Be a Volunteer or Intern at the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center!
BPRC currently has the help of over 50 volunteers, who contribute more than 10,000 hours each year. They help further the mission of BPRC by caring for and feeding raptors, educating the public, maintaining the grounds of our facility and working on prairie restoration. Please consider joining our ever-growing force of dedicated volunteers.
We are currently taking volunteer applications for our Raptor Rehabilitation department for Monday and Friday slots running from 9am to 3pm or longer as necessary. We do require a 1 year commitment. If you are able to do that please let us know and we will notify you for the next volunteer orientation.
We do have availability for our park maintenance/trail work. If you are interested in working on our prairie or helping work on trails please let us know.
Volunteers are Vital
Volunteers are necessary to the success of the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center. Their perspective, enthusiasm and like-minded interest brings an important aspect to caring for raptors, educating our visitors and growing the organization.
We have an exciting environment where volunteers can…
- Learn new skills
- Contribute by adding their own unique skill sets
- Be appreciated for what they bring to the team
- Help spread the word about the importance of birds of prey
If you are interested in volunteering, please email us at volunteer@bpraptorcenter.org and we will contact you about the process of volunteering. We receive a lot of requests so please allow time to respond.
Orientation: introduces you to BPRC and the volunteer options available. There is a $20 application fee which covers a background check and volunteer t-shirt. Minimum age is 18. Orientations occur throughout the year based on having a minimum number of 8 people interested in volunteering.
Our opportunities include:
Education: cleaning and repairing mews (raptor cages), feeding, learning to work around and with our education ambassador raptors (if approved). Additionally, if you like talking to people, participate with us as we do events and programs around North Texas introducing raptors from this area.
Rehabilitation: working with injured, sick and orphaned birds of prey, includes handling and treating patients (if approved) throughout the rehabilitation process. Also working in our mouse house including handling mice and cleaning cages. Doing laundry, cleaning floors, washing kennels and outdoor flight cages.
Prairie/Park Maintenance: our public park area is always in need of repair, restoration, and improvement.
Construction: we are constantly building or improving our facilities.
Current Volunteering Opportunities
Education and Rehabilitation
Commitment required:
- Weekly 4 hour minimum shift starting at 9am or 10am
- Commitment of 1 year
Days available:
Education; we are currently not taking Education volunteers
Rehabilitation: Weekly commitments for Monday and Friday slots starting from 9am and finishing at 3pm or later depending upon the workload
Construction
Commitment required:
- Days/times variable depending upon work to be done
Park Maintenance and Prairie Restoration
Commitment required:
- Days/times variable depending upon work to be done
Intern at the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center!
BPRC has an openings for our internship program running during the Spring (February-May), Summer (May-August), and Fall (August-November). These are our busiest months, and a great opportunity for an intern to learn!
Raptor Rehabilitation is not for the faint-hearted. This internship is designed to assist independent interns understand the ins and outs of rehabilitation while challenging them to think outside of the box and lean on resources and others for support and guidance. Interns will assist with emergency patients, and care for orphaned babies alongside our staff and volunteers. Internships are 12 weeks long and shifts are from 8:30am-5:00pm 5 days a week with 2 consecutive days off. Internships are unpaid.
Responsibilities:
Interns will be fully trained in all aspects of Raptor Rehabilitation and responsible for general avian husbandry, handling of raptor species, assisting rehabilitation manager in procedures, triage, radiology, physical therapy, hematology, parasitology, capture, and release of patients. Additionally, interns will follow weekly lesson plans and conduct projects as assigned.
Eligibility:
Undergraduate students or recent graduates majoring in the sciences with an interest in raptor rehabilitation. Individuals with previous rehabilitation, veterinary, or avian experience preferred.
Application Procedure:
Please email for information about our application procedure and current internship dates to: Hailey.lebaron@bpraptorcenter.org