Staff Member Cathy Spahn And The New Snowblower

In the winter of 2013 World Bird Sanctuary staff member Cathy Spahn's family donated a brand new Snow Blower to help ease the staff’s workload.

If you think shoveling your driveway is a chore, try hand shoveling an amphitheater! (photo: Mike Zieloski)

When Mr. and Mrs. Spahn visited last year they saw the vast areas from which we must remove snow to be safely open for our guests.  They saw a need and decided to do something about it.  They donated a very nice snow blower to World Bird Sanctuary for use on the stage, driveway and parking areas attached to the Nature Center.

For years Cathy and I and a few others have shoveled our stage and steps by hand; it takes hours!  Cathy and I are not as young as we once were, so shoveling snow is getting to be more and more challenging.  We still have many steps that require hand shoveling. But now thanks to the kindness of Cathy's parents, who are sponsors, we have an easier time with the snow on stage, and where our education vans must park to load for programs.

From the pictures you can see that we had a beautiful snowfall last winter on which to test our new snow blower. Cathy was shooting snow 15 feet in the air--quite an interesting sight. 

Cathy was shooting snow at least 15 feet in the air! (photo: Mike Zieloski)

Staff member Cathy Spahn grew up in Webster, New York.  She has been bird watching with her father since she was a small child.  At age 10 she helped band songbirds and raptors.  She volunteered at Seneca Park Zoo at age 13, and has volunteered at Cape May New Jersey for the American Birding Association.  She interned with Braddock Bay Bird Observatory.

Cathy graduated from Elmira College in New York in 1999 and shortly after that, in 2000, World Bird Sanctuary hired Cathy as a Naturalist.  Cathy has also held supervisory positions in our Care For Critters program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she wrote many of her own scripted programs.  Cathy served for a time as Director of Development and has been a key member on our Field Studies Teams.  She is currently the Lead Trainer at World Bird Sanctuary. Cathy was awarded the Staff Person of the Year plaque in 2003.

Cathy works hard every day to make the lives of our creatures better and is a pillar of the Education Department Staff.  Cathy gives a solid effort every day.  She opens up the Nature Center early, to get things going for animals, staff and guests.  She often assists our Founder Walt Crawford at many very early Television Spots.  Cathy is dedicated every day to making the World Bird Sanctuary a better place for our guests and for the animals in our care.

Our backs are thankful to the Spahns.  Their donation of a much needed snow blower means we can get back to being "Open to the public" sooner after bad weather and have more time to devote to caring for the birds.

Even with the snow blower, we are still in need of assistance to clear our roads after a snowfall.  Call 636-225-4390 if you would like to help out.

Submitted by Michael Zeloski, Director of Education, World Bird Sanctuary