Career & Volunteer Opprotunities
Volunteer With Albatross Aviary
A Unique Opportunity to Serve a Unique Population
Volunteering at Albatross Aviary is not like volunteering at a typical shelter or rescue. We are a working sanctuary for parrots and other complex birds impacted by the pet trade—a space dedicated to lifelong care, stability, and advocacy for animals who have often endured trauma, neglect, or serial rehoming.
We are currently in the middle of a major expansion, moving into a newly donated 14,000 square foot facility in Grand Rapids. This move represents the next stage in our evolution—but it is also a time of intensive labor, restructuring, and rebuilding from the ground up.
Because of the demands of this transition, our volunteer program is currently operating in a limited, specialized capacity. We are not onboarding new general volunteers or casual helpers at this time. However, we are actively seeking serious, skilled, and mission-aligned individuals to support us in foundational roles.
Please continue below for a more detailed description of our needs and volunteer opportunities you may be right for.
APPLY HERE TODAY
Help make a difference and sign up to volunteer today! just fill this out and we will email you our volunteer application
VOLUNTEERS MAKE THINGS WORK
We are dedicated to providing lifetime care, specialized indoor environments, and welfare advocacy for rescued birds.
Building and sustaining a sanctuary from the ground up takes grit, consistency, and people who care deeply about doing right by these animals. Because our core leadership spends its time directly on facility operations and flock care, we process all inquiries through a single intake system to match skills, availability, and commitment levels directly with our current operational needs.
Interested in what we are doing?
Want to Volunteer? But, not sure how you would like to help?
Contact US here!
Learn More About Volunteering
A Unique Opportunity to Serve a Unique Population
As a result, we are currently limiting volunteer onboarding to roles that directly support the physical development of the new sanctuary and the daily operations that keep our birds healthy during the rebuild.
What We’re Looking For Right Now
We are seeking volunteers who are:
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Skilled or experienced in construction, trades, or facilities work
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Carpenters, electricians, plumbers, painters, and builders of all kinds
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Experienced in animal care, sanctuary operations, or nonprofit logistics
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People who understand the emotional needs of captive animals
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Organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable with structure and expectations
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Reliable, professional, and self-directed
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Looking to make a long-term commitment to the sanctuary's mission and growth
We are not currently able to offer roles focused on “bird socialization,” enrichment, or general public caretaking. These programs will resume only after we complete the build-out of safe, species-specific spaces and stabilize operations in the new building.
Careers Opportunities
Daily Care Operations
Exotic bird care requires strict compliance with dietary recipes, biosecurity protocols, and entryway safety. We are seeking dependable caretakers who understand the physical and detail-oriented demands of sanctuary work.
AM Avian Caretaker (Paid Part-Time)
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Hours: 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM
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Responsibilities: Morning diet prep using precise recipes, execution of morning feeding, deep enclosure cleaning, bowl sanitation, and AM health observations.
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Requirements: Absolute shift reliability for a minimum 3–6 month commitment, ability to lift 30 lbs, comfort working in noisy/active bird environments, and strict compliance with safety protocols.
PM Avian Caretaker (Paid Part-Time)
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Hours: 4:00 PM – 8:30 PM
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Responsibilities: Evening feeding, water station resets, roost prep, end-of-day facility sanitation, and PM health logging.
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Requirements: Absolute shift reliability for a minimum 3–6 month commitment, ability to lift 30 lbs, comfort working in noisy/active bird environments, and strict compliance with safety protocols.
Student Internship Program
Designed for local Grand Rapids College students (biology, pre-vet, animal behavior, or related fields) seeking structured, hands-on experience in captive avian ethology, dietary execution, and sanctuary management.
Avian Care & Sanctuary Management Intern
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Capacity: Capped at a maximum of 6 paid part-time internship positions per semester. Remaining spots are unpaid for academic credit or experience.
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Priority Pathway: Paid positions are prioritized for returning interns who start with us early in their academic career (e.g., Freshman or Sophomore year). First-time upperclassmen typically enter through the credit-bearing unpaid track.
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Shift Commitment: 10–15 hours per week scheduled within our 4-hour operational blocks (8 AM–12 PM, 12 PM–4 PM, 4 PM–8 PM).
General Volunteers & Community Support
For community members who want to support the flock without committing to paid care schedules or academic internships.
General Shift Volunteers (4-Hour Blocks)
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Availability: Morning (8:00 AM – 12:00 PM) | Afternoon (12:00 PM – 4:00 PM) | Evening (4:00 PM – 8:00 PM)
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Focus: Assisting caretakers with facility maintenance, diet prep support, and deep-cleaning tasks on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis.
General Contact & Events List
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Focus: Sign up to be notified about future community events, special facility projects, or on-call volunteer needs.
What It's Like to Volunteer at Albatross Aviary
Volunteering with us means working in a complex, emotionally sensitive, and highly structured environment.
Our birds are survivors. Many come from backgrounds of chronic stress, isolation, or neglect. Some were intentionally abused. Others were simply misunderstood by people who didn't know how to care for them.
We prioritize calm, consistency, and predictability. That means:
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We do not allow unstructured interaction with birds
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We do not offer drop-in or casual volunteer hours
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We train all volunteers in trauma-informed, species-specific protocols
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We expect volunteers to commit to their scheduled shifts and responsibilities
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We treat our work with the seriousness it deserves
This is not about playing with birds; it's about serving them.
If you're looking to contribute to something meaningful—something rooted in discipline, care, and compassion—there is a place for you here.
What to Expect From the Process
Current Volunteer Intake is Limited
Due to our relocation and renovation process, we are looking for volunteers who can support construction, infrastructure, and essential care operations. However, if you are interested in participating in public education or enrichment roles, we invite you to reach out specifically with how you would like to help.
All Volunteers Must
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Be 18 years or older
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Submit an application and provide relevant experience or references
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Complete an orientation (available by appointment only)
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Follow all safety, sanitation, and species-specific protocols
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Agree to respect the boundaries and behavioral needs of the birds
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Understand that this is a sanctuary, not a shelter or petting zoo
We will reach out individually to applicants whose skills and availability match current needs.
How to Apply
Ready to step up and support the sanctuary? Complete our centralized screening form below. The form will guide you directly through the vetting questions for your specific track.
APPLY HERE TODAY
Thank You for Your Interest!
Albatross Aviary exists because of the deep commitment of volunteers and community supporters who refuse to look away from the hard work of doing right by birds.
If you’re one of them, thank you. We look forward to working alongside you.
Revenue & Growth
Without consistent funding, there are no enclosures, specialized diets, or facility upgrades. We need self-driven individuals to keep the sanctuary financially sustainable.
Fundraising & Community Development Lead (Paid / Performance-Based)
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Focus: Connecting Albatross Aviary with the local Grand Rapids business community to secure operational funding, corporate sponsorships, and donor support for feed, veterinary care, and facility projects.
We do not allow public adoptions here at Albatross Aviary, but we do have adoption and foster programs in place for our dedicated volunteers. We understand that some birds raised with people do better when they get the attention that only one-on-one interaction and companionship can provide, so after 6 consecutive months of consistent and reliable volunteering, our volunteers become eligible to adopt or become a foster parent. Because our main criteria for adoption/fostering is the bird choosing their person (and not the other way around!) we cannot guarantee the opportunity will present itself immediately after 6 months, if at all.
Albatross Aviary's adoption policy
Help make a difference and sign up to volunteer today! just fill this out and we will email you our volunteer application
