Volunteer Spotlight - Kathleen Passarelli

This month, we shine our Volunteer Spotlight on Kathleen Passarelli!  Kathleen joined Team TRT after her retirement, when she was looking for new ways to fill her free time. Already being a pet mom of 7 (2 dogs, 3 cats, 1 snake and 1 tropical fish) she did not want to be tempted to bring home anymore babies, so she thought volunteering at The Raptor Trust would be the best of both worlds: getting to be around animals, watch them grow and thrive until they can be sent off back to the world. A devoted volunteer, Kathleen trains new volunteers, comes in early to help out, and always goes above and beyond for our feathered friends. She tries to give back in every way she can, and it never goes unnoticed. This year, on our behalf, she coordinated with the team at Center for Hope Hospice in Scotch Plains to tour the grounds and give advice on attracting wild birds for their patients.  Kathleen's favorite part of being here is working with amazing and knowledgeable team that is devoted to helping wild birds. She loves learning about birds and has a lot of fun sharing this information with our visitors and boring her family