Visitor Services

Time Commitment: As Needed Basis
Minimum Age: 16 yrs old or part of a Jr. Volunteer Team
Requirements: Orientation
Supervisor: Gift Shop Manager

Over 32,000 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!

Shifts include:
Weekday: 11am-2pm and 2-5pm
Weekend: noon-3pm and 2-5pm.

Grounds & Maintenance

Time Commitment: As Needed Basis
Minimum Age: 16yrs or part of a junior volunteer team
Requirements: orientation
Supervisor: Chief of Operations and/or Director of Volunteer Services

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.

Administrative

Time Commitment: As Needed Basis
Minimum Age: 16yrs or part of a junior volunteer team
Requirements: orientation
Supervisor: Administrative Director

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.

Exhibits

Time Commitment: minimum 30hrs/year once initial training is completed
Minimum Age: 16yrs or part of a junior volunteer team
Initial Requirements: orientation, Exhibit assistant training class, Shadowing
Supervisor: Exhibit Coordinator

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.

Docent Program

Time Commitment: One onsite offering every month
Minimum Age: 16yrs or part of a junior volunteer team
Initial Requirements: orientation, Docent One Class, Shadowing
Supervisor: Docent Coordinator

If you 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.

Raptor Rehabilitation

Time Commitment: minimum one shift (average of 4 hours) every two weeks
Minimum Age: 16yrs or older
Initial Requirements: Orientation, Rehab One Class
Supervisor: Rehabilitation Coordinators and Director of Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation volunteers are the "ER" personnel: the first ones to help examine a bird when it arrives. They are responsible for providing food, medication and physical therapy for the injured and orphaned raptor patients. They also clean and sanitize cages and kennels, vital to a healthy recovery. When the hard work is done and a bird is ready to return to the wild, it is due to the hard work that happens in rehabilitation, much of that performed by volunteers. Rehabilitation is a special field requiring dedicated, dependable, volunteers who are willing to learn the proper procedure for handling dangerous creatures. The rewards are immeasurable.

Volunteers help cover three shifts / 7 days a week in the Rehabilitation area.

Shifts:
Times may vary due to patient load
Morning: 8am-12pm
Afternoon: 12pm-5pm
Evening: 5pm-7pm

Resident Bird Care

Resident Raptor Keeper

Time Commitment: minimum 2-4 hours every two weeks
Minimum Age: 16yrs or part of a junior volunteer team
Initial Requirements: orientation, RBC One Class
Supervisor: Resident Bird Care Coordinator

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 bird's weight, keel and equipment.

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

Raptor Ambulance or Transport Volunteers

Time Commitment: varies
Minimum Age: 16yrs or older
Initial Requirements: orientation, transport class, driving approval
Supervisor: Rehab Coordinators

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.

Questions: Contact Louise Bhavnani, Director of Volunteer Services 704/875-6521 x 102
lbhavnani@carolinaraptorcenter.org