Thank you for your interest in volunteering or interning with the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program. Due to Covid-19, we are not offering new volunteer opportunities until further notice. We are assessing impacts of the virus and will re-open volunteer orientations when the threat passes in our community. 

The RMRP thanks you for your interest in volunteering with us. All aspects of your volunteer efforts will help us with our mission: To inspire the protection and appreciation of raptors and the spaces where they live through excellence in rehabilitation, research, and education. The experience and opportunity will be rewarding in that you will have helped to change the world—one bird, one person, one heart, and one life at a time.

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We have the following volunteer opportunities:

1] Reception Desk Volunteer:

Duties: Phone answering, greeting guests, light office work:

Shifts: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. [2 hour minimum shift]

Requirements: Applicant must be friendly and personable with good phone skills and hearing. Those 16 and 17 years of age must have parent approval.

How to apply: Please submit Vol Application.  This will be followed by an interview and background check.

Current Opening(s): Monday from 1pm to 5pm;  Tuesdays from 8am to 5pm; Wednesdays and Fridays from 8am to 1pm; Thursdays from 8am to 5pm.

 

2] Rodent Wrangler Volunteer:

Duties: Care for a small breeding colony of mice and/or rats, including handling of rodents, cleaning cages, feeding, and providing water.

Shifts: ~2 to 4 hours anytime between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., 7 days a week

Requirements: Must have a current tetanus shot and be at least 16 years of age.

How to apply: Please submit Vol Application. This will be followed by an interview and background check.

Current Opening(s): Daily opportunities are dependent on your availability and our needs. We can discuss shift options during the interview.

 

3] Raptor Care Volunteer:

Volunteers wishing to participate will undergo extensive training and, if successful, have the opportunity to work with and around live raptors in either the rehabilitation of injured birds and/or the care of our permanently disabled Educational Ambassadors (possibly including accompanying them to our community outreach events).

Duties: Attending training sessions/classes, cleaning raptor enclosures with or without a bird present in the enclosure, and preparing an appropriate raptor diet which will include butchering, gutting, and apportioning rabbits, rodents and other natural prey items. Volunteer will also be making observations of raptor movements and behavior and safely working in close proximity with the birds while maintaining the facility.

Shifts: A minimum of one 4-hour shift per week and a one-year commitment. Shifts run daily at 7 a.m., ~10 a.m., and 3 p.m.

Two owls and voluntersRequirements: Volunteers must be 18 or older, have a current tetanus shot, sign a liability waiver, and pass a background check.  [Those 16 & 17 years of age may have the opportunity to volunteer in the raptor care capacity if they first start as a rodent wrangler or if they have a parent in the bird care program that has achieved RMRP’s Husbandry certification.] Raptor care volunteers are required to pay a non-refundable $40 fee for the first year and then $25 for each consecutive year while they maintain their volunteer status with the RMRP. Raptor care volunteers must be able to walk distances, walk on uneven surfaces such as gravel and snow, be outside in all types of weather, bend, rake, scrub, carry a bucket of water, carry tools in both hands at the same time, have good balance, be able to respond quickly to fast moving flying birds, have good observational skills, have good written and oral communication skills, and good time management.

Training: Raptor care volunteers must firmly commit upfront to three training classes. Dates of those training sessions will be discussed with the volunteer after submission of application. After the first three sessions volunteers are then required to attend one shift per week for the following eight weeks without absence.

As training progresses, and based on acquired skill levels, commitment, and willingness to listen and learn, the volunteer will be given the opportunity to work hands on with birds, assist with rehabilitative care for the injured raptors, and learn how to handle our Educational Ambassadors.

How to apply: If this sounds like something you might be interested in, you must first schedule a volunteer shadowing experience. To schedule a volunteer shadowing opportunity, please contact Lisa Winta at lisa@rmrp.org or (970) 484-7756 or fill out shadowing request at the bottom of this page. Shadowing opportunities are two hours in duration and can occur at 7 a.m., ~10am,  or 4 p.m. You must be able to meet the physical aspects of volunteering in order to shadow. You must wear closed-toed shoes to the shadowing experience and you will be required to sign a liability waiver prior to the shadowing.

Following the shadowing experience, individuals desiring to move into training will need to submit a resume, Vol Application, and statement of purpose to Lisa Winta at lisa@rmrp.org. Your statement of purpose should answer: Why would you like this volunteer opportunity? What do you hope to gain from this experience? What do you hope to contribute to the RMRP? Please also include any additional information. This will be followed by an interview and background check. You may turn in your application and accompanying information via e-mail to lisa@rmrp.org, or by fax to 970-484-7763, or my mail to 2519 S. Shields St., #115, Fort Collins, CO. 80526.

Current Opening(s): We currently have no volunteer openings in raptor care.

Note: This is a competitive program. Not all who apply will be selected for an interview.

 

4] Internships 

We also have internship opportunities in our Rehabilitation Department and our Public Outreach Department. If you are interested in a more intensive training experience, please refer to these options here.

 

We are not scheduling shadowing opportunities until after July 1, 2020. 

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