2 January 2007

As always, at this time of year we reflect upon the 12 months we have left behind. Naturally there are some days that I would rather not have endured. The day that Revenue Canada seized the bank accounts of the Refuge and the Gift Shoppe was, I think, the most emotionally disastrous day of my life. Although Horst and I had personally donated thousands of dollars to pay for food and heat for the birds as well as five months' wages for our valuable employees, we just did not have any money left to pay Revenue Canada.

A friend of the birds, who is a professional writer, advised me to contact the media. It was not an easy decision, but we had to do it for the parrots. The results were overwhelming. People who did not know of our existence came to visit the birds. Financial support came from so many wonderful people, enabling us to do so much for the more than 500 residents of the Refuge. The biggest surprise of all was a gift from the Great Canadian Casinos who paid the $13,000 debt that was owed to the government. The smiling faces of the wonderful people who brought the huge cheque to the Refuge will never be forgotten. The warmth and love emanating from Howard Blank of the Great Canadian Casinos is something so few people ever get to experience. This gentle man is one of the rare people who truly loves other living beings. The parrots crowded around to be on his shoulder and receive a cuddle. Another member of his team, Alex Lee, made the wonderful three minute video that is featured on our website and kindly donated it for use by the Society.

The West Coast Tropical Bird Studio in Vancouver donated fantastic prizes including a beautiful fully-loaded parrot cage in a raffle they hosted for us. Their kindness and hard work raised $2500.00 for the Refuge. At the same time, these wonderful people worked with Dr Anne MacDonald and the staff of the Night Owl Bird Hospital to hold a huge yard sale which raised another $1,500.00 for the Refuge. Many people volunteered their time to host this spectacular event, including the hard working volunteers from the Greyhaven Exotic Bird Sanctuary who gave further of their precious time to help the birds at our Refuge. Both the Night Owl Bird Hospital and West Coast Tropical Bird Studio continue to support the birds of our Refuge with generous donations of food and invaluable medical attention that we would not otherwise be able to afford. We thank all of these people from the bottom of our hearts.

The great newspaper and TV coverage we received in 2006 made a huge difference to the financial situation of the Refuge. We received thousands of new visitors who learned of our existence through the media. These same TV stations and newspaper groups stepped in and helped again when the most unexpected of disasters occurred. The storm of the century ripped through the property in Coombs and took part of the Refuge roof with it. The new building has a steel roof but the wind proved much more powerful. The wind also hurled a piece of the roof through one of the sliding doors and shattered the glass. Amazingly, none of these potentially life-threatening situations seriously affected any of the birds. The noise terrified them for a while, but the staff were there to comfort and help them through the storm and its aftermath. All the damage occurred to the 5,000 sq ft Macaw House, which is under re-construction, and thankfully housed no birds at the time. The roof repairs and the sliding door glass replacement are now completed. We are fortunate enough to be covered by insurance, and the $1,000 deductible was funded by friends of the World Parrot Refuge from all over North America.

During the fall we received huge donations of apples, pears, plums, grapes, corn and beans. Some people brought them in to the facility while others just dropped them off at our front door. This is a wonderful way to help the birds, and I must add that the birds thoroughly enjoyed these fruits and vegetables! When it looked as though we had more than we could use, some of our volunteers made the apples into applesauce. Now we can use them in the winter as a treat mixed with cooked oatmeal, corn flakes and a little cinnamon. We are so grateful to everyone who gathered this harvest and donated it to the Refuge. We hope that next year we can again assist you by finding a hungry mouth for the excess fruit and vegetables that you have!

One of the most exciting occasions of the year was the opening of the Cockatoo House: a 5,000 sq ft room divided into two flights. The two flights are 90 feet long, 25 feet wide and 16 feet high, and are divided by a 10 ft wide walkway for visitors. The flights have extensive ‘forests’ of arbutus branches fixed to supporting steel structures. David, one of our dedicated employees, has used his artistic abilities and his knowledge of the birds to create these amazing free-flight areas with realistic 'roosting' canopies for the cockatoos to enjoy. Each of these flights houses 50 cockatoos from eight different species as well as two man-made species obtained by cross breeding. This noisy room is busy all day except during much-needed sleeping times. If you have not seen this area yet you must be sure to include a visit to the new Cockatoo House in your next visit to Coombs.

The past year held some very sad times for us. Some of our dearly loved residents passed away after long, hard battles with cancer and congestive heart failure. These losses are difficult to recall, but for those of us who have dedicated our lives to caring for them, it is these birds that are foremost in our minds. Those that require constant daily individual care and love to make their last months as happy as possible, are the ones that become a part of your heart. Death is a part of the circle of life for all beings, but that knowledge does not ease the pain in the passing of a loved one.

During 2006, we received 172 new residents. Most of these birds became part of a small introductory flock, and many have already moved on to become part of a general population flock. Some of the new arrivals will take a lot longer to join a flock as they need time to grow wing feathers. Yet others will always stay in the Incoming or Special Needs Unit of the Judy Langille Wellness Centre. These birds still have a wonderful life as they have freedom to move and visit with other parrots, the best diet possible, encouragement to make as much noise as they like, and lots of toys to destroy. Most of them like to interact with visitors and volunteers, taking advantage of the opportunity to talk and touch on their own terms. Parrots are so intelligent that once they have learned to enjoy human contact they will still seek it out when they want it, even though they quickly choose to become part of a flock in the Refuge and often choose a partner of their own. It is always very rewarding to see new birds venture out of the confines of a cage and make friends with other parrots. Cockatoos like Thistle and Esther love to meet the newcomers and give them the scoop on who's who and how much they can get away with! They often spend hours grooming the new birds, a natural joy that a lonely caged parrot has never known before.

Many people, on visiting or learning about the Refuge, make the decision to “Virtually Adopt” a parrot here. Some people Virtually Adopt a parrot for their family, other people join together and adopt one or more parrots. The employees of Postal Depot #4 in Langford worked hard to raise funds to virtually adopt Maggie and Ben: a beautiful Blue and Gold Macaw pair (You may remember Ben's story from Heartbreak Hotel). Maggie is now his constant companion, and joy lives again in Ben's eyes. Several little girls asked for donations to the Refuge instead of birthday gifts, in order to raise money for the parrots. Thank you Hanna, Miranda and another special angel for this wonderful gift from your hearts. Please visit our Virtual Adoption page to see who has been Virtually Adopted and who you would like to Virtually Adopt. Our membership is increasing every year. Please join our organization or renew your membership to help us to help those in need.

Thank you to each and every person who helps us in so many ways. Without you we could not do our work.

Yours sincerely,
Wendy Huntbatch
Co-Founder, FLOPRS (For the Love Of Parrots Refuge Society)

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! More stories coming soon!

Birds who are now partly sponsored, thank you!

Birds who are now fully sponsored, thank you!

"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.

"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)