Search Results

North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre is a non-profit facility that cares for ill, injured and orphaned wildlife, and educates the public about wildlife and environmental issues. Visitors can see non-releasable Vancouver Island wildlife in peaceful and rustic surroundings. Hours Open Daily 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM Admission Adult $15+tax Children 4–16 $6+tax Children 3 & under FREE Veterans and Military FREE Location 1240 Leffler Road, Errington, BC Locate Us on Google Maps Join Our Team Volunteer They Need Us. We Need You! Donate Now Stay Connected Latest on Facebook Photos on Instagram Tripadvisor reviews Watch us on Youtube Get our newsletter Adopt an Animal View Adoption Animals in Shop

Summer Front Desk Position Join Our Team! Front Desk Gift Shop staff (full-time, eight weeks ) The Organization: North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre, a world-class wildlife rehabilitation centre, located in Errington, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, cares for ill, injured and orphaned wildlife, and educates the public on wildlife and environmental issues. The Position: The North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre is accepting applications for full-time summer Front Desk staff to work in our gift shop, meeting and greeting visitors and offering outstanding customer service and sales to visitors. Successful applicants should possess previous experience in customer service and retail sales. The position works under the direction, support and supervision of the Gift Shop Manager and the executive Director. Responsibilities: Welcome visitors to the Centre, presenting a positive, professional deportment as a first point of contact Sell admission tickets, annual passes, animal adoptions and process donations Stock and sell merchandise, handling cash, credit and debit transactions on a Point of Sales system Answer phones and perform other administrative tasks as required Perform duties in other departments as needed Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Requirements: This rewarding position requires a mature person who works well within a team and independently and can readily adapt to changing circumstances. It is physically demanding and requires attention to detail. Must be able to communicate fluently in English Must be able to work 5 days a week with 2 consecutive days off Must be reliable and dependable Previous retail and merchandising experience preferred Self motivated, demonstrates initiative, ability to work alone and in teams Flexibility to work weekends, weekdays and holidays Strong time management skills Eligibility: These positions are funded through the Government of Canada Summer Jobs Grant. Must be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment Must be a Canadian Citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment Must have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada Number of Weeks: 8 weeks (July1 to September 2 with some flexibility ) Hours: 35 hours per week Wage: $18.40 per hour To apply: Please email a cover letter stating availability dates, your resume and 2 references to wildlife@niwra.org Attention: Joyce Lee . Please write "Front Desk Summer Position" in the subject line. We appreciate all applications, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted. We reserve the right to close the vacancies early depending on the number of applications received, so you are encouraged to submit your details as soon as possible if you are interested.

The North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre would not be possible without the generous support of donors, volunteers, and a small staff of animal care workers and office personnel. Give & Volunteer Make a Gift to Wildlife Today Your donation helps us care for ill, injured and orphaned wildlife. Send an e-Transfer Make a General Donation Donate Securities Donate Online CanadaHelps allows small charities like us to accept secure donations online. Donate instantly. Send an e-Transfer to: wildlife@niwra.org Download Form (PDF) Please download, print and complete our donation form. Then mail it, along with your payment, to us at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre. Tax receipts will be provided for donations of $10 or more. Donate by Mail Leave Your Wildlife Legacy A charitable bequest is a form of planned giving: a deferred or future gift described in a donor’s will. Such gifts allow us to initiate projects otherwise beyond our reach while providing you with immediate and long-term tax advantages. Learn More View Our Amazon Wishlist View Our Wishlist We gratefully accept non-cash donations as well as Amazon purchases of our Wishlist items. Please contact NIWRA administration prior to donating if you would like a tax receipt to see if your donation qualifies. Our Wishlist Donors wishing to see a copy of our financial statements are asked to contact our office. Volunteer at the Centre At North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre, we couldn’t operate without our amazing volunteers. We’d love to welcome you to the team! Contact us if your passions include: working at a gift shop education (being a tour guide, 'Ask Me' Ambassador) wildlife gardens grounds and yard maintenance animal care Learn More Green Teen Youth Docent Program Our Green Teens are passionate about wildlife and want to inspire others to learn about wild animals and their environments. Are you between 12 & 18? Are you looking for a great summer experience? Do you want to meet people from all over the world? Learn More Become a Student Intern (Spring & Summer) Interns receive hands-on training and experience at a wild animal rehabilitation and education centre and provide support to staff. We are on the lookout for individuals interested in an internship involving animal rehabilitation and care Learn More Adopt an Animal Your 'symbolic' adoption of an animal that is unable to return to the wild provides: food medical care & annual check-ups “toys” to enrich and stimulate natural behaviours Give the gift of a symbolic adoption to the animal lover in your life: birthday or Christmas gifts any special occasion View Adoption Animals in Shop NOTE: No government funding is available, so your support is critical. Purchase "Bear Shares" Bear Shares are important to us because: ~$40 per day is needed to meet the needs of one bear that arrives at the centre bears usually spend several months with us until they can be released we’ve had as many as 22 bears in one season! donations are our sole source of funding to care for the bears Purchase Bear Shares in Shop Live Nearby? Purchase an Annual Pass Adult | $45 Purchase in Shop Child | $18 Purchase in Shop Mail Order Download Form

