Volunteering at the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center can be fun and rewarding. The WWCC currently needs dedicated adults living in and around Huntington Beach, CA. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please call us at (714) 374-5587.

The next new volunteer class has not been scheduled. Please call (714) 374-5587 if you are interested in volunteering. You will be added to the list of propective new volunteers and when the list grows large enough to have a class, you will be contacted about the details.

Here are a few things to consider before getting involved with wildlife rehabilitation at the WWCC:

It is not a petting zoo
We care for animals who will hopefully be returned to the wild. Their survival depends upon them not becoming imprinted on humans.

It is not glamorous
There is a variety of work to be done at the center. To be honest, most work requires us to roll up our sleeves and get dirty. Typical work involves cleaning cages, feeding live prey to wildlife, washing dishes, doing endless laundry, and cleaning more cages.

It is time consuming
A minimum of 5 consecutive hours per week is asked of each volunteer.

It is emotional
We work towards the rehabilitation and release of an injured creature who, despite our efforts, may not survive. But despite all this...

It is rewarding
In return, you may get to watch a sick or injured creature recover its health. You may get to hold open the cage door as a rehabilitated bird is released into the wild. Or you may nurture an orphaned baby who may mature and raise its own family in the wetlands.

Under Our Wings - Teen Education Program
Under Our Wings is an exciting, hands-on wildlife rehabilitation education program for students aged 16 and older. 

Learning
The program teaches wildlife rehabilitation and animal husbandry - everything from the math of calculating calories for proper animal feeding to the biology of animal diseases and anatomy. Students learn the natural history of the animals native to Orange County and the geography of migration that brings animal visitors from as far away as Canada and Chile.

Skills
Responsibility is emphasized in the program; our responsibility as citizens to care for the environment and the students' individual responsibility to arrive on time, follow rules, ask questions and work hard. Students learn team-building skills working in small groups with experienced staff learning to handle and care for wild animals. They learn proper sanitation techniques and the reasons for them. Time management, adaptability and working calmly under stress are all part of the daily curriculum at our busy, ever-changing facility. 

Education for the future
Under Our Wings teens work a minimum of 120 hours during the 6 month program. Graduates of the program gain valuable experience and quantifiable community service which gives them a head start in college and scholarship applications. Recent graduates have used their program experience to win scholarships and have gone on to college success in the Environmental Sciences, Veterinary School, and Marine Biology.