🌟 Member Spotlight: Congress of the Birds 🌟
At the Rhode Island Environmental Education Association (RIEEA), we are proud to highlight member organizations whose work strengthens environmental stewardship across our state. This month, we’re shining a spotlight on Congress of the Birds (COTB), dedicated wildlife rehabilitation nonprofit caring for all species of wild birds as well as providing triage and stabilization for all species of wild animals in the New England area. As they prepare for their busiest time (baby bird season), COTB has put out a call for volunteers.
More information about their volunteer needs:
Our busiest season is May through September, when we care for baby birds that need to be fed every 15–20 minutes from sunrise to sunset. That said, we’re always in need of help at the clinic year-round. We ask all volunteers to commit to at least one shift per week (about 3 hours).
CURRENT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
Transportation:
We receive calls from people across the state (and beyond) about injured wildlife. Often, they don’t have the time or means to transport the birds to our clinic. In this role, you would help by picking up injured birds and bringing them to us—either in Providence or Chepachet. If you’re interested, we’ll add you to our volunteer chat where we post transportation requests as they come in.
Cleaning & Organizing:
Since moving into our Chepachet clinic in August, we’ve been getting settled and preparing for next spring’s baby bird season. We have lots of donations that need sorting, as well as general cleaning tasks to keep the clinic running smoothly. While we have birds year-round, fall and winter patients are mostly injured adults and typically require less hands-on care from volunteers.
Looking ahead:
In May, we’ll hold our large training sessions for baby bird care. During the spring and summer, a typical volunteer shift at COTB includes cleaning, feeding baby birds, doing laundry, enriching the lives of our education birds—and yes, lots of poop. While we’re proud to release hundreds of birds each year, the nature of this work also includes loss, and it can be emotionally challenging. Still, it’s incredibly meaningful and rewarding.
If any of these roles sound like a good fit, please complete our Volunteer Application and sign the attached Community Agreement and Release Form. Let us know how you’d like to help! Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions in the meantime.
Additionally, our spring training sessions happen every weekend in May at our Chepachet location, where all volunteering occurs. All volunteer inquiries to volunteer@congressofthebirds.org.
Vist www.congressofthebirds.com for more information.