In response to a growing number of wildlife assistance calls WIRES has launched a new volunteer program, Rescue 101, making it easier for new volunteers to join WIRES and assist with the rescue of sick and injured wildlife.

Rescue 101 provides the knowledge and skills an individual needs to help with some of the more common native animal rescues. It will allow the volunteer to attend rescues and transport the animals to a wildlife vet for initial assessment. WIRES’ Rescue Office will follow up with the veterinary clinic, coordinating with the vet to bring the animal into care post treatment, where the animal needs to be rehabilitated with a registered carer.

“We are very excited to be offering this program so that we can provide faster rescue assistance for higher numbers of animals,” said WIRES, Chief Operating Officer Kyla Shelley. “We need more volunteers to meet the growing need to support wildlife. By increasing the flexibility of training options, we are making volunteering more accessible for people interested in helping wildlife, but do not currently have the time or capability to help beyond the initial rescue.”

“Recent major weather events such as drought and bushfires saw a significant increase in the number of people seeking the skills to help wildlife and this program is specifically tailored to help them get started.”

Once someone has completed the Rescue 101 course, they can choose to further their education with carer specific training and/or advanced species courses at a later date.

WIRES Rescue 101 program costs $25 and includes access to online training covering the requirements to rescue a range of species including birds, possums, lizards, frogs and turtles. Participants will receive a WIRES Hi-vis safety vest on completion of the full course.

WIRES currently has over 3,000 volunteers engaged across 28 branches in NSW and over 1,900 participants enrolled in Rescue and Immediate Care Training. WIRES originally developed the new Rescue 101 program with the support of the Northern Beaches Council and hope it will enable hundreds of new volunteers to get involved in wildlife rescue across the State.

Who can join?

• Participants must be 18 and over to register for WIRES training and have their own transport in order to attend rescues.
• Volunteers need to live in an area where WIRES is licenced to rescue and care for wildlife.
• Rescue 101 is designed for volunteers that would like to help rescue wildlife casually, when they are available around their existing work and family activities. It will give volunteers maximum flexibility in terms of how often they get involved and how many rescues they can assist with.

For more information please visit - https://www.wires.org.au/training/rescue-101