From work parties removing invasive plants to conducting bird surveys, volunteers carry out a wide range of tasks at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary on Westham Island.
Sanctuary manager Kathleen Fry says 40 to 50 volunteers provide assistance to staff throughout the year at the 300-hectare (850-acre) reserve in the heart of the Fraser River estuary.
Some volunteers have regular responsibilities, duties such as leading Sunday walks or preparing newsletters for mailing, while others have more fluid arrangements, helping with projects that change with the seasons.
“We get people that want to help with something, but they’re not sure what,” says Fry, “so we try to match them with something that suits their skills and interests.”
That could be taking part in a one-day work party that removes invasive vegetation or resurfaces a trail or it could mean bagging seed or answering visitors’ questions. Volunteers have even been known to stand guard to ensure an owl’s nest is protected or that a crane family isn’t disturbed.
Fry says volunteers do whatever’s needed, which can change on a regular basis. She says they become part of the sanctuary family and are happy to help out where required.
“They really get into the spirit of it and do whatever is best for the birds.”
The 12-member board of directors of the B.C. Waterfowl Society that runs the sanctuary is also made up entirely of volunteers and looks after the business side of the operation.
