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Volunteers

Hunter Wildlife Rescue is run entirely by dedicated volunteers. We welcome volunteers over 18 years of age from all walks and stages of life to fill all kinds of roles within our organisation. Care is generally provisioned in our own homes. Whatever your living, working or family situation is – there is an opportunity for you to assist.

Register As A Member

To volunteer with Hunter Wildlife Rescue, you would need to register as a member and pay an initial registration and annual membership fee. This will cover costs for training and other resources.

Choose from the following membership options. Register and pay online now or complete a Membership Application form and pay via bank transfer. If you register online, an account will be created for you instantly and you will be able to view Member’s Resources.

Associate Membership

Associate members provide much needed financial support to Hunter Wildlife Rescue such as pouch sewing, fundraising, building possum boxes and administration. They do not have access to training opportunities as this is reserved for Active members involved in rescue and rehabilitation.

$35.00 per year starting 1 July 2025

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Active Membership

This membership is for one Active member who is over the age of 18 years. Active members are required to undertake the Introduction To New Members course prior to transport, rescuing or caring for wildlife.

$120 registration, then $35 per year starting 1 July 2025.

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Couples Membership

This membership is for two Active members over the age of 18 years who reside in the same household. The first person will sign up as a regular Active member and then you will receive a link to sign up a Secondary member at a discounted rate.

First person $120 registration, then $35 per year starting 1 July 2025.
Second person $100 registration then $15 per year starting 1 July 2025.

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Once you have registered and your application has been approved by the management committee, our membership officer will be in touch to inform you of  when the next “New Member’s Course” will occur. These courses run regularly and serves as an induction covering volunteering roles, basic transport guidelines, safety and procedures within Hunter Wildlife Rescue.

Upon completion of your introductory course, you will be introduced to a coordinator in your area who will help you establish yourself in a role of your choosing. You will be connected with the relevant species coordinators based on your interests and a variety of other personal factors.

Volunteer Roles

Active Members Only

Transporters are key to ensuring positive welfare outcomes for the wildlife that comes into our care. Transporters may transfer injured wildlife requiring rehabilitation from the local vets to carers, or between carers. This is a huge relief to our carers who may simply have no time to make these trips! Transporters may also have the opportunity to releasing rehabilitated wildlife back into the wild. What’s more rewarding than that?

Rescuing injured, sick, orphaned or distressed wildlife is not for the faint of heart. Our incredible rescuers have access to a mobile app by which “jobs” come in for them to accept according to their level of confidence, availability and proximity to the case. Once you become an active member within our group, you will be permitted to perform basic rescues including birds and possums. Rescues with more high-risk species such as monitors and macropods (kangaroos, wallabies), require more intensive training before being permitted to accept these jobs. Rescue is extremely rewarding and an awesome way to meet other members and establish a network that will support you throughout your membership with us.

We are always in need of wildlife carers to facilitate the rehabilitation of sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. Care can take many forms! It is often thought that you need acres of space and a free schedule to care for wildlife. While some of our carers are retired or not currently working, many are full or part time employees and business owners. If you are interested in care, it’s a good idea to seek out the advice of your area coordinator and/or relevant species coordinator to discuss which species/life stage may be suitable for you to care for. For example, someone with a young family may not be able to provide around the clock care to a baby possum but is able to have a pre-release aviary on their property.

Unfortunately, the incidence of natural disasters in Australia is flagged to increase into the future. In these events, we call on specially trained members to provide disaster relief in fires, heat waves, flood and storms. Activities you may undertake as a member of the disaster support team include: “black walks” with support of the RFS to identify injured fauna following wildfire, maintaining feed stations in burnt out areas, flood rescue (usually in support of the SES), emergency triage (such as in the case of a severe heat wave).

Active & Associate Members

Sewing/knitting pouches, liners or wraps for orphaned animals

Farming live foods – crickets, meal worms – or collecting fresh browse for our vegetarian species

Carers often use nesting boxes and man-made dreys during rehabilitation of possums and birds but also when we release the animals to keep them safe in their new environment.

Fundraising, education & public awareness, IT support, professional services, financial support and so much more!

Membership Levels

Associate Member

$35 per year

Associate members provide much needed and appreciated financial support to Hunter Wildlife Rescue. They do not undertake training or participate actively in transporting, rescuing or rehabilitation of animals.

  • Access to member resources
  • Wildlife Whispers newsletters
  • Members updates
  • Undertake support roles such as making provisions for wildlife in care, IT, marketing, fundraising activities.

Active Member

$120 registration, $35 per year to renew

Active members will be offered training opportunities and have access to our Foodbank Subsidy. They will participate in transporting, rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife in need.

  • Introductory Wildlife Course
  • Access to species courses
  • Access to member resources
  • Wildlife Whispers newsletters
  • Insurance