Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society  

It was my plan as a child to become a veterinarian, but unfortunately that never ended up happening for me. So, though I have gone on to do different things with my life, my love for and desire to work with animals did not leave me. I’ve been doing volunteer work with animals for a few years now, and have completed an Animal Welfare Course through the UCC and the SPCA as well. Embarking on this internship seemed like a natural progression to complement my education thus far, and a great opportunity to try something different while getting practical, hands-on experience with wildlife, which I’d never had before.

My time at MARS has been just that – other worldly! What really struck me in the first few days I arrived was that this place was a whole different world than I was used to. The peace and tranquility, scenery and beauty are indescribable. Mere words cannot do it justice. And the people – the volunteers, Maj and Keith, the other interns – made my two months absolutely fly by. I was – and still am – blown away by the loyalty and knowledge of the volunteers, and their willingness to show me the ropes when I really had no idea what to do. I really appreciated everyone’s patience and helpfulness, and I learned so much that’s it’s difficult to comprehend, let alone put down in words.

In the two months I spent at Mountainaire (from mid-April to mid-June) there were at least 35 different types of wildlife that came through the door, some of which I had heard of before but also many which I hadn’t!

There are many patients whom I will never forget, and who taught me a lot. On one of my first nights at Mountainaire Maj and I picked up a Barred Owl who had been struck by a logging truck. When we first encountered it, its wing was broken and its future seemed bleak. However, with the help of some great veterinarians, Animal Health Technologists, and even a physiotherapist, the owl is now recovering nicely and has almost 100% use of its once injured wing.

Not all cases turn out that way, though, which I had to learn fairly quickly. I was somewhat shocked to learn that only approximately 25% of wildlife that is admitted to the centre actually gets released. The rest don’t make it for one reason or another, and although this is difficult to take at first, understanding the need to focus on what is alive is key. It can be difficult if you’re a sensitive person. However, there is not a lot of time to mourn when there are baby birds needing to be fed every 20 to 30 minutes, and for that I was grateful. The wildlife that needed help forced me to not dwell on the "bad stuff."

When I first arrived at Mountainaire, I was the only intern, which was a bit lonely, especially in the evenings. I really enjoyed my time working with Maj one on one, though, and I learned a lot. She instilled confidence in me, pushing me to do things I never thought I could do, such as holding the talons of an eagle and taking a Barred Owl out of his cage and holding it on my own. I was very afraid of this (especially the talons!) at the beginning.

Since it wasn’t too busy at that time my days would run from about 9 a.m. until 7 or 8 p.m. most nights, with a few exceptions. I did work a couple of 12 to 14 hour days, but not many, and once the new interns arrived, our schedules became a little easier, which was really nice. We had one day off per week, and the time just flew! Working a 10 to 12 hour day at MARS seems to go much faster than working an eight hour day at a "regular" job. There is always so much to do. We did a lot of cleaning, feeding, scraping bird poop, laundry, and other general housekeeping duties. But some of the fun things included going on rescues, visiting the vet clinics and observing various operations, checking out the eagle trees, beach walks, and hunting for a Canada Goose family to adopt a lone gosling.

I will always hold fond memories of a certain baby crow; a very chatty raven with the human equivalent of cerebral palsy, who broke the hearts of everyone it encountered; driving a very sick river otter to Errington and getting a tour of the North Island Wildlife centre; bottle feeding 2 orphaned baby raccoons and 3 fawns; not to mention the releases of many birds back into the wild where they belong.

There was a lot of time spent on a particular bald eagle with an eye infection, where Maj, I, and another intern took turns getting up every 2 hours in the middle of the night to give it eye drops. It was so sick that it only took one person to do the task, whereas any healthy eagle would have put up quite a fuss. It was sad to see it so ill, and in the end, it was euthanized. At the beginning of my time at Mountainaire, however, I was afraid to just enter the same space occupied by a bald eagle for fear that it would attack me! It truly is amazing what a person can learn in just a couple of months.

On days off, there is a lot to do around the valley, so I was never bored. A few of the things that I consider noteworthy are visiting Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens (just a few minutes drive from Mountainaire), traveling up to Elk Falls with my sister (north of Campbell River), and just checking out Courtenay in general. I spent more than a few hours just wandering around the downtown area. Also, the drive from Courtenay either north or south on the Old Island Highway is just lovely.

As far as practicalities go, there is phone access, though limited. I would usually check with Maj & Keith, and Caitlin (the other resident intern) to see what night I could use the phone, and after 9 p.m. it was not a problem. There is computer and internet access in the Workshop, so you don’t have to worry about being cut off from your long distance friends and family. Because I was the first intern to arrive this year, I stayed in the MERU, also known as The Mobile Education and Research Unit. There are photos of it on the MARS website, and it is very comfortable. There is also a Bunkhouse, which is a bit smaller, and without a kitchen. They are both nicely decorated and cozy, which makes it fun to be "camping out" for two months.

There is so much more that I feel I could say about my experience, and it would all be positive. I know that I will hopefully be attending a Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation course in October, and will be pursuing further studies in the area of Animal Health Technology. If it weren’t for my time in Merville, I would not have known with such certainty where I would be headed next. I would encourage anyone with an interest in wildlife to seriously consider this opportunity. The hands-on training is invaluable and because you’re so immersed in the lifestyle, you will really be able to decide whether or not this is for you.

I really had a wonderful experience at Mountainaire, and am looking forward to going back for the occasional visit and volunteer time when I can. I again really want to thank Maj, Keith, Courtney, Caitlin, and all of the volunteers who made my stay up island so memorable.