A Day in the Life of a Volunteer
by Michelle Thiebaud
I wonder if they were once at the Wildlife Center, I thought to myself as I saw two birds flying above me on my way to the Center. I didn’t know what type of birds they were, but in time I’d learn. The thought was still with me as I started my evening shift.
When I first started at the Center, I jumped right in and started on whatever needed to be done. Experience has taught me that during the first ten minutes at the Center, it is best to get a sense of what needs to be done and when. It starts by asking questions of the volunteers who are finishing their shift, and assessing all the animals.
The status of the animals is posted on two boards. One board is for adult animals housed outside; it indicates what kind they are and which enclosures they are in. The other board is for animals kept inside and for those that have just arrived at the Center. These animals are typically young, injured and in need of medications or hourly feeding. There was a plethora of animals listed: raccoons, opossums, coyotes, foxes, squirrels, pigeons, ducks, doves, a skunk, a fawn and a hedgehog.
Once the animals’ status is known, then the kitchen must be checked for food and formula to be prepared. Lastly, the laundry room is checked for bedding to be washed, dried or folded.
The plan was set, and started with feeding the animals. On this particular day, I concentrated on feeding squirrels while two other volunteers fed the other animals. The vast majority of animals inside were squirrels, some so young their eyes were not open and others that were close to going to the outside enclosures, soon to be released. I started with the babies, who needed hydration and received a formula which included Pedialyte®. They were in shoe boxes containing a t-shirt for bedding, and which were positioned halfway on a heating pad for warmth. Seeing the babies get nourishment from a syringe with a nipple was amazing. No matter how many times I had done it before, a sense of calm and fulfillment always flowed through me.
The older squirrels were in cages covered with a sheet and lined with t-shirts. Another shirt hanging from the top inside each cage provided simple nests. These squirrels were fed a formula with syringe and nipple since they were not old enough to self-feed. I had learned that when a squirrel can crack a nut, that is one indication that they are probably ready to be released back into the wild. When the squirrels were all fed, it was off to the kitchen to chop fruits and greens for the self-feeders.
Two hours had passed when I went to the front lobby to assist a woman dropping off an injured bird. I felt a shared bond with the woman when she handed me the box—she had care and compassion in her eyes. I brought the bird to the exam room to give it time to calm down before someone could examine it.
At that point, the cleaning could begin. First came the cages: providing clean t-shirts, fresh water and food in the cages of the self-feeders. After that I washed dishes, prepared formula for use by the morning shift, cleaned the kitchen, and did a few loads of laundry. I also assisted again in the front lobby and helped more people as they dropped off wildlife to the Center. Finally, I helped an Animal Care Supervisor as she examined the bird that had been dropped off earlier.
At the end of my shift, tired as I walked to my car, my heart filled with the sense of making a difference in a creature’s life. I saw two ground squirrels scurry across my path. A smile crossed my face as I thought to myself, I wonder if they were once at the Wildlife Center.
This article first appeared in the Spring/Summer 2009 issue of Tracks.
