Lindsay Wildlife Experience

Lindsay Wildlife Experience, a natural history, environmental education, and wildlife rehabilitation center located in Walnut Creek, California, connects people with wildlife to inspire responsibility and respect for the world we share. Founded in 1955, Lindsay houses a collection of live, native California animals, an Exhibit Hall with hands-on discovery activities for children and changing natural history exhibits, and a wildlife rehabilitation hospital. We are licensed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The educational programs and interpretation happening daily within the walls of Lindsay Wildlife Experience and in the surrounding community continue Alexander "Sandy" Lindsay's legacy of community engagement and education. Originally founded as an educational facility, the museum continues to carry out the Lindsay Wildlife Experience mission of connecting people with wildlife to inspire responsibility and respect for the world we share. Wildlife Educator volunteers take part in this mission with exhibit hall interpretation and formalized school programs both on and off site, utilizing natural history specimens and live ambassador animals to make connections between people and the incredible wildlife in their backyards.

The goal of Lindsay’s wildlife hospital, started in 1970, is to rehabilitate and return injured and orphaned native wild animals back to their natural habitats. With a caseload of more than 4,000 native wild animals each year, we are one of the oldest and largest rehabilitation centers in the nation. To give them a chance for survival after release, our patients are kept as wild as possible. Animals are handled only when necessary for feeding, cleaning, and medical care; infant animals are raised with their own species and are not socialized by humans. Wildlife rehabilitation combines aspects of veterinary medicine, animal husbandry, and biology/natural history to provide rehabilitation care specific to each native species. (Lindsay currently sees about 100 species commonly or semi-commonly, with about 100 additional species seen infrequently.)

The Lindsay Wildlife Experience is located at:

1931 First Avenue

Walnut Creek, CA 94597

(925) 935-1978

Department Specific Information

Now that you have information regarding volunteering with Lindsay in general, you are ready to look into the opportunities offered by our various departments. Please check out the page links below for information on department-specific volunteer opportunities:

Animal Encounters

Help care for the museum’s collection of non-releasable California wildlife! We have over 60 animal ambassadors that need daily husbandry care. This is a physical volunteer job and requires standing, stooping, lifting and handling raw meat.

Education

Do you love engaging with others about nature, wildlife and the world we share? Help teach the public about local wildlife by working with our live animal ambassadors, natural history specimens and more! This position requires frequent public speaking to audiences of all ages. 

Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital

Help us care for over 4,000 sick or injured native California wildlife patients per year. Assist with husbandry, medical care, feeding baby mammals and birds, and hospital housekeeping. There are opportunities available in hospital and homecare settings. 

Found which volunteer opportunity interests you at Lindsay Wildlife?

Please follow the instructions on the page for each department of interest.