I have never been an animal person and I felt as though this community partner service experience would broaden my horizon. That is why I chose Wild Nest Bird Rehab for this course. Wild Nest Bird Rehab is a nonprofit organization dedicated to rehabilitating Georgia’s injured and orphaned birds for release back to the wild. For example if a bird hits a car or window or gets an eye infection someone would be able to drop them off here to get the bird(s) proper treatment by professionals then be released back into the wild.

I kept gravitating to this organization because I felt this organization would be the most memorable. When I get older and look back on my college years, I feel like this organization will be one of the memories that brings a smile to my face. 

Now that I’ve been to the facility a couple times I have learned so much by engaging, listening and asking questions but most importantly being surrounded with other people who have the interest of birds with intense passion. I am most excited for baby bird season and helping feed them. I can’t wait to learn how to properly handle and care for them, from feeding techniques to seeing their tiny beaks open wide and hearing a bunch of soft chirps.

So far I have learned how to hold a bird, different infections birds in the sanctuary are prone to, the variety of foods birds eat such as seeds, fruits, and insects, unique characteristics of each bird, differences in size, weight, and temperament among the bird species, how to give birds medicine, how to tell if a bird is comfortable or stressed, and how birds communicate vocally and with their body language. I also saw how to make the different salads, how to do the laundry, unload and reload the dishwasher, sterilization procedures, cleaning cages, birds being fed and most importantly, knowing where the gloves are in each room.

One thing I hope to learn/witness is how my perception of birds changed after this experience. From my starting point being honest ignorance to gaining a deeper appreciation for their intelligence, personalities, and the vital role they play in nature.