Carolina Raptor Center is looking for a motivated, enthusiastic team player to join the rehabilitation staff. Their primary role will be to assist with patient care and to train and supervise volunteers.

Responsibilities for this person will include, but not be limited to, examining new patients, assigning and reviewing treatments based on staff veterinarian instructions and written protocols, coordinating volunteers and interns during daily care of rehab birds, general rehab duties such as cleaning, feeding, watering, and light cage and facilities maintenance, prey animal care, performing necropsies, administrative duties, placing non-releasable birds with other facilities, taking radiographs, reading blood slides, assisting with surgical procedures, scheduling bird releases, and assisting with health check-ups of resident birds.

In addition, they will be assisting with the creation and review of instruction manuals and the rehab volunteer handbook, assisting with rehabilitation seminars, assisting with lectures and labs for veterinarians and veterinary students, and teaching classes for rehabilitation volunteers.

Experience should include a Bachelor’s degree in Biology or a related field; a minimum of 1 year of experience in wildlife rehabilitation or animal care; raptor experience and teaching experience preferred; must be able to teach effectively and enthusiastically both one-on-one and in group settings. A successful candidate will demonstrate commitment, good written and oral communication skills, organizational and time management skills. Must be self-motivated and be able to work both unsupervised and as a team member.

Resumes must be received on or before Aug 31, 2008. Email contact is preferred.

Mathias Engelmann
Director of Rehabilitation
Carolina Raptor Center
P.O. Box 16443
Charlotte, NC 28297
Email: mengelmann@carolinaraptorcenter.org
Phone: 704-875-6521 x108

Carolina Raptor Center is looking for a dedicated, enthusiastic person to become a part of our education team. The primary role of the Wild Wings Educator is to present environmental education programs, using live raptors, to diverse audiences.

The Wild Wings Educator will be responsible for delivering energetic and engaging programs, including but not limited to presenting education programs at our facility and offsite, caring for raptors and vehicle while traveling, communicating with teachers, assisting with summer camp and special events, participating in training birds and presenting free-flight demonstrations, and promoting Carolina Raptor Center's mission of environmental education and conservation. Regular extensive travel throughout North and South Carolina and a valid driver's license are required. This position requires a flexible schedule, including some weekend work.

Experience should include a Bachelor's degree in environmental education, natural sciences, biology, or a related field; experience working in an informal education setting is a plus. Must be able to lift 25 lbs and work outside in all weather conditions. The successful candidate will be an enthusiastic person willing to become a dynamic public speaker, have a strong desire to work with birds of prey, and have the ability to work in both unsupervised conditions and team settings. Additionally, the successful candidate will be an excellent communicator and demonstrate commitment, flexibility, time management and organizational skills.

This position is grant-funded and runs from July 15, 2008, until June 30, 2009, with the potential for annual renewal.

Resumes must be received on or before June 20, 2008. Email contact is preferred.

Nicki Dardinger
Director of Education
Carolina Raptor Center
P.O. Box 16443
Charlotte, NC 28297
Email: ndardinger@carolinaraptorcenter.org
Phone: 704-875-6521 x110

If you have an enthusiasm for the environment, we can use your skills! From bandaging wings to building new aviaries to greeting visitors in the gift shop, our dedicated volunteers do it all. Click here to visit our volunteer section and learn all about the many different ways you can get involved at Carolina Raptor Center.

If you have questions, please forward them to Louise Bhavnani, Director of Volunteer Services 704-875-6521 ext. 102 or lbhavnani@carolinaraptorcenter.org

Over 25,000 visitors come through the front doors each year, so if you love talking to people about Carolina Raptor Center this is the place for you! The main entrance brings visitors directly into the gift shop, Eagles' Landing, and they leave through the same doors. This means the gift shop is a critical part of visitors' impression of Carolina Raptor Center, and we need your help to make sure it's a good one!

Volunteer duties include greeting visitors when they come in the front door, answering questions, directing people to the nature trail and restrooms, and ringing up purchases on the cash register. Volunteers will be provided a "cheat sheet" of the most frequently asked questions, and most volunteers are surprised how quickly they pick up basic facts about birds.

Gift shop volunteers work in an air-conditioned/heated space and are not required to spend an entire day. Volunteer for a few hours a month and you'll spend a pleasant afternoon helping a good cause! Weekday shifts are from 11am-2 pm and 2-5pm, Weekend shifts are from noon-3pm and 2-5pm.

