TRC Volunteer Guest Blogger: Nickie from Education

Nickie M. and Zefa.

This week is National Volunteer Week.  We hope our TRC volunteers know how much we deeply appreciate all they do year-round, but we wanted to take this moment to extend our sincere thanks.  Every one of them is vital to the work that we have accomplished in the last 40 yeas, and we look forward to what we can all continue to do together.
 

Each day this week we are featuring a volunteer as our guest blogger, from five different areas available in which to volunteer.  Today we feather Nickie M., Education crew volunteer.  Nickie celebrates three years as a volunteer in June this year. 

"From growing up swimming, boating and fishing in the Ottertail lakes area of Minnesota, to a young adulthood searching for orca whales in the San Juan Islands of Washington as a marine naturalist, to now exploring the beautiful Minnesota, Mississippi and St. Croix river valleys, I have always had a deep connection with nature.

Nature is a web that connects us.  We seem to forget about that in the chaos of our lives. That is why I have been a volunteer in the Education Department at The Raptor Center since June 2012. When we teach people about raptors, we remind them of the remarkable beauty of nature, their connection with nature, and the impact they can have on nature. We have the amazing opportunity to create a spark of curiosity in the minds of people of all ages which then might ignite into a life of learning and discovery. This wonderful opportunity is made even more exciting and enjoyable by the people I get to work with.

We have a wonderful team at The Raptor Center. I look forward to seeing them each week and working with them to care for the birds and learn new things.  I am looking forward to the new construction in the education department and all the new interpretive adventures that await anyone who wants to come in for a tour."