It is not the "ordinary" person who has the courage to put themselves in harm's way to aid a wild animal in distress. We are all familiar with Aesop's fable about the lion and the mouse. Can you imagine yourself walking up to a Lion and asking for its paw, asking it to trust you while you inflicted pain so that it would eventually feel better? You're not alone. Most rehabilitators got their start when they found a tiny squirrel or baby bunny on the ground and had the desire to nurture it back to health. There is no one characteristic that defines a good wildlife rehabilitator. We all have different skills, strengths, experiences, and weaknesses. The best rehabilitator is someone who is kind, patient, willing to learn from others' experiences, willing to admit shortcomings, and is not afraid of hard, really hard, work. There are many ways to learn about wildlife rehabilitation. In our eyes, ALL of them are excellent resources, as it is our firm belief here at WCCR that any skilled person who has spent even one season working with wildlife probably has something valuable to share. We hope that each prospective student keeps that in mind when considering WCCR a final destination. There is no destination in this field; there is only a never-ending journey. The staff at WCCR has spent many years in this industry and we have made it our mission to understand how rehabilitation works, what its strengths are, and where opportunities for growth and improvement can be found. What we have discovered, over and over again, was that with very little exception, most rehabilitators want to learn more, and are unable to find the one place to make that happen. We have also discovered that "that one place" does not exist, and frankly, to ever make the assumption that everything could be taught in one place is not realistic. It was at that point that we got to work! Developing a baseline where EVERYONE could START became our true goal. We hope to be a launching pad for prospective wildlife rehabilitators, so that they may start working in the field quickly with more than just very basic information and experience. The average tenure of a wildlife rehabilitator is about 2 years. As we have spoken with both current and former rehabilitators, we have come to understand that this is largely due to burnout resulting from the frustrations of failure. At WCCR, we will combat that issue by linking you to an entire network of people whom you will not only know personally, but who have agreed to work as Mentors for WCCR and to be available to answer questions at any time. As we grow and develop, we anticipate many changes. Northeast Texas is only one of many places in the United States, and across the world that has a shortage of wildlife rehabilitators. If you believe that you are ready to launch into the most exciting and rewarding thing you may EVER do in your life, then ,... COME GET WILD WITH US! |
| Our Advanced class spends time learning about the environment, habitat, learning to track and understanding how wild animals survive |
| The BASIC class requires a lot of reading, studying, and learning to work with others |
The School for Wildlife Rehabilitation
The Wildlife Center at Crosstimbers Ranch
| About our classes WCCR offers two types of wildlife rehabilitation classes to the general public. The Basics Class is a required prerequisite for all other classes offered, and will be available next year on-site, off-site, or on-line. To be invited to the advance course, you MUST successfully complete to Basics course. We ask this because our goal is to start each student, experienced or not, on a level playing field. The Advanced course is an on-site course, and is developed for the people who wish to learn to work with high intake levels or with the more dangerous species. For those wishing to work with squirrels, rabbits, or opossums, the basics class will give you all of the information that you need to be highly successful. Should you, at any time, decide to learn more, your Basics class fee will be credited toward your advanced class fees. The Basics class consists of three components comprising 40 hours of instruction. To receive your certification from WCCR, you will be required to complete 20 hours of classroom work, 12 hours of Lab time and 10 hours of hands on shadowing at a working wildlife center or similar facility. Upon completion of the basics class, you will be assigned to a mentor with whom you will work for a period of two years. You may bypass that two year period by successfully completing the Advanced class offered at WCCR. Either way, you will receive two years of training and hands on experience through our program before being expected to go out on your own. This component is in place for two reasons. First, burnout often happens in the first two years, and life-altering mistakes that often lead to that burnout are made during this same time. Second, many states require you to submit letters of recommendation from other rehabilitators who are familiar with your work in order to obtain your own permit. By pairing you with an experienced person, you are helping the rehabilitator to take a larger number of animals annually, and you will be learning from them as you work with them side by side. You will also have the opportunity to meet and work with other rehabilitators during