Wildlife Academy
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The Wildlife Care Academy provides comprehensive instruction on a wide array of topics, including wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife medicine and diagnostics, outreach and communications, education, organization management, and more. The variety of courses, taught by Wildlife Center staff members, are geared toward many different audiences: permitted at-home wildlife rehabilitators and those seeking certification, animal control officers, individuals working at larger rehabilitation facilities, veterinarians and veterinary technicians, those who specialize in administration and communications, teachers, and individuals  who simply want to learn more about how to help wildlife.

Areas of study include:

Wildlife Rehabilitation

Wildlife Rescue

Education and Communications

Classroom Programs for Teachers

Explore our available classes, arranged by areas of interest, and please email us at academy@wildlifecenter.org if you have any questions.

 

Course Format

There are two available formats in the Wildlife Care Academy: on-demand courses and webinars.

On-demand courses are self-paced areas of study with a variety of learning elements. These courses typically include PowerPoint lectures, videos, quizzes, reading material, and additional resources to give the learner a well-rounded educational experience. Learners may choose to complete the course at a time and pace that works for them; once purchased, on-demand courses are available as long as learners maintain an active status during the course of a year. Certificates of completion are generated immediately upon the conclusion of the course.

Webinars are offered in both live and recorded formats. Live webinars are scheduled on a specific date and time and allow participants to see a PowerPoint lecture as well as a live video of the staff instructor; participants then have the opportunity to interact with the speaker in a text-based question-and-answer session. Recorded webinars are also available for purchase so that learners may listen to the lecture and q-and-a session on their own timeframe. Certificates of completion are available upon the conclusion of the webinar.

 

Wildlife Rehabilitation

To rehabilitate wildlife in most states, including Virginia, individuals and organizations must have a permit. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) is the state agency that issues state wildlife rehabilitation permits; federal permits (for rehabilitating birds) are obtained from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

For those interesting in obtaining a permit, we have a recommended learning path to help you navigate your first steps in the world of wildlife rehabilitation. 

 

Continuing Education

Certificates of completion are provided at the end of each course. All of our REHAB classes have been approved for Continuing Education units [CEUs] by The International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council's (IWRC) Certification Review Board.  The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) accepts all our classes and workshops that relate to the treatment or care of wildlife as approved educational requirements for obtaining and renewing Virginia wildlife rehabilitation permits. Our classes have also been approved for continuing education credits toward wildlife rehabilitator permitting/licensing requirements in most other states.  Learn more about how many CE and credit hours here.

 

Certain classes have been approved for Animal Control Officer training in Virginia.

Visit our mental health awareness page for free content and resources.

 

Contact academy@wildlifecenter.org for specific information or questions.

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