In 2023, I became a volunteer bird rescuer with Save Our Seabirds. Today, I serve as Director of Education & Outreach, splitting my time between raising awareness and responding to rescue calls. Every day, I see the consequences of human impact: birds struck by vehicles, entangled in fishing line, poisoned by chemicals, or displaced by development in our town. Especially being that we are a birding hotspot in Sarasota, it was impossible to look away, so I chose to step in.
I’ve always loved birds, but rescuing them showed me how vital they truly are. Vultures prevent disease, wading birds reveal the health of our waterways, parrots and songbirds disperse seeds that keep ecosystems thriving. They’re keystones in the natural balance. That realization pushed me to return to school and pursue a degree in biology, with the goal of applying to veterinary school to become a wildlife veterinarian specializing in avian care. In the meantime, I pour my energy into hands-on rescue and education. For me, the urgency is obvious—but to many people, it isn’t. That’s why I do what I do.
The stakes are real with the breeding bird population on the decline. Birds are nature’s cleanup crew, pest control, and gardeners. They disperse seeds and maintain balance in our ecosystems. When bird populations collapse, everything ripples outward: disease spreads faster, pests thrive, and natural cycles break down. Caring for birds is just as much an act of preservation for ourselves as it is compassion for other lives.
On a personal note, birds have carried me through my own hardships. They’ve always represented survival and freedom. When I see fear in the eyes of an injured bird, I feel their fight to live. I know that fight. I’ve felt like a bird without wings myself, trapped in situations I didn’t choose, by no fault of my own. By helping them, I am contributing to something much bigger. Because a world without birds is a world without balance, without beauty, and without hope.
I’ve always loved birds, but rescuing them showed me how vital they truly are. Vultures prevent disease, wading birds reveal the health of our waterways, parrots and songbirds disperse seeds that keep ecosystems thriving. They’re keystones in the natural balance. That realization pushed me to return to school and pursue a degree in biology, with the goal of applying to veterinary school to become a wildlife veterinarian specializing in avian care. In the meantime, I pour my energy into hands-on rescue and education. For me, the urgency is obvious—but to many people, it isn’t. That’s why I do what I do.
The stakes are real with the breeding bird population on the decline. Birds are nature’s cleanup crew, pest control, and gardeners. They disperse seeds and maintain balance in our ecosystems. When bird populations collapse, everything ripples outward: disease spreads faster, pests thrive, and natural cycles break down. Caring for birds is just as much an act of preservation for ourselves as it is compassion for other lives.
On a personal note, birds have carried me through my own hardships. They’ve always represented survival and freedom. When I see fear in the eyes of an injured bird, I feel their fight to live. I know that fight. I’ve felt like a bird without wings myself, trapped in situations I didn’t choose, by no fault of my own. By helping them, I am contributing to something much bigger. Because a world without birds is a world without balance, without beauty, and without hope.