My recommendation is to start off small...like becoming a falconer, or volunteering with a rehabber/local nature center, or a vet that treats wildlife. The latter is how I received my practical experience...OJT... You need to see if you can bare the thought of being consumed by your new-found religion, as I have since 1983... Financially, I live hand to mouth, but I cannot imagine doing anything else. I could use a husband with a second income...or at least a second income. Remember, Grasshopper, baby steps...so you don't become overwhelmed at the prospect...

As far as time served, it would be easier/faster for you to become a falconer, but you won't learn about anatomy & physiology like you would if you were associated with a local rehabber or nature center. You will be scraping a lot of shit and gutting rats and other small mammals. This lifestyle isn't for the faint of heart. If you are open to the public, people WILL bring you wounded and orphaned, so you will need to be prepared for that. They'll bring you cute little naked songbirds, too! They eat every 20 minutes...

You will need pro-bono medical services. Can't do squat without the help of a local vet staff... Enough said about that.

You will need the blessing of your family/wifely unit/partner/whatever you want to call the other half of your life. The divorce rates of people who become falconers post-marriage are higher than the national average. Your bird will become your mistress and that can really piss off your spouse... Enough said about that, too...

As far as money goes... constructing the building is just the first step...THEN you have to keep feeding the monster. I don't have the stats, but I shudder to think how many centers have closed since 9/11. And now with the natural disasters...Just damn. Funding will be the bane of your existence. It never ends. Funding AND FOOD. Wholesale mice run about 39 cents/per unit. A good-sized hawk will eat 3-5 a day. Multiply that by a couple dozen birds and do the math.

Historically, more money is made available to unprotected species like cats and dogs than to wildlife. I'm guessing that people feel guilty about the over abundance of cats and dogs...after all, it's our fault. There was a charity event in Atlanta recently for a homeless shelter for dogs that brought in $500k in one night. But for wildlife, securing funding is like pulling teeth. The plight of wildlife is our fault, too, but most humans don't suss that equation...

And once you become open to the public, you will not likely touch another bird nor teach another class, as your role will then become one of administrator...fund-raising, hand holding, cultivating a volunteer base and realizing that sometimes, you get just what you pay for because it's hard to fire some idiot that isn't being paid in the first place. Did I mention fund-raising? :-)

I opted years ago to remain a private non-profit so I wouldn't have have to screw with the public on a daily basis. And even though I caution you about the funding issues you will surely experience, public facilities are able to secure more funding/grants than do private ones because of the ego driven need for recognition by the foundations and institutions. Much to my chagrin, I have learned this first hand...

Any questions?