Things I Learned at WildARC
1. There will always be laundry to do... so do it.
2. There will always be dishes to do... so do them.
3. Tracy has the answer to everything. Learn as much as you can from her!
4. Poop quickly becomes an accessory... dress accordingly.
5. MAC makes the world go 'round
6. Don't get gulls close to your face... they will bite it.
7. Smell things before you feed it to anyone!
8. Never assume anything.
9. You may not be paying attention but the animals always are... so PAY ATTENTION!

My experience as an intern at WildARC was an amazing experience. I shadowed Tracy (rehaber extraordinaire!) and was able to learn so much in the two months I was there. It gave me an opportunity to work hands on and learn from a number of great individuals who were willing to answer the numerous questions I had. Working with the animals was what drew me to the opportunity but I gained so much from everything and everyone there. It wasn't always easy or fun but that was an important part of it too. It's not supposed to be easy to euthanize an animal but it was always done with kindness and respect.
For me the whole experience re-affirmed my dedication to working with animals and continuing my education focusing on animals. I left everyday feeling like I had given everything I could and was eager to wake up the next morning and do it again. It is hard work physically and emotionally sometimes but I haven't found anything more rewarding. Sometimes I would get discouraged at my difficulty in identifying a fracture but it takes patience and practice. I particularly enjoyed enriching enclosures and making diets. On the medical side I loved drawing up meds and administering them and learning all the different techniques for wound management and setting fractures. I hope to be back at WildARC in the very near future to continue learning and rehabilitating.

UPDATE: Catherine completed her Bachleors degree in December 2007 and returned to Wild ARC in February 2008 to work part-time.

I decided to apply for the internship because I enjoyed working as a volunteer. I also hoped that it might lead to a future position working with animals or with a charitable organization. At the time I was studying animals as part of my art practice. An internship at Wild ARC seemed like an excellent opportunity to study these animals more closely and understand their lives and habits. What I gained from the experience was more than I expected. Not only did I acquire information about the biology and habits of the wild patients, I also learned about the issues that affect them. My experiences helped me to fully form opinions about the treatment of wildlife in our society. I now feel that I can talk about these issues from a place of experience and knowledge. There was never a boring shift during the internship. At the end of the day, even if I was exhausted I always felt good about having contributed to a great cause. Completing the internship has made it possible to really help out the center so that the animals can have the best possible care. I continue to volunteer at Wild ARC and I have applied for several different animal-related jobs. The most valuable aspect of the internship though was not the great work references (although that's a definite bonus) but the great, memorable experiences. Feeding fawns and seeing so many beautiful wild birds up close was amazing. I feel really fortunate to have worked with so many interesting people and animals.