Wildlife Rehabilitation Training & Education
Our mission extends beyond the animals in our care - it includes the people who will care for wildlife long into the future. Through hands-on training, mentorship, and structured educational programs, we support both current wildlife rehabilitators and those seeking to enter the field.
Saving Wild Lives
Training for Compassionate Care
Our education program for wildlife rehabilitators operates in direct alignment with our animal care work, ensuring that learning is practical, ethical, and grounded in real-world rehabilitation experience and practice.
Training opportunities are offered on-site, and remotely where feasible, connecting participants to local wildlife, conservation principles, and the skills required to make a meaningful, responsible impact.
WCRI supports a network of licensed in-home wildlife rehabilitators who extend care beyond the walls of our clinic. We help strengthen their work through training, clinical and veterinary guidance, mentorship, supplies, and connection to an experienced rehabilitation community, giving more wild patients access to skilled care throughout Rhode Island.
If you’re interested in rehabilitating wildlife from home, you don’t have to build that capacity alone - our network is designed to help you develop the skills, support, and confidence needed to provide high-quality care.
Pertaining to Wildlife Rehabilitation
Review the official Rhode Island regulations governing wildlife rehabilitation permits, requirements, and practice.
Becoming a Wildlife Rehabilitator in RI
WCRI Licensing Guide
Our step-by-step guide to Rhode Island's licensing pathways, requirements, training, and next steps.
Training Opportunities
Course Features
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Permit-aligned curriculum focused specifically on neonatal wildlife care
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Interactive discussion and hands-on learning components
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Expanded course materials to support continued skill development
(RI Sub-permittee course)
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Completion of this course satisfies the education requirement of the RI Sub-permittee permitting process.
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Additional state requirements apply; rehabilitation of migratory birds requires additional federal authorization.
This focused course provides the specialized knowledge required to safely and responsibly care for neonatal wildlife - one of the most technically demanding areas of wildlife rehabilitation. Participants are guided through the unique physiological, developmental, and behavioral needs of neonates across multiple species groups.
Course content addresses intake and stabilization of neonates, age and species assessment, thermoregulation, hydration and feeding principles, common medical and developmental concerns, housing and sanitation, growth monitoring, transition milestones, and preparation for release or transfer. Legal and ethical responsibilities, permit limitations, professional conduct (including appropriate use of social media), and welfare-centered decision-making are woven throughout the course, with emphasis on minimizing habituation/imprinting and optimizing survival outcomes.
Participants receive an expanded, 200+ page training manual designed to serve as a living reference for the practicing wildlife rehabilitator, offering detailed guidance, troubleshooting support, and ongoing learning tools well beyond the classroom setting.
This course situates neonate wildlife care within the broader wildlife rehabilitation framework, helping participants understand how early-life interventions affect individual animals and inform the ethical standards and professional decision-making that guide wildlife rehabilitators and aspiring practitioners.
Course Features
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Comprehensive, permit-aligned curriculum
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Interactive discussion and hands-on learning components
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Expanded course materials to support continued development
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Completion of this course satisfies the education requirement of the RI Level 1 permitting process.
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Additional state requirements apply; rehabilitation of migratory birds requires additional federal authorization.
This comprehensive introductory course provides the foundational knowledge required to responsibly care for injured, orphaned, and displaced wildlife. Participants are guided through the full scope of wildlife rehabilitation, from initial intake and triage through housing, medical decision-making, and release. Course content includes legal and ethical obligations, permit structures, professional conduct (including appropriate use of social media), core medical and veterinary concepts, species-appropriate housing, rehabilitation planning, and release considerations. Emphasis is placed on animal welfare, conservation outcomes, and the realities of rehabilitation work in a regulated environment.
Participants receive an expanded, 200+ page training manual that extends beyond the classroom and is designed to function as a living reference for the practicing wildlife rehabilitator, supporting ongoing learning, decision-making, and skill development over time.
Participants are also introduced to our organization, how wildlife rehabilitation functions within the broader conservation landscape, and meaningful ways to support wildlife in their own communities.
Every wildlife rehabilitator makes a difference.
Have questions or need guidance?
Whether you're in or outside of Rhode Island, we're here to help you on your journey.
Feel free to contact us.
(401) 294-6363
