There’s one thing everyone from the Toucan Rescue Ranch Team has in common: we all started as volunteers. 

The first day is always the same when joining TRR as a volunteer, intern, or staff member. You will join what we call the Toucan Team and participate in the daily tasks that the volunteers do to ensure the well-being of the animals at our sanctuary. 

If you have thought about joining our team as a volunteer, let’s recap what it is like!

This day would start with Hershey, the Tayra, greeting you from his enclosure as you first walk into the Ranch. You will then gather with everyone for the morning meeting and review the activities for the day: 

The Volunteers Duties

The first place you will get familiar with is the kitchen, where you will help our lovely Kitchen Coordinator, Ivette, to prepare the food for the diverse wildlife in our rescue center. This includes chopping fruits and vegetables, cutting fish, and preparing carnivorous diets. 

One of the first things volunteers do in the morning is re-filling the water traits for all the enclosures. Then, as soon as food traits are ready, they distribute them to all animals. As a wildlife lover, it is gratifying to see how excited the animals get when they get their first meal of the day, although some of them will be a little bit more excited to see you than others. 

Another essential part of the volunteer’s duties is cleaning. Our team will constantly clean the enclosures to ensure our residents have an optimal living area. This must be done carefully, as you will work closely with the animals. It is fundamental to follow all safety protocols since these are wild animals. 

As we say this, it is worth mentioning that we do not allow any animal handling. When working at TRR, you should always remember that our biggest concern is the animals in our care, so we do not encourage any behaviors that might be stressful for them. 

As a volunteer, you will also be helping in general maintenance, which includes yard work and organizing work areas. Depending on your enthusiasm and willingness to work, you could even be asked to help in other duties such as giving enrichment and helping improve the animal’s enclosures. 

Volunteering is hard work, requiring a lot of dedication and compromise, but it is worth it! 

Toucan Rescue Ranch is a team. 

We are confident that you will fall in love with our residents and their different personalities. But we are also sure that you will meet people who will quickly become your friend. For us, it is vital that volunteers feel at home, so we strongly encourage them to participate in our weekly team building activities, such as soccer games, movie nights, and team dinners! 

This is an opportunity to make friends from all over the world. Many of us have made friends for life here at Toucan Rescue Ranch. Once you join our team, you will always be welcome in our community! 

Learn more on our Volunteer Page!

Ready to apply?

So you are ready to live the experience of your life? Make sure you’re eligible to be a volunteer at Toucan Rescue Ranch. You must:  

• Be able to commit at least four weeks or at least 20 days of volunteering. A longer duration is preferred.
• Be 18 years or older.
• Have a current tetanus vaccination.
• Have international emergency medical insurance that covers you while volunteering.
• Be willing to get dirty, sweaty, tired, and work for wildlife.

Now all you have to do is complete the application!

Please visit our website for more information about fees, housing, location, and schedules!

Dani Calvo is the marketing assistant at the Toucan Rescue Ranch. They studied Social Communication at Universidad de Costa Rica. Dani has a big passion for storytelling and social action, so working at the TRR has been a great opportunity to bring these together. As part of the Marketing Team, they support content creation, social media, crowdfunding, and internal/ external communication. 

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