Volunteer Spotlight: Christa Wise!
We asked Christa some questions about her time with Wild Ontario. Here’s what she had to say:
1. What is your favourite memory of volunteering with Wild Ontario so far?
Honestly, it’s hard to narrow down a favourite because I have so many great memories of the little things, like last summer driving to and from Grundy Lake and Sturgeon Bay Provincial Parks for two programs all in one day. We didn’t get back home until 2am and all of us were deliriously tired to the point where every little thing was hilarious. Or when a group of us volunteers took our birds out for a walk and ended up giving an impromptu presentation to some very keen little kids. I even loved when 4 of us deep cleaned the facility a few years back, getting down on our hands and knees to scrub the floor for a few hours – that was tremendously satisfying and a great bonding experience.
2. What have you learned/how have you grown through this experience?
Since I started at WO back in 2019, I have grown so much through the experience. Working with such a tight-knit community of people has taught me excellent collaborative skills and it’s also given a new, unique perspective on the wildlife living in Ontario. It’s one thing to understand the ecology and behaviour of a species, but it is a completely different thing to be able to see those behaviours in an individual bird and see how that would directly translate to life in the wild.
3. How would you describe the bird(s) you work with?
I currently work with Sibley the Red-tailed Hawk, and I have found that she has a focused intensity about her, that when I am working with her, all her attention is on me. It was a little intimidating at first, but as we’ve built trust together, I’ve come to appreciate that as a valuable training tool. She also has her goofy moments, like when I give her food enrichment inside a toy ball and she stands on top of it, falling over because she keeps losing her balance. I really love working with her!
4. What is the most surprising skill you’ve learned through volunteering?
The most surprising skill I’ve learned throughout my time at WO is knowing when a bird is about to poop and if I have them on glove, positioning them so it doesn’t hit me or someone else. I never thought I’d be able to aim a bird when it poops, yet it’s a skill that I think a lot of us develop over our time at WO!
5. What others say about Christa:
“Christa is a really supportive leader and a great mentor. She’s also happy to roll up her sleeves to do the grunt work – she’s an all around awesome team player!”
“Christa is a dedicated volunteer and always willing to lend an extra hand. She’s great at teaching people of all ages about everything nature, from birds to mushrooms to trees!”