Mercer County Wildlife Center Seeks Volunteers

owlThe Mercer County Wildlife Center, which accepted and treated more than  2,400 birds, mammals and reptiles in 2012, is seeking volunteers to help care for animals that are brought to center.

The center’s staff and volunteers care for native wildlife that are injured, ill or displaced, and provide medical treatment and a temporary refuge to prepare the animals for release into an appropriate wild habitat. The center, located in Hopewell Township, is staffed 365 days a year by one full-time licensed wildlife rehabilitator and two full-time assistants, and receives more than 12,000 phone calls annually.

Two volunteer orientation sessions will be held at the center from 10 a.m. to noon, Sunday, March 17, and 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 23 . New volunteers are required to attend one of the two sessions. The two sessions  are the only orientation sessions that will be offered this year.

To work directly with the animals, volunteers must be at least 18 years of age and have a current tetanus vaccine. The center requires that volunteers who work with animals make a commitment to a regular, once-a-week, four-hour shift from April through October.

The Mercer County Wildlife Center is located on Route 29, approximately three miles south of Lambertville and 12 miles north of Trenton. Anyone interested in registering for either orientation session or or who wants more information about the program should contact volunteer coordinator Jane Rakos-Yates at jrakosyates@mercercounty.org, or call (609) 883-6606 x103.