prior to graduation.  SWRC has sponsored over 50 such students who are a valuable temporary resource.  If you would like more information as either a faculty advisor or student, please call the SWRC Director at (215)482 - 8217.

Return to Opportunities

Fund Raising

If you are creative in this area you will be most welcome. SWRC is a non-profit organization funded solely by donations, often one dollar at a time from those who bring animals to us for help. Although we are associated with the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, we receive no funding from them, and we must find other sources for larger grants. Volunteers interested in fund raising may work independently on a flexible schedule, coordinating activities with other volunteers or the Clinic Director.

• Annual Juried Craft Fair

This is a major fund-raising event, held each year the weekend before Thanksgiving. Planning begins in the Spring, preparing many mailings and locating artists, logistics, and supplies. It is a formidable undertaking which is difficult to squeeze in among all the animal care. Some volunteers use additional talents to make craft items for sale or raffle, donating both their time and profits. We also need food to sell and sponsors to offset costs. There is much to do before, during and after the fair!!!

• Pledge-a-thon

Each year our Verizon-employed volunteers conduct a pledge-based event such as a Bowl-a-thon or Run/Walk-a-thon.  It is a huge undertaking that can always use another hand.

• Ongoing Collection Canisters 

 Volunteers place collection canisters in retail stores with store manager permission . The volunteer monitors the canister to collect donated funds and turn them in to the Clinic.

• State Liquor Store Canisters 

 Every year we have donation canisters in state stores for 1 month. This job requires canister preparation, volunteer assignments, etc., sometimes Thank Yous, etc. We also have posters with tear-off strips for public posting which need to be assembled.

• Printer Cartridge Recycling

 Collect them in the volunteer room, check the models against the "acceptable" list, pack and ship them periodically. Get & stock packing and shipping containers. Maintain flyers.

•  Supermarket Register Tapes 

 We collect register tapes (or equivalent) from Genuardi’s, Redner’s, ACME which need to be collected, sorted, sent in.

•  Gift Items & Craft Fair 

Make oat seed packets, other craft items for sale in admissions area & at craft fair.

Return to Opportunities

Special Projects for Small Groups  

We need more people like YOU! As people learn about the Clinic and more animals are brought for care each year (almost 4900 animals in 2002!), more volunteers are needed to do all the tasks noted above. Recruiting, orienting and training new volunteers is itself an essential, but time-consuming aspect of our work. (For example, this website was designed and written by volunteers). Staffing for booths or exhibits at community events is needed for fundraising, volunteer recruitment and general public education about successful coexistence with wildlife. Freeing volunteers from animal care to do these programs, especially during peak season, is nearly impossible.

Other Activities

• Formula Preparation

For the Under 18 Set

©2002, 2003, 2004  The Schuylkill Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic 
Website by:  Chris Mills
Photography by: C.Mills & SWRC Volunteers
Page last revised:  12/1/04