Jersey (the Barred Owl), Goober (the Black Vulture) and I
all have one thing in common; our stories all begin in the humble state of
South Dakota--but that’s not where they end.
My fascination with raptors began in Rapid City, SD. at
Reptile Gardens with an organization by the name of Wildlife Experiences, and
also with Jersey and Goober.
Goober and I didn’t get along too well at first, but he has learned to
live with me since I came to intern at the World Bird Sanctuary in August
2011.
Jersey the Barred Owl - a former acquaintance of mine
Wildlife Experiences, which closed in November 2010, opened
my eyes to all the wonders of raptors, and their fantastic quirks and
personalities. For months I begged
them for a job; little did I know that the closing of Wildlife Experiences
would lead to the beautiful deciduous forests of Missouri, where my experiences
with raptors would mold my true appreciation for
them.
When I first came to Missouri and visited the World Bird
Sanctuary, I immediately knew that I had to be a part of this wonderful
association; and that is how my path took a surprising turn. I moved from Laramie, Wyoming (where I
was attending college for Animal science) to Missouri so that I could have the
opportunity of a lifetime--to be an intern at the sanctuary.
It just so happens that when Wildlife Experiences was
finding homes for the birds that they could no longer house, Jersey and Goober
(formerly known as Steinbeck and Grax) were placed at WBS. My former acquaintances and I were
reunited and are still hanging out to this day, because after my first
internship (which generally last about 3 months at WBS) ended in November I
knew that I was not done gaining knowledge from
the staff (including the birds of course--they are staff, too) and all the
amazing experiences here.
My old buddy, Goober the Black Vulture
Once I discovered that I would be welcome to complete
another internship with WBS, I rushed off in search of a source of income,
since Ramen noodles, unfortunately, does not grow on trees. Lucky for me I was job hunting right
before Thanksgiving (and “Black Friday”) and the sanctuary offers free housing
to interns and staff members. I
was able to obtain a part time job, still have time for a part time internship,
and happily continue to feed my newly found raptor addiction.
Since of course all good things must come to an end, my 2nd
internship was unfortunately going to be over mid February. I was not sure what my next plan of
action should be and was still not ready to leave the sanctuary, which was
starting to feel like a sanctuary for me as well as for the birds.
At that point I discovered that there were going to be job
openings for the educational summer shows that WBS
presents in the cities of Milwaukee, WI and Boston, MA. Fortunately there were some open
positions and, amazingly enough, I was offered a position for the Masters of
Flight Birds of Prey show that WBS presented at Stone
Zoo in Boston. Also chosen for the
Stone Zoo show was none other than my old buddy Goober the Black Vulture
himself!
Goober and I were able to travel from the Midwest, all the
way to the East Coast and back; and after a demanding but also astounding
summer in Boston, I was able to come back to St Louis and be a part of the
World Bird Sanctuary again! I will forever thank my lucky stars that led me to
this place, where I have not only learned remarkable things about birds, but
learned a lot about myself as well.
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