In our October blog
Director of Education Mike Zieloski wrote a post introducing Junior Volunteer
Shayne Sifford.
Shayne Sifford & Director of Education Michael Zieloski (photo by Gay Schroer)
It is our pleasure to
announce that Shayne has been given the Junior Volunteer of the Year award at
the World Bird Sanctuary’s annual award ceremony.
What is a junior
volunteer you may ask? First of
all let’s look at the definition of a volunteer. The dictionary defines a
volunteer as “…. a person who willingly and without pay gives their own time,
expertise and talents.”
Volunteers are vital to
the success of the World Bird Sanctuary and are welcomed as family. Our
volunteer program offers something for everyone, including the unique
opportunity to work directly with birds and animals. The minimum requirement is
16 hours of work per month. Previous animal experience is not required and all
training is done on-site. All volunteers are required to become a WBS
Friend. Sounds simple
doesn’t it? However, there is one
more criteria. Applicants must be
at least 16 years old to handle birds of prey.
Junior volunteers must be
at least 13 years old, but must be at least 16 years old to handle the birds of
prey. They have the opportunity to
assist with daily chores in the education and animal management departments. This position allows young aspiring naturalists to be in a safe proximity to
the animals, while learning about conservation and animal care. Some would be discouraged by this
waiting period—but our truly dedicated Junior Volunteers use this time to learn
all they can about the birds while experiencing the responsibilities of caring
for our other live animals on a daily basis…an education within itself.
Shayne’s unbridled
enthusiasm shines through every Sunday when he arrives at the World Bird
Sanctuary’s Nature Center ready to work at whatever task needs to be
done—whether that involves cleaning cages or greeting visitors.
If you happen to visit us
on a Sunday look for Shayne. He’ll
be happy to tell you all about whichever animal he’s caring for at the moment.
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