Volunteering & Visiting the Sanctuary

Sadly, due to the current Covid-19 situation and the stay at home order issued today, we need to cancel all upcoming volunteer work parties and visits at Wildwood Farm Sanctuary. If you are interested in making a weekly, long term commitment, please consider joining our animal care team.

We will miss having you visit and hope you will sign up for a work party again once this situation has settled down.

We hope you all stay safe and healthy during this time.

We are however looking for regular weekday volunteers for our Animal Care Team. Please see below for more information.

Please note that our sanctuary is not open to the public for drop-in visits. Our animal care duties keep our volunteers busy, so the sanctuary is open to the public only during planned events and volunteer work parties.

There are many ways to visit and become involved at Wildwood Farm Sanctuary. The easiest way is to attend one of our regularly scheduled work parties, but we also host several events throughout the year.

Weekday/Animal Care Team Volunteers

Volunteer opportunities are also available during the week for those who want to make a regular, long-term commitment (generally 6+ months. Volunteers come in on a specific day of the week on a weekly basis to clean and help with chores. If you are interested in becoming a weekday volunteer, please fill out the volunteer application below and bring it with you to one of our Sunday Work Parties.

Additional details/requirements:

Animal Care Team volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
Long term commitment required (we ask for at least a 6 month commitment).
You will be assigned to a specific day of the week based on your schedule and will come out every week with your team for the day.
Shifts are two hours in length.
Morning availability required. Animal care shifts are in the morning, generally from 10-12.

If interested, please fill out a Volunteer Application and email volunteer@wildwoodfarmsanctuary.org.to let us know you’ve completed it.

NOTE: This is not a requirement to attending a regularly scheduled work party. If you are interested in becoming a regular volunteer or helping out with special projects outside of our volunteer work parties, please complete the following application and turn it in to us at a work party, mail it to us (15481 NE North Valley Road, Newberg, OR 97132), or email to volunteer@wildwoodfarmsanctuary.org.

Events

Wildwood has several events at our sanctuary throughout the year, such as our annual Barnyard Bingo fundraiser. View the calendar below or keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram page for information on upcoming events.

Groups

At this time we are not able to offer private tours or work parties for groups and other organizations. However, your participants are welcome to sign up individually for one of our regularly scheduled volunteer work parties.

Volunteer Work Parties

Note: Volunteer work parties are on pause due to COVID. This is for informational purposes only for future opportunities. We will update this page when volunteer work parties resume.

The best way to visit the sanctuary and meet the animals is to attend a work party. We host volunteer work parties year-round, every other Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Please see the calendar below or follow our Facebook page to find a date that best works for you.

NEW In order to make our work parties more manageable and ensure everyone has a valuable experience, we are putting a cap on the number of volunteers for each of our work parties. Please click on the work party you would like to attend on the calendar below and follow the steps to sign up.

When you attend our volunteer work parties, you can take a stroll about the sanctuary, get to know the animals, and lend a helping hand. Volunteering at Wildwood Farm Sanctuary is a fun and meaningful way to spend a few hours!

Chores may include:

Cleaning the pastures, play areas and barn stalls
Removing old straw and replacing with fresh
Cleaning water and food dishes
Feeding the residents
Grooming and socializing
Making minor repairs to our barn, fencing and enclosures
Small building projects (Please let us know if you have carpentry experience)
Assisting our licensed veterinary technician with routine health care
As an all-volunteer non-profit with no paid staff, an abundance of “heart” work goes in to running a farm sanctuary and caring for our beloved family.

We welcome children of all ages under adult supervision.

We ask for signed waivers from all volunteers. Waivers are available for you to sign during check-in at work parties, or you can fill one out at home and bring it with you. Wildwood Farm Sanctuary Waiver

General Guidelines

Being here:

Our residents are on special diets for the sake of their health. We welcome donations of fresh produce for the animals to enjoy, but please DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS without staff approval and assistance.
Do not enter paddocks or pastures without first checking with designated staff.
Wildwood is a haven for wildlife too, so be on the lookout for snakes, spiders, bees, mice, and other natural residents.
Because of their histories, some of our animals have oddities or deformities. Please know that they are receiving appropriate care that allows them to have comfortable lives and we love them just the way they are.

Accommodations:

Wildwood Farm Sanctuary does not discriminate against visitors on the basis of disability. We encourage you to let us know in advance if you need accommodation.
For our guests and volunteers, we have a porta-potty with hand sanitizer and an uncovered area with picnic tables.

To Bring or Not to Bring:

Out of respect for our residents, the sanctuary is a vegan facility. You are welcome to use our picnic area if you bring plant-based food (no meat, eggs, dairy). We are happy to provide food ideas!
Leave companion animals at home. We love all animals, but for the safety and comfort of all, we cannot allow dogs or other pets on the property, including in visitors’ vehicles.
All visitors must wear closed-toed shoes. Muck boots are best, because the ground is muddy in the rainy season. No flip-flops or other open-toed shoes.
There is absolutely no smoking or alcohol allowed on the sanctuary premises.
Please bring a refillable water bottle to help us reduce waste.
Please plan for weather. There is limited cover from sun and rain, so dress accordingly.

*Note about Pets*: We love ALL animals here, but please leave your dogs and other furry friends at home when you visit the sanctuary. Dogs can frighten our residents, and since this is their home we want them to feel as secure as possible!