The International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council

11/09/2026

Did you know IWRC members get free access to Cornell Lab Birds of the World website? Just log in to your membership account on our website, theiwrc.org, and head to the members area!

Understanding natural history is one of the most important aspects of high quality wildlife care - natural history guides diet, enclosure design, release evaluations and locations, and medical care. Insights into animal behavior can help with everything from enrichment to humane solutions and conflict resolution to migration windows.

Birds of the World is a particularly useful option because it shows you the primary sources/journal articles where the information originates, making it easier to see the limitations and gaps in our knowledge. Check it out free and learn more about your avian patients!

11/06/2026

Grant alert!

Have a research idea that could help advance oiled wildlife response and care? We are currently accepting small grant proposals!

This program provides funding of up to $15,000 for one year to support pilot studies and smaller-scale research projects, helping researchers explore new ideas and contribute to improvements in oiled wildlife response, rehabilitation, and care.

Application deadline: January 15, 2027

Learn more about the program and how to apply: owcn.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/grants

11/04/2026

Did you miss last week's webinar on Avian Influenza & Griffon Vultures!? Don't worry, you can watch the recording!

Check out the free excerpt here or on Youtube: https://youtu.be/2bVVjjXYmOw

The full recorded session is an IWRC Member Benefit, available through our Coffee & Tea Archives: https://theiwrc.org/coffee-tea-archives/

11/03/2026

Join us for November's free wildlife seminar as Avery Tilley shares perspectives into how wildlife rehabilitation can learn from Indigenous Wildlife Stewardship!

Register: https://secure.givelively.org/event/international-wildlife-rehabilitation-council/what-wildlife-rehabilitation-can-learn-from-indigenous-wildlife-stewardship

Wildlife rehabilitation is often framed around temporary care, successful release, public education, and reducing human-caused harm. Indigenous wildlife stewardship can expand this framework by asking deeper questions about relationship, reciprocity, place, responsibility, and sovereignty. This talk will explore what wildlife rehabilitators and adjacent wildlife professionals can learn from Indigenous approaches to wildlife care and conservation, while offering practical guidance for engaging respectfully with Tribal Nations and Indigenous knowledge systems. Drawing from two-eyed seeing, Tribal wildlife stewardship, and examples from wildlife research and field medicine, Avery Tilley will discuss how rehabilitators can move beyond good intentions toward more reciprocal, accountable, and culturally grounded wildlife work.

10/29/2026

Last chance! Get those Helene Fund applications in by October 31 to be considered for the 2026 award!

Learn more and apply: https://theiwrc.org/helene-scholarship/

10/27/2026

Don't forget to register to join us on Friday Oct 30 to learn about the impacts of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5 Bird Flu) on Griffon Vultures!

Get all the details and register here: https://secure.givelively.org/event/international-wildlife-rehabilitation-council/impacts-of-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-on-a-previously-unaffected-vulture-species

Photo credit: Artemy Voikhansky, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

10/22/2026

Happy Reptile Awareness Day!

Meet Arefine Rezoana, a herpetologist and snake educator working in Bangladesh - and recipient of two Helene Van Doninck Fund awards in 2025 and 2024. Her goal is to reduce snake phobia, prevent unnecessary snake killings, and save human lives through sharing accessibleMeet Arefine Rezoana, a herpetologist and snake educator working in Bangladesh - and recipient of two Helene Van Doninck Fund awards in 2025 and 2024. Her goal is to reduce snake phobia, prevent unnecessary snake killings, and save human lives through sharing accessible information.

She distributes information through posters, leaflets, events, and classes, teaching about snake identification, snake bite management, and snake rescue. She is the first call in her local community when concerns about snakes arise or an injured snake is found. One person at a time, she is dispelling misperceptions about snakes, teaching people how to prevent snake bites, and changing fear into appreciation of snakes as an important part of their local environment.

Learn more about Rezoana and her work: https://rezoanaarefine.weebly.com/

Donate to the Helene Van Doninck Fund and support impactful humane coexistence efforts around the world: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/international-wildlife-rehabilitation-council/dr-helene-marie-van-doninck-memorial-fund

Applications for the Helene Van Doninck Fund are open until October 31! Learn more: https://theiwrc.org/helene-scholarship/

10/19/2026

Don't forget to join us this Wednesday, Oct 21, between 5pm-8pm at Oakshire Public House in Eugene to help wildlife while enjoying good food and drinks! IWRC staff will be there and would love to chat and meet you, and Oakshire will donate $1 from every draft pour to IWRC!

We look forward to seeing you there!

10/16/2026

Missed the Annual Membership Meeting? Don't worry, you can watch the recording to learn more about IWRC's current organizational management, goals, and achievements.

https://youtu.be/WljOmrnH1IY

10/16/2026

Join us on October 21 at Oakshire Public House in Eugene, Oregon to help wildlife while enjoying good food and drinks! IWRC staff will be there and would love to chat and meet you, and Oakshire will donate $1 from every draft pour to IWRC!

For any who don't know us, IWRC supports wildlife rehabilitators around the world. Wildlife rehabilitators are incredible individuals who work to rescue and care for injured and orphaned wild animals - the vast majority of which are injured because of human interference. Humane and effective wildlife care requires a huge amount of specialized knowledge, and it is IWRC's role to help rehabilitators access the education, standards, publications, and networking they need to keep themselves safe and provide high quality care to the animals they receive. Your contributions to IWRC help rehabilitators access these life-saving services!

We look forward to seeing you there!