~wildlife education~ Deer have microbes in their stomachs that help them digest coarse food such as lichen.  If rich foods like alfalfa or apples are introduced to these microbes, it can cause bloat and may lead to the death of the animal.  It’s best not to feed wild deer in the winter unless you have small amounts of local hay to offer. istock.com/GarysFRP Anna’s Hummingbirds don’t migrate in the winter; they become dormant daily to conserve energy, entering a state of torpor on cold nights. Their body temperature lowers, and their heart rate slows. Hummingbird feeders should be cleaned weekly and stocked with sugar water made of four parts water and one-part white sugar. Hummingbirds depend on this for energy when their usual food sources are unavailable. Bats are natural pest controllers. All BC bats feed exclusively on insects and are vital for maintaining healthy and balanced ecosystems. Our local bats eat night-flying insects including mosquitoes, beetles and moths. A nursing female bat can consume up to 600 insects an hour and 100% of her body weight in a night! Owls have very large eyes in relation to the size of their bodies. Their eyes gather and concentrate much more light than ours do. Owls have forward-looking eyes, giving them binocular vision and excellent depth perception, which is an advantage in hunting. They can focus on both near and distant objects at the same time, a special adaptation allowing them to accurately gauge distance when they are pursuing prey. Turkey vultures are often called “Nature’s garbage collectors”. While it’s believed they will eat anything dead, they prefer their ‘meals’ to be no more than three days old. Turkey vultures have keen eyesight and a razor-sharp sense of smell. A large nasal cavity in their beak helps them detect a carcass from great distances. The vulture can put its featherless head into a rotting carcass without soiling or damaging its feathers. It is thought that their strong digestive juices counteract most harmful bacteria. They defecate on their legs to disinfect them. The American bullfrog, the largest frog in North America, is an invasive species due to its voracious appetite and the large number of eggs it produces. Frogs eat any animal that can be captured and swallowed, including all kinds of vertebrates and invertebrates. Bullfrog adults eat insects, snakes, small mammals, birds, and smaller native frogs. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website . Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

~wildlife education~ The mission of the North Island Wildlife Recovery Association (NIWRA) and Centre in Errington is to care for ill, injured and orphaned wildlife, and to educate the public on wildlife and environmental issues. Approximately 800 animals are admitted to NIWRA each year, and we do our best to reintroduce as many as possible back to the wild. But there must continue to be untouched wild areas where we can release animals safely, and where various species can thrive, that’s why we are adding our voice to the chorus calling for the protection of the Hamilton Marsh Wetlands and Forest. [Photo credit: Claire Summers] Biodiversity-rich natural areas like the 360-hectare Hamilton Marsh Wetlands & Forest are so important to preserve – for wildlife, yes, but also for humans. As development continues at a rapid pace, areas that hold water are fewer and farther between. Drought continues to be a problem for Vancouver Island during warmer summers, and flooding is an issue during the wet season. Humans, wildlife and nature all rely on ground water, but the water table continues to lower.  Water retention areas like Hamilton Marsh are crucial for wells, for drinking water, and for feeding our rivers. Birds and other animals need places like Hamilton Marsh to be safe preserved spaces where they can thrive. The Hamilton Marsh complex is a treasure trove of biodiversity and includes a very wide range of habitats & species. Hamilton Marsh is the largest body of water in the French Creek Watershed, and it also contributes to the Little Qualicum Watershed. Marshes and other wetlands play an important role in nature, support biodiversity, and provide water for us and for many other creatures. Water retention is increasingly important due to development and climate change.  Preserving the Hamilton Wetlands & Forest is important for animals, plants, climate change mitigation, and for two watersheds. Now that the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) and Mosaic Forest Management have announced a conditional Contract of Purchase and Sale (CPS) for approximately 360 hectares (ha) of land known as Hamilton Marsh, a precious area could be preserved, but funding support is needed. We think it is a worthy cause. Visit https://hamiltonwetlands.com/ for more information on Hamilton Marsh and why it is important to save, and how you can help. NIWRA, a non-profit organization, is situated in Errington, B.C. We are open to the public daily for viewing of non-releasable animals. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website . Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

~wildlife education~ Since becoming internationally known in January 1989 after rescuing 25 poisoned eagles,   the North Island Wildlife Recovery Association (NIWRA) has evolved into a remarkable wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility specializing in black bear cubs and birds of prey. NIWRA’s mission is to care for ill, injured, and orphaned wildlife, and to educate the public on wildlife and environmental issues. Years of dedication and hard work have resulted in thousands of animals being rescued, rehabilitated and released. Here are a few stories of animals that have come to NIWRA for treatment this year: A Pileated Woodpecker came to NIWRA with his face stuck in a rat trap. He had quite significant facial swelling but with our care, he is healing well. A young Great Blue Heron was found in a koi pond tangled in fishing line, unable to free itself. Upon examination, we discovered that the Heron had also been shot and the pellet was still lodged in its neck.  Fortunately, the lead pellet was successfully removed, and the bird is recovering. In August, a little beaver kit was found struggling in the fast-moving rapids of the Cowichan River. No mom or lodge in sight. She is now doing well in our care. A cedar waxwing was brought to us because someone had deliberately clipped its wings, leaving it defenseless and unable to fly. Clipping the wings of a wild bird strips it of its freedom. Our black bear nursery currently holds five cubs that are gaining weight and doing well.   They will be released back into the wild next year. We invite the public to visit, and here are a few of our non-releasable ambassador animals you can meet when you come: Rae (Black Bear) Rae is a female bear who was found starving and unsteady on her feet, likely due to head trauma. She requires ongoing care for the rest of her life.  Casey (Bald Eagle) Casey, now an adult eagle, was found on the ground with no nest nearby when he was a chick. He has a non-repairable dislocated wing and will live here at the Centre for the rest of his life. Farley (Great Gray Owl) Farley was found near 100 Mile House, BC after being hit by a vehicle. The collision resulted in a badly broken wing which had to be partially amputated, so he cannot fly. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website . Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!