As I sat down for the first time today and looked out of the window, I noticed that the flags were starting to rest too. The bright colourful rainbow fabric sails that flap so wildly during the day also needed to sleep. Sadly, resting will not help the flags to heal: the wind has shredded them this year. Maybe we should get some new ones. It seems to be such a short time since we bought them and proudly put them on display to show people where to find us. So much has happened since that week. In fact so much has happened since our last newsletter that I decided to try and pull it all together, so that others could glimpse the busy life we have here at the World Parrot Refuge.

Larry Neil, one of our special volunteers, erected all the steel piping and chain link fencing in the new Macaw House. He did an incredible job and stretched the fencing really tight. Even with cuts, bruises, and very sore hands he didn’t give up until it was finished. Thank you Larry from all of the humans here at the sanctuary. When the Macaws finally get in there, you will hear the cheers as far away as Victoria!

The newly constructed Macaw House, thanks to Larry Neil and Andy Breslin.

The next step is to get trees and branches for the compounds – especially arbutus. If anyone has some that they don’t want - we will be happy to put it to good use. We have a large number of Macaws all waiting to move into the new Macaw House - but we have to build forests first. We can use fallen trees of all kinds, except cedar. Parrots need to have family roosts to call their own. Each small flock that makes up the larger flock prefers their own special home in the forest.

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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

Please click on the thumbnails below to learn how you can help some special birds have a home for life through our "Virtual Adoption" program!

Birds who are now partly sponsored, thank you!

Birds who are now fully sponsored, thank you!

"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.