John Krug joined Carolina Raptor Center as a raptor rehabilitation volunteer in September 2006. His willingness to jump right in and do what needs to be done in any situation marks him as a great volunteer. The rehab staff knows that John will come in every Wednesday evening to help care for injured birds

“I am a systems IT project Leader at Wachovia. I also have a nine year old daughter name Elizabeth. I love to garden at home, travel and go on hiking trips, most recently I went to the Cayman Islands with my family.”

“My family and I moved down to Charlotte from New Jersey a few years ago and we decided to go and visit Carolina Raptor Center. It seemed like a really interesting place to volunteer. I went on the website and saw volunteers were needed and decided to apply. I have always been interested in raptors. We had a Red Tail Hawk and used to hunt squirrels in New Jersey. Well tried to hunt them!”

“At first I was interested in being a docent volunteer but then when I saw the rehab area, I knew I could do it. A lot of people couldn’t deal with cutting up the mice and rats and grabbing the birds. That is hard for some people. I knew that I could do that so I decided to put give my time there. Rehabilitation is the front lines. You are directly helping these birds get better and I leave feeling satisfied - like I had done something good. Another great part is that sometimes I get to go home with a bird and release it! There is nothing more beautiful then watching these birds fly free.”

“I went to feed a barred owl. I took the cover down from the front of the cage and he started clicking and hissing at me. He had those big black eyes and I got freaked out. The great horned owls have yellow eyes so that is ok, but those black eyes are really creepy. I have since gotten used to them but it took some time. Also I remember hearing the vultures in their cages and they sound like steam coming out a radiator!”

“I love it! It’s very satisfying. I leave Carolina Raptor Center and know I have done something. In fact, I wish I could spend more time volunteering. I know I am making a difference. I come in once a week, so I see snapshots of the birds. One day I came in and there is this raptor that is in really bad shape. I wonder why we are keeping it alive then the next week it is flapping around in it’s cage acting completely fine. It’s amazing to see that progress.”

“It is such a worthwhile endeavor. These birds are a great indicator of the health of our environment. If they are able to survive then the balance of nature is ok. They also keep the rat and mice population down, which is a nice bonus. It would be different if CRC was a zoo, but we heal them and then send them back out. I always wonder if the birds remember their experience. We take great care to limit our time with the birds. The birds view us as predators retaining their desire to stay away from people!”

“People that hear I volunteer at CRC ask if I’m afraid of being hurt. They don’t realize that you don’t just go in and start working on them. You get trained. There are procedures and policies that everyone follows. The birds don’t want to hurt you - their instinct is to get away from you. Volunteers that follow the techniques and policies should be fine. Don’t let fear stop you from volunteering in rehab. It’s a great experience.”

Go to www.carolinaraptorcenter.org/volunteer.php for more information.