Starr PR Announces 2015-16 Florida Keys Wild Bird Center Volunteer Search
Miami, September 17, 2015 (Newswire.com) - The Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center (#KeepThemFlying) launched its new Volunteer Recruiting Search for the 2015-2016 season. Incorporated in 1988, the not for profit 501(c)3 conservation organization dedicates itself to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of native and migratory wild birds that have been harmed or displaced, and to providing or locating a humane shelter for those birds that cannot be released.
The Bird Center consists of two campuses, the Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary, and Mission Wild Bird. The Sanctuary, which is open 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset, is home to permanent residents that cannot be released back into the wild due to injury. "Mission Wild Bird" opened its doors in October, 2014, and consists of a bird hospital with a 24/7 emergency “Birdgency” room, surgery suite, x-ray room, isolation unit, and formulary for preparing medications, formula and dietary needs for its patients. There is also an outdoor covered area with a new therapy pool for the larger and aquatic birds.
Our volunteers are the lifeblood of the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center, and I'm really excited about our new recruitment push.
Janeen Simon, Executive Director
This Summer, the Center announced its partnership with Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology, resulting in a significant elevation of the Center’s status, and increasing the training, educational and licensure requirements for new and existing staff. Additionally, its Internships Program brings environmental, veterinary and wildlife students from around the country to work at the Center to experience firsthand the needs of wild birds who have been harmfully impacted as a result of human interaction.
Opening in the Fall of 2015 is its new Education Center, featuring a variety of interactive exhibits, opportunities for educational enrichment, and its traveling exhibits, which provides an up-close and personal view of some of the permanent residents to students and wildlife aficionados throughout South Florida.
At the helm of this positive growth momentum is Executive Director Janeen Simon, Ph.D. (ant.). Simon, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Biology, a Master’s in International Agriculture Development, and has completed all coursework toward a Doctorate in Native American Studies, is no stranger to nonprofit organizational development. She has served as a Peace Corps volunteer, Executive Director of WINGS in Guatemala, Program Director of Mercy Corps Guatemala, and Associate Director for the Big Thompson Watershed Forum in Loveland, Colorado. Simon also purchased a section of cloud forest in the Guatemalan highlands that serves as a migratory bird monitoring station for Cornell University and the home base for Community Cloud Forest Conservation. “Our volunteers are the lifeblood of the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center, and I’m really excited about our new recruitment push,” said Simon.
In tandem with its Volunteer Search, Starr PR is also assisting the Center in recruiting additional staff, including avian veterinarians and wildlife rehabilitation specialists. “Supporting the [Florida Keys Wild Bird] Center’s development is a labor of love for Starr PR,” said RJ Starr, Managing Director. “We intend to leverage our influence to identify and retain qualified candidates with specific education in environmental and biological sciences, the ecosystemic impact of climate change, and the latest in evolving care and rehabilitation methodologies and integrated technologies."
Those interested in volunteering can visit "Volunteer Central" on the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center’s website at http://keepthemflying.org/volunteer, where they can see current openings as well as internship, temporary and permanent employment opportunities.