We have a great need for support in this area since it is critical to the daily operation of the facility and care of the birds. There is a constant need for help with landscaping – mulching, mowing, removing weeds; as well as general maintenance work – fixing broken aviaries, building perches, setting up for exhibits. In addition, we need volunteers in this area that will help lead groups during Clean Up Days where we invite individuals and groups to help with projects around the center.

Grounds & Maintenance volunteers can work a flexible schedule and sign up to handle one specific job or help with the items on our never ending To-Do List.

Like any busy office, Carolina Raptor Center always needs organized individuals to help out administratively. From filing patient charts to helping stuff a mailing to entering names into the mailing list database, there is always plenty of work for an additional pair of hands!

Administrative volunteers can work a set schedule or sign up to help with certain projects or in a specific area.

Carolina Raptor Center visits festivals all over the Charlotte area such as Festival in the Park and the Southern Christmas Show. Our exhibits are staffed by at least two people- a Lead is certified to handle birds, and the Assistants are there to talk to the public, answer questions and hand out literature.

These exhibits are crucial exposure because we get the opportunity to interact with people who have never visited or perhaps even heard of Carolina Raptor Center. You might be surprised to learn that many $500 donors made their donation after talking with volunteers at an exhibit. People are fascinated by live birds, and love to share their own raptor sightings.

Training is provided to become an Assistant and a Lead on exhibits. When considering helping in this area, please keep in mind that most all the exhibits are held on the weekend.

If you are a natural teacher or simply love raptors and want to share your enthusiasm with our visitors, consider becoming a docent. Docents are lecturers or teachers at museums or universities, or in this case nature preserves! Docents may be stationed along the trail to answer visitors' questions, or may lead Trail Trivia or Behind-the-Scenes Tours. The primary responsibility of a docent is to give accurate, interesting information to visitors, and to convey enthusiasm and positive energy about the environment.

Docents are trained on the natural history of raptors, Carolina Raptor Center’s history, biographies of all resident birds and basic raptor anatomy. In addition, volunteers are provided with interpretive training to do On-site Programs.

Docents are scheduled on the weekend and can cover one program or several in one day.

Carolina Raptor Center has more than 100 birds that live permanently at the center: birds on the public display trail and birds that travel to exhibits and education programs. Resident bird care volunteers feed the birds and clean the aviaries. Volunteers also help with the weekly check of the birds weight, keel and equipment.

Resident Bird Care Volunteers must commit to working a minimum of once a week or once every other week.

Injured birds of prey come to Carolina Raptor Center from all over the region. To get them into the hands of medical experts, volunteers must be willing to pick up the birds and bring them to Carolina Raptor Center or transfer them to another rehabilitation facility. People need to be available to transport birds within the Carolinas. This sometimes involves a bit of driving, but being a "raptor ambulance" is a necessary and rewarding part of the rehabilitation process. Training is provided on how to capture and secure a bird that might be injured. Transport volunteering is a good area for people who work from home, because availability and dependability are important traits for drivers.

We offer full and part-time internships to qualified applicants on a regular basis. Some of our interns are students; others are adults looking to gain new experiences. All of our internships are unpaid, and require a commitment of 150 hours to be completed in a 6-month period.

Qualified applicants will:

• »Have an enthusiasm for working in the environmental sector
• »Be deadline oriented
• »Have the ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• »Have the ability to complete projects independently
• »Have the flexibility to work with a variety of people

A minimum of 12 hours per week is required.

Would you like to work closely with injured birds of prey, learn to care for them, and even have the opportunity to return some of them back into the wild? Then the rehabilitation internship may be for you. Our interns participate in almost all aspects of the rehabilitation process, from admission through release.

Activities include:

• »Preparing food for both critical care and recovering patients
• »Administering medications and fluids
• »Safe handling and restraint of patients while treatments are performed
• »Learning to perform an examination on an injured raptor
• »Cleaning and watering of kennels and cages
• »Taking calls from the public and dispatching transport volunteers to pick up injured birds
• »The opportunity to work with a staff with over 60 years combined rehabilitation experience
• »The satisfaction of knowing you have helped save the lives of these beautiful birds

Applicants should be self-motivated and be willing to both learn and teach skills, be able to work with a variety of staff and volunteers, and be able to adjust to somewhat unpredictable and often long hours. Because of the nature of the position, this internship has extensive bird handling.

A minimum commitment of 12 hours per week (150 hours total) is required.

If interested, please contact Elaine Corvidae.