Short Term Volunteers
Short-Term Volunteer
Mission:Wolf has depended for decades on the hard work of our passionate volunteers, who stay anywhere from a few hours to a couple of weeks. Our volunteers bring great enthusiasm for the work we do, and we could not do what we do without them.
Our general rule: If you can find the place, we will show you around. If you don’t scare the wolves or place a burden on the staff, you are welcome to camp out for up to two weeks.
Contact us ahead of time with any questions, and to let us know when you would like to visit. If you live locally and would like to commute to volunteer during specific days of the week, we welcome you! If you want to stay onsite longer than two weeks, read more about working at Mission:Wolf and then fill out an application for a minimum commitment of three months.
What Should I Bring?
We expect short-term volunteers to bring their own food and supplies.
For day volunteers this may simply mean appropriate layers, lunch, and water.
For volunteers who plan to stay onsite, this generally includes a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and appropriate clothing and shoes. Make sure you have a rodent-proof place to store your food — coolers and plastic tubs work well. We provide flat spots to set up tents, access to our visitor bathroom (sink and toilet, no shower) and outdoor kitchen, and potable water for drinking and cooking. We do share our water with the wolves, the greenhouses, and the full-time staff, so awareness and conservation in your water usage is a must. If you are unable to bring two week’s worth of supplies in one go, you can give one of our staff a list of what you need and some money, and we can grab supplies for you on one of our trips to the town of Westcliffe.
Come prepared to camp in mountain weather. Summer generally brings warm days and cool nights, with potential for thunderstorms in the afternoon. Autumn usually has mild days and cold nights (our first nights below freezing are in mid-September). The first snow usually falls in early October. By December, winter is in full swing. Winter days are cold and usually sunny. Winter nights can be frigid and windy. It’s not unusual for us to be snowed in during the winter. Spring-time temperatures are warm during the day and cold at night. Most of our snow falls in March and April.
What Will I Do?
As a remote, sustainable village, we require all kinds of work to keep our facilities running. Tasks can vary wildly, depending on the day and on your level of skill: gardening, weeding, watering plants, maintaining paths, splitting and distributing firewood, processing meat for the wolves, repairing fence, patching water tubs — the list goes on! If you have professional experience as a skilled laborer, read our description below for how you can help us.
Skilled Laborers
Mission:Wolf is always in need of volunteers who have professional experience in the building trades, and especially those who are able to teach their valuable skills to other volunteers. Some of the large-scale projects happening at the sanctuary will require the following skilled labor:
Welding
Metal fabrication and steel-working
Carpentry and framing
Plumbing and pipe-fitting
Electrical installation and wiring (especially for solar energy)
Landscaping
Masonry
Roofing and painting
Auto mechanics and small engine repair
Heavy machinery operation
General construction management
If you have experience in any of the trades listed above, Mission:Wolf would be grateful for your expertise. Please note that you will likely be working alongside other volunteers that may have little proficiency in these areas, so we appreciate those who have the patience to communicate within a team setting and help others with skill-building. We also greatly appreciate those who can work independently to complete projects quickly and efficiently. Please contact us if this volunteer opportunity interests you.