TETON RAPTOR CENTER AMBASSADOR - GENERAL GUIDELINES

Teton Raptor Center (TRC) is a nonprofit that relies heavily on volunteer support for many aspects of daily operations. Our goal in developing our TRC Ambassador program is to provide rewarding learning opportunities and activities that best meet the goals, interests and availability of those interested in playing a part in our organization while supporting TRC’s mission to help birds of prey.

RAPTOR HUSBANDRY, MEDICAL TREATMENT, AND REHABILITATION

Exceptional raptor husbandry is the foundation of TRC's medical care, rehabilitation efforts, and raptor education programs. We do our best to keep all raptor housing chambers, hallways and areas of the raptor barn in immaculate condition. Additionally, a working knowledge of proper raptor facilities and basic training are essential to providing quality daily care to captive raptors.

PUBLIC INTERACTIONS

As a TRC Ambassador, you are expected to represent Teton Raptor Center in a professional manner. The public will ask you questions about raptors, our organization and our programs. We will offer you tools and training to be an enthusiastic and articulate Ambassador for our cause, and we expect that if you don’t know the answer to an inquiry, you will say so and seek out TRC staff for the appropriate and accurate response.

PERMITS

We operate under several federal and state permits granting us the authority to do the activities we do at Teton Raptor Center. All raptors are protected by state and federal regulations. It is illegal to capture or kill a raptor; possess a raptor (living or dead), or any pieces or parts of raptors, including feathers, without proper permits from state and federal government agencies.

FEATHER POLICY

Possession of raptors or their parts or products (feathers, eggs, nests, physical artifacts like feet or talons) without a permit can be a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. As such, volunteers are not allowed to remove any feathers from Teton Raptor Center grounds. Giving feathers to guests is strictly prohibited by Teton Raptor Center policy because it is illegal.

PHOTO POLICY

Photos must have staff approval before they can be posted on Social Media. No photos of the rehab patients may be posted on social media by volunteers. You can however, share those photos with TRC staff to post and you will receive photo credit and will be able to share it from the TRC page. There are additional guidelines for research-related photos. When posting photos from your experience in the field, you may not provide any information about specific locations where you are working, or where animals, nests, etc. are located. You may not post any pictures of anyone holding or releasing a study animal without prior approval of the coordinator and you may not post pictures of any capture events, traps, banding, tagging. If you're unsure, ask your coordinator before posting. TRC requires a written agreement of profit sharing before any commercial sales of photos taken at TRC.

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER

All of our patients and resident birds are predators and their diet consists of small, whole animals. Maintaining clean and healthy conditions for both the raptors and people is our highest priority. Part of the training process involves techniques utilized to meet this end. There are disease and health hazard considerations that you must take into account before volunteering at Teton Raptor Center. There are zoonotic diseases that can be transferred from both the raptors and their food items to people under certain circumstances. Injury from the raptors in the form of bites, punctures and scratches can occur. Infection from these injuries is a very real concern and proper medical treatment, including proper first aid, is your responsibility in the case you are injured while volunteering at Teton Raptor Center. Volunteers working with wild raptors in the research realm must be aware of potential disease transfer from wild birds to TRC’s education collection. Don’t handle Resident Raptors or enter TRC’s clinic space directly after working with wild raptors in the field. Raptor Center requires the use of raptor handling safety equipment whenever handling live raptors. Before any volunteer is allowed to handle any raptor at TRC they must first demonstrate the skill and knowledge to safely handle the particular raptor. Supervised handling followed by a skills assessment by a supervisor, helps keep both our raptors and volunteers safe.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF TRC AMBASSADORS

• Must be 18 years of age or older. (Some activity may be for ages 14-17 if supervised)

• Must be willing to commit to a regular schedule for a minimum of one year if you wish to do any tasks relating to the care or handling of raptors

• Most tasks require health insurance and please follow the advice of your physician before participating in the volunteer program at TRC

• Some tasks may require a valid driver's license with a good driving record and proof of car insurance.

• An up-to-date Tetanus inoculation is required to volunteer in any area at TRC

• Specific volunteer activities will have additional requirements, expectations and rules.