Helping seabirds requires a special type of volunteer
The Seabird and Penguin Rehabilitation Centre (SAPREC) is in desperate need of volunteers who are prepared to commit themselves for the long term and go the distance.
SAPREC founder and director Carol Walton is extremely grateful for any help the centre receives, but volunteers need to be certain they will enjoy the type of work involved.
Walton says that when the centre asks for volunteers, it is inundated with calls, but most of the people fall away and SAPREC is left with two or three committed volunteers from the callers.
She explains that the training is intensive and time consuming for SAPREC, so volunteers should know what the work entails before they commit themselves.
Time is an important resource for any organisation and SAPREC is accountable to its donors and supporters in terms of how it spends its time and resources.
Anyone interested in volunteering should call Walton (082 364 3382) to find out about SAPREC's day-today routine.
"They are welcome to chat and ask me questions," she said.
Also, sometimes the most dedicated volunteers' circumstances might change and they no longer have the time to volunteer, so SAPREC needs more volunteers for back-up.
Walton said: "We are desperately looking for volunteers who will be trained in all of the work that SAPREC does. This only applies to the Mossel Bay area.
"Also, we are in desperate need of people to rescue birds from our beaches from Dana Bay to Great Brak. They will be trained to handle all tasks and to catch the birds."
Fetch birds from beach
It is not an everyday occurrence that birds need to be fetched from the beach, but volunteers must be available to fetch a bird at short notice.
Walton said it was difficult finding people
who had reliable transport. SAPREC is based at Mossdustria, off the N2 outside Mossel Bay, in the direction of Cape Town.
People who volunteer at the centre can help on one day per week, for two hours, either in the morning or the afternoon. If they are available and wish to, they can help on more days per week.
Those who are able to rescue birds, must have their own transport and be available at short notice.
Birds may either have botulism, or be suffering from plastic pollution or they may be junior penguins caught up in currents and exhausted when they wash up on the beach.
With adult penguins, it is usually that they are bitten, probably by seals, Walton says.
SAPREC is a respected non-profit organisation, which has been lauded for its work by seabird experts and marine biologists.
It has been in existence for 19 years. "More help would really be appreciated," Walton said.