Stephanie Martin, our Staff Supervisor and Volunteer Manager, and Sandy, one of our dedicated volunteers, are spearheading some exciting changes for the Volunteer Program. This will start with a social meet-and-greet organized by Sandy, followed by a formal training session led by Stephanie, to be held at the Refuge on Tuesday, April 28, at 2pm.

Veteran and new volunteers alike are encouraged to attend. The meet-and-greet will take place at 2pm, to give volunteers a chance to connect with other volunteers socially, and to help Sandy clean up a space to store items for the forthcoming Garage Sale.

The meet-and-greet will be followed at 3:30pm by a formal training session led by Stephanie, who has graciously given her time to ensure that volunteers are properly trained in important safety issues, including how to handle the birds, so that Refuge visitors can enjoy an even greater experience during their time at the World Parrot Refuge.

This is a wonderful opportunity, and we are fortunate that Stephanie and Sandy are helping to make this happen. We hope that lots of people will turn out to make this inaugural event a success for the Volunteer Program.

This is also a reminder that Sandy is coordinating a fundraising Garage Sale, which is scheduled for the weekend of May 16-17. Donated items can be dropped off at the Refuge between 10am - 4pm daily. Outside these hours, please call 250-951-1166 so that someone can be there to accept the donations. Please call ahead also if you will need assistance bringing items inside.

If you can volunteer time to help organize items and run the Garage Sale, please contact the webmaster, Jane, through the form on the "Contact Us" page, and she will put you directly in touch with Sandy.

We need a lot more volunteers, but the ones we have are great!

Al and Ria are the best! For the last three years they've been coming in FIVE nights a week to do the night feeds and meds, and they are both in their late sixties. They give money and all kinds of things that we need.

It's the same with Val and her husband, Doug. For three years they've done night feeds and laundry, have donated a hot water tank, and continue to give many other donations.

Larry and Anne have also been coming in for three years. Larry does ALL the bird housing on his own. Anne comes and cleans the hospital for us.

Maxine and Mike come in and do seeds and nuts, two days every week.

Grant is great. He comes and makes movies, and helps out with the website. Branda and JP come in once a week and give goodies to the birds, and give help with anything else we might need.

We really need to let them know how much they mean to us, and the birds. They mean a lot to me and the other staff and their feathered friends because it's hard to love so much and make all kinds of friends, and when one passes away it's hard to let go and move on to help the next bird that needs you to be their friend.

If it wasn't for Al, Ria, Val, Doug, Anne and Larry, and all of our volunteers, I don't know how things would get done - they care so much!

- from Lacey Kapusta

Dixie is popular with the Parrots, as you can see. She's one of many volunteers who help keep the refuge going. Currently, she's planning to develop the outdoor grounds into an organic garden that would become part of the World Parrot Refuge "experience." As well it would be a source for some of our bird's nutritional needs. (Seven hundred parrots go through a lot of food - more on that soon).

Dixie is looking for a volunteer master gardener who would like to help her with this project ... any takers out there?

Refuge volunteer, Alex, presents two more of his hand-crafted bird toys to WPR founder, Wendy Huntbatch:

A work group from a church in Nanaimo came down to contribute a few hours help this past Sunday afternoon. As well as getting a good start on an outdoor flight cage for the smaller birds, they made toys, cleaned, and helped with the evening feeding. And of course they received a warm welcome from Esther and the other birds!

Framing the outdoor cage...

Girls with Power Tools - making toys.

Handfeeding the Special Needs birds...

Esther's special welcome!

If your church, school, service club or other group would like to help us, we would be very happy to welcome you too! Please email or phone ahead so we can arrange the details with you.

Thanks!

"The World Parrot Refuge is a true sanctuary where parrots live out their lives in a loving, spacious and happy environment under the guidance of extraordinarily caring people. The many visitors destined to pass through the refuge will come to understand that parrots are not toys or trophies, but beings with needs and emotions as real as our own."

– Rosemary Low (author of more than 30 books on parrots)

"This is, in a word, a great place and these miraculous creatures deserve no less, but few places can deliver it this well. It is, indeed, 'world class'."

– Stewart Metz (author and Director of the Indonesian Parrot Project), after his visit at the Grand Opening of the Refuge on August 13, 2005.