Local bird rescue hosts Halloween event to raise frights and funds
CASTLE HAYNE (WWAY) — Approaching SkyWatch Bird Rescue, the sounds of parrots, geese, and chickens guide you through the front door. Your first sight: a friendly emu named Romeo who makes a habit to greet each guest. A volunteer fills a nearby bird feeder and a songbird soon takes notice and, then, takes a treat.
John Lamerdin, another of the rescue’s volunteers, winds between birds, scrubbing kiddie pools and making mends to enclosures. He meets us in the Wings of the World (WOW) aviary, one of the rescue’s main attractions. Inside, exotic pheasants and pigeons playfully chase one another as a sulcata tortoise walks lazily behind, an iguana watching from above under a basking lamp.
On top of providing daily care to these residents, Lamerdin is preparing the sanctuary for its upcoming Halloween fundraiser. As a non-profit run solely by volunteer hands and community donations, he said that events like this are a “critical component to the success” of the rescue.
“The care of the animals doesn’t stop, so that’s a daily expense,” he explained. Donations allow the rescue to run on every level, from birds coming in, birds retiring there, and birds that, ultimately, get released back to the wild.
Halloween is a major annual fundraiser because it covers the costs from the care that was given during the summer time and fills a gap in finances as the season slows down. For Lamerdin and those volunteering through it all, “it’s really important to maintain that high level of care.”
Lamerdin sees first-hand the impact that SkyWatch has on the surrounding community, both through the incoming donations and through its educational efforts. When telling others about his volunteer work at the rescue, they often are already familiar with it, to his surprise. “That public awareness that we’re here and how we can help these animals, it never ceases to amaze me,” he smiled.
He finds it satisfying to be a part of an organization that is dedicated to helping animals recover and, hopefully, go back to the wild. And it’s clear that the volunteers like Lamerdin share that dedication.
As for what’s in store at the event, Lamerdin teased that the animals will be out and about and a part of the celebration. He can’t wait to see everyone in their costumes – the emus, too. To read our run-down of the event, click here.
