Welcome! Thanks for your interest in volunteering.
With the help of our volunteer force, FLAP Canada works tirelessly to educate people about the perils of the built environment for birds, and protect migrating birds from the threats in urban habitat. We couldn’t do it without you.
The bulk of our volunteers are bird rescue patrollers and drivers, but there are many volunteer roles that might suit you:
Bird Rescue Patroller
A bird rescue volunteer patrols a designated area during spring and fall migration seasons to search for birds that have collided with a building. They are trained to rescue injured and salvage dead birds and report each collision on the Global Bird Collision Mapper using FLAP’s mobile app. All bird rescue patrollers carry relevant permits and equipment for this work and are asked to commit to at least one patrol per week during migration seasons (Spring: April to May, Fall: September to October).
Please note: For patrolling in areas like Mississauga, Scarborough and Markham – having a car would be beneficial. The buildings in Mississauga and Markham are spaced apart and the quickest way to move between them is to drive. We also cannot guarantee that a volunteer driver will be available in these areas, so driving your live injured birds to the Toronto Wildlife Centre yourself after a patrol is usually the only option.
Driver
A volunteer driver commits to being on call weekly for a morning or afternoon shift during migration seasons (Spring: April to May, Fall: September to October).
Drivers usually pick up injured birds either from the FLAP office (Bay/Dundas area) or from on-the-street bird rescue volunteers in and around the downtown core, for transport to the Toronto Wildlife Centre (Downsview Park area).
Drivers can also respond to Driver Alert emails when a scheduled driver isn’t available.
Bird Emergency Hotline Monitor
A Hotline Monitoring Volunteer is available to remotely check FLAP voice messages Monday to Friday during the migration seasons (Spring: April to June, Fall: September to October) and reply to messages based on their level of knowledge or relay these messages to the Volunteer Coordinator. A Hotline Monitoring Volunteer will be required to commit to one shift of 4 hours per week.
Local Volunteer Coordinator
A Local Volunteer Coordinator is responsible for managing a location-based group of FLAP bird rescue volunteers. This can include recruiting volunteers and creating a daily schedule. They will report to the senior Volunteer Coordinator.
Office Help (migration)
During the busy migration seasons (April, May, September & October), FLAP receives numerous calls about birds in distress. An Office Help Volunteer will be asked to assist in the following tasks: answering the phone and responding to caller requests, meeting bird rescue volunteers and drivers to pick up and/or hand off injured and/or dead birds, walking to buildings in the Financial District to pick up live and/or dead birds from building security desks and on-the-street bird rescue volunteers, and other day-to-day tasks that may arise. A volunteer helping in the office is asked to commit to at least one shift of 4 hours per week during the migration seasons.
Public Outreach
FLAP participates in a variety of outreach activities such as Conservation Days, birding events and school programs. Volunteers would have the opportunity to host displays, hand out educational materials and conduct presentations in–person or remotely (training provided).
Please see the application form for the full list of potential volunteer activities.
Training is provided as appropriate.
Please submit your application by either emailing our volunteer coordinator with the PDF application, mailing the form to us, or filling out the online form.
Once we review your application, you will receive a confirmation email. Next steps include attending a Volunteer Information Session typically held twice a year : March/April and August/September, and on-street training for those interested in Bird Rescue.
