April 20 – 27, 2013 is National Volunteer Appreciation Week – and we have a special appreciation for the volunteers who help us here at our clinic in Waynesboro! Scores of volunteers donate their time and services at the Wildlife Center in a variety of ways – cleaning animal enclosures, feeding orphaned wildlife, assisting the veterinarians with daily treatments, transporting patients to and from the Center, and more!
As we honor our hard-working volunteers this week, we asked them: Why do you volunteer at the Center? What keeps you coming back? Throughout this week we’ll share their responses on our blog.
Interested in volunteering with us? Learn more!
This post is from Moderator MVK. MVK has been volunteering with us since the Critter Cam and moderated discussion launched in 2011:
Wildlife need advocates - those who help educate, those who inspire others to learn, those who donate their time or dollars to support wildlife organizations, and those who fight for the rights of our wildlife. Many fear wildlife because they do not understand them or they have never had the opportunity to learn why wildlife do the things they do. As we continue to move ever more into their habitats, we need to learn to respect and live in harmony with our wild counterparts.
What keeps me coming back to volunteer? As long as one person has one question that I can answer or help them find the answer and/or inspire someone to spread the word about wildlife, then my job is not finished.
The personal satisfaction I get from helping others understand, trigger something that makes others want to learn more and more, the wonderful people I have been involved with, and the joy of seeing an animal released back into their natural habitat, make every minute worthwhile.
See who is currently featured on the Center's Critter Cams!