My daughter loves birds – well actually animals of all kinds. So, when I came across the World Bird Sanctuary, I knew I needed to do their profile.
The mission of the World Bird Sanctuary is to preserve the earth’s biological diversity and to secure the future of threatened bird species in their natural environments. They use education, propagation, field studies, and rehabilitation to fulfill that mission. They have over 300 acres and over 200 animals in their care in St. Louis, Missouri, making them one of North America’s largest facilities for the conservation of birds.
In 1977, Walter Crawford Jr., the founder of the World Bird Sanctuary, started his work with birds of prey in his own backyard. From there, he helped injured raptors and taught local neighborhood children about birds of prey. If didn’t take long and Walter was faced with the dilemma of where to safely house and work with the several raptors he had taken in. A lucky encounter with Dr. Richard Coles, the Director of Washington University’s Tyson Research Center in Eureka, Missouri led to an agreement to use fifteen acres at the research center to continue the mission for helping native birds.
Since then, The World Bird Sanctuary has been rehabilitating sick and injured birds of prey, and breeding endangered raptors for release, including peregrine falcons, barn owls, coopers hawks and Andean condors.
The World Bird Sanctuary has a variety of volunteer opportunities including working at the visitor center, assisting with field studies, clerical work, and even working directly with the birds. There are also opportunities for junior volunteers to assist with daily chores in the education and animal management departments. Visit their website to find more details about these volunteer opportunities. There are also many group opportunities, including assisting with large events such as World Eagle Day, National Trails Day, and their Annual Open House event. You can contact them at volunteer@worldbirdsanctuary.org to learn more.
As with most organizations, the World Bird Sanctuary also accepts monetary donations via their website. You can also find additional opportunities to help on their website, such as a wish list, by clicking the “Support WBS” button on top of their website.
You can learn more about the World Bird Sanctuary at their website, www.worldbirdsanctuary.org. You can also follow them on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or their blog.
The Blogunteer 