Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society  

I made the decision to intern at Mountainaire due to my love of birds
and my curiosity regards wildlife rehab. Having some veterinary experience
under my belt, I felt prepared to handle the good and the bad. Coming from
an eastern, urban upbringing, this was to be my first trip out west. Naturally
I was taken aback by the beauty of the surrounding area as well as the
friendliness of the people. I set up my living space in the MERU camper and
once a few minor issues with water and heat were ironed out, I was quite comfortable
(Maj and Keith made sure of this!).

Almost immediately I was brought full-fledged into the lifestyle. Although we weren’t nearly as busy then as we would be in the weeks to follow, I found myself with plenty of reading material and things to learn. I was a little uneasy over the remoteness of the location ("remoteness" being a relative term, I do realize), the limited access to
vehicles (though there wasn’t much time anyway), and the shortage of workers in
regards to the workload. I was so impressed with the volunteers that were brave
enough to return week after week to an ever-changing environment. Not only
were they terrific people to learn with and work with, they made me feel accepted
and welcomed in brand new place.

The arrival of the second intern, Kelly, eased my loneliness completely, as she turned out to be both an exceptional worker as well as a terrific friend. I was warned that the days at Mountainaire would be long and exhausting; Maj was right. My body had to adjust to 12-14 hour long work days where there is always more to do. My mind also had to learn to prioritize tasks, multi-task like never before, and remember to take time for myself to maintain sanity. You’re not really exempt from anything at Mountainaire; if it goes on there, you’re going to be doing it. Any tendencies to laziness you may have
had are quickly extinguished. This is where your love for the work really comes
in handy.

The love isn’t difficult to find the birds that come through the center are all unique cases and almost guaranteed to teach you something. They can break your heart or fill you with joy; become your favorite case or your most frustrating. Every day brings a new adventure. During my time there I was fortunate enough to encounter a great blue heron, her rescue, surgery, and slow recovery. A blue grouse with a stubborn foot infection but a resilient attitude; a surf scoter whose personality could make anyone smile; and of course the young pileated woodpecker who let us know what he wanted while he jabbered away and we all laughed in delight. I raised lots of baby birds during my two months: robins, pigeons, finches, wrens, chickadees, swallows, and even more
robins. I was amazed at how quickly they grow and become wild. The babies were a lot of work, but the rewards they brought were outstanding. In such an atmosphere you learn to focus on the successes, especially on the days where nothing seems to be going right.

I was impressed at the amount of support given to MARS by the community.
The veterinarians who donate their time to the wildlife cause are truly
admirable. I left Mountainaire feeling good about the work I did and
amazed at the things I saw. This experience really opened my eyes to the life of the
birds around us every day. I plan on using this new knowledge in my future
days in my work as well as every day life.

Jennifer Duerr
July 2003