this time. If you are local, you will meet your mentor before you leave the ranch. If you are coming in from out of the area, then we will act as your liaison and introduce you to your new mentor either via phone or email. WCCR will also act as a liaison with your county's Wildlife Rehabilitation Permitting office and your county's Game Warden to ensure that after you complete the basics class you will receive your sub-permit. On completion of the advanced program, we hope that most states will consider it to be fulfilling one of their current requirements to become permitted in that state. Since we are NOT a law making entity, each state holds the right to refuse a permit to any person. However, we have hired a liaison who not only checks compliance with your state before you attend the course, but will also speak to that state's permitting office to understand exactly what the successful completion of your training will offer to you. If your state answer will not accept your training at WCCR as fulfillment of permitting criteria, your monies will be 100% refunded prior to your taking the class. At no time will we promise anything that we do not believe that we can provide. Our dedication is to the student and to the animals, and we will work to ensure the success and acceptance of this program throughout the United States. The Advanced class is where the REAL fun, and hard work, begins. Advanced students are required to live on-site for a period of 14 days. You will work, eat, and sleep wildlife rehabilitation while gaining more experience than most rehabilitators will learn on their own in their first two years. During your stay here, you will be assigned a roommate to share a small log cabin nestled in the woods behind the wildlife center. Advanced classes run ONLY between March and November, and will be scheduled so that you will be working with the same students and staff the entire time. Each class will be limited to 14 students. All classes must be paid in advance, but WCCR is happy to make financial arrangements if necessary. Additionally, scholarships will be awarded every year. Scholarships require application and approval by the Scholarship committee. We encourage all students to apply for scholarships. Upon completion of your advanced level course, you will qualify to apply for a start up grant to help you buy supplies to begin your new wildlife rehabilitation practice. You will also have access to our donation barn, where you may choose used items which have been donated by the general public that will help you get up and running efficiently, as quickly as possible. Finally, the most exciting benefit of completing the advanced course is that you qualify to begin our Train the trainer program. This program allows you to take the basic program home with you to your city or state, and begin making money to fund your own operation by teaching others what you have learned! We are creating new entrepreneurs in a tough job market - and we are counting on you to teach others to help the animals. No matter how tough the economy, there will always be wild animals to help. We will be here to help you succeed and spread the word about helping wildlife. For further information on each of our classes, please call us or email a request for a brochure. |
| BASIC Students will learn how to do several tests commonly used in rehabilitation to help keep their veterinary costs down |
| ADVANCED students will learn about behavior, diseases and their treatments, and habitat of many different species |
| SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT February 2009 Please Note that WCCR education building and clinic are currently under construction and we will not be offering Advanced Classes until the School has it's Grand Opening scheduled for May 2009. Due to the severe shortage of rehabilitation help in the DFW Metroplex and surrounding areas, we have been asked by several members of the local rehabilitation community to begin our Basics Class prior to our grand opening. ALL basics classes prior to April 2009 will be considered Beta classes and will be offered at half price*, as our books and manuals will have not yet been printed. Please see our Calendar Page for the scheduled BETA classes. Make the choice today to make a difference and be one of the first to earn your WCCR Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation Certification! |
| BASICS students will learn basic triage and emergency techniques using a variety of Non-living animal tools |
| Advanced students learn to prepare diets for multiple species |
| ADVANCED students truly learn everything involved in wildlife rehabilitation including cleaning, building and animal maintenence |
| The BASICS class may be taken on or off site and is largely focused on book learning and private instruction |
| BASICS students will learn the basics of using common equipment, supplies and understanding techniques accepted by the NWRA, IWRC and their state wildlife department |
| BASIC students do not work with wildlife. BASICS is a required step before moving on to the ADVANCED course |
| The Wildlife Center at Crosstimbers Ranch 11606 County Road 2312 Terrell, Texas 75160 Office 972-563-3555 Email: thinkwild@crosstimberswildlife.org |
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A non-profit organization
