I MADE A HARD DECISION

I've been trying to write this post for about 2 weeks now. Almost 20 years ago I became a volunteer at the Bird Treatment and Learning Center in Anchorage, Alaska. This past week I decided it was time to retire. I started off just doing general maintenance and then I did their website, blog, IT work and fundraising. In a couple years Ghost came along and we spent 15 years together traveling the state of Alaska and recently over the internet with Zoom. I was a lucky guy, I got to do education presentations all over Alaska with a snowy owl, A great horned owl, a great Gray owl, and a couple bald eagles.

But once what you love to do is no longer any fun, it’s time to move on. Let someone else go forward and enjoy it. I’ve done a lot of different things with Bird TLC and I won’t go into it too much here or this post might not ever end. But I did it all from my heart.

Ghost now lives at the Bird Treatment & Learning Center while he transitions to a new caretaker presenter. I know he is in the best of hands or I would not have made this decision. For those that get to work with Ghost from here on, you’re some of the luckiest people on earth.

First off I’d like to thank the birds that I worked with over the years. I appreciate their tolerance of me while I enjoyed talking to the world about them and their species.

Thank you to the staff and volunteers of Bird TLC. Their hard work and dedication does make a difference. Though rehabilitation is their main mission, I feel that education is the most important part of their mission.

To all the people that I met through Bird TLC, either through our presentations, assisting with rescues or doing TV or movies. It was my honor to work with you.

My first presentation was in 2006 at Rabbit Creek Elementary in front of a bunch of Cub Scouts. I was nervous as all get out. My last 3 presentations were a couple Saturday’s ago via Zoom to Homer and Kodiak. All were with Ghost. 

Here are some photos from over the years. It was a wonderful ride.

Please continue to support Bird TLC. As our motto says “Wild Birds don’t have health insurance “. www.birdtlc.org