Free Daily Courtyard Schedule

Please note: The early Pool Bird Feeding is now scheduled for 10:00am EVERY DAY. The afternoon feeding will still be at 4:00pm.

(Click for program descriptions)

(Click for driving directions to WildCare)

Wildlife Ambassadors are on view in our courtyard every day. Special presentations of ambassadors are available as follows (schedule subject to change without notice):

Scroll down for Program Descriptions.

Schedule subject to change without notice. Call 415-456-7283 for updates. Click for directions to WildCare.

Guided Center Tours with a trained WildCare naturalist are also available. 

Free every day
Please call ahead if your large group is planning to visit WildCare to ensure that there isn’t a conflict with another scheduled group.  415-453-1000 x12 or education@wildcarebayarea.org

*Please note: WildCare is open 365 days a year but is only open from 9 to 1 on the following holidays:  New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve

The Courtyard is always available during open hours, but our Museum may be closed to visitors during Nature Camp sessions. Summer Nature Camp runs June through mid-August on weekdays.
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Presentation Descriptions

Pool Bird Feeding
Our Brown Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Herrmann’s Gull and Western Gull get fed twice a day.  Ambassador Volunteers will be happy to answer your questions about these amazing birds and you may get a chance to observe some training.

Meet the Raptor
A trained Ambassador Volunteer will bring one of our Educational Raptors out into the courtyard to meet with you.  You will get a chance to get a good look at one of these amazing birds of prey on the glove of the Volunteer who will be happy to answer any of your questions.

Meet the Tortoise
Mohave, our California Desert Tortoise comes out of his enclosure and wanders our courtyard, saying hi to all our visitors.  Get an up close look at this amazing reptile.  Find out amazing facts about California’s state reptile and why Desert Tortoises in the wild are in trouble.

Woodpecker Enrichment
A trained Ambassador Volunteer will go into the woodpecker enclosure and get Cache, our newest Acorn Woodpecker on the glove.  Visitors can then see some of the amazing adaptations of this common Oak Woodland resident, such as their long tongue.

Meet the Opossum
Our opossum is currently offsite while her cage is being rebuilt. Her schedule will be posted upon her return.

Turkey Vulture Enrichment
You may not know it, but Turkey Vultures are very smart, social birds.  WildCare’s Turkey Vulture, Vladimir, can get easily bored, so the Ambassador Volunteers stimulate him with a variety of fun food and non-food items.  Come see him tear into them, and find out about these wonderful scavengers.

Duck Enrichment
WildCare houses two very different ducks:  a Wood duck and a Gadwall.  Stop by and find out the amazing adaptations that make these two ducks unique.  You may even have the opportunity to observe an Ambassador Volunteer do some training with them. 

Guided Center Tours with a trained WildCare naturalist are also available. 

Meet the Ambassadors

WildCare’s courtyard is home to twenty non-releasable wild animals. All of our Wildlife Ambassadors have shown themselves adaptable to the demands and stresses of living near humans, and each of them provides an invaluable opportunity for the public to view native animals up close.

Many of our animals come out of their cages “on the glove” to meet school groups, scout troops and the general public. While the animal is the focus of attention, the human partner in an Ambassador team provides both a sense of safety and comfort for the animal while on display, and the knowledge of natural history that makes viewing these animals an educational experience for all. 

Learn About Native Wild Animals

The way people think about captive animals is changing. No longer do we accept just seeing a captive animal in a cage. We want a richer experience that includes an understanding of the animal’s habitat, physiology and natural history. And who is better able to teach us than the animals themselves?

WildCare’s Wildlife Ambassador Program is a unique collaboration between animals and their human handlers (all WildCare volunteers) designed to provide an enriched experience of animals on display.

Through beautiful, informative courtyard signage, visitors are introduced to each Wildlife Ambassador and its personal story.  The signs give fascinating facts about the species as well as addressing environmental issues faced by wild animals today.  

WildCare has expanded the number of free courtyard programs to include more than 20 weekly interactive wildlife presentations, improved enclosures for the animals, and increased training for our dedicated wildlife handlers. As a result of this expansion, WildCare successfully raised the profile of our Courtyard and Museum, and we reach nearly 20,000 children, families and other visitors each year.

Natural Behaviors and Enrichment Techniques

In their courtyard poolside enclosure, cormorants show off their diving prowess and pelicans splash into the water to scoop fish into their throat pouches. Members of the public can visit to learn about and watch our pool birds’ adaptations to their watery environment.

Routines and training give captive animals activity and challenges. Behavior-enriching activities such as finding hidden food or eating food frozen like a popsicle are stimulating events that keep animals mentally and physically healthy. Maintaining the mental health of our Ambassador animals is an important component of being a Wildlife Ambassador volunteer. 

Invite a Wildlife Ambassador to Your Child's School

Live wild animal Ambassadors are available for one or two 60-minute programs daily at a location within a maximum one-hour travel distance from WildCare. Click to learn more...

Become a Wildlife Ambassador Volunteer

• All Wildlife Ambassador Volunteers must be active volunteers in the rehabilitation hospital.
• All prospective Wildlife Ambassador Volunteers must attend a New Volunteer Orientation and commit to a regular shift in the hospital before becoming an Ambassador.
• Wildlife Ambassadors commit to one 2-hour shift a week in addition to their regular hospital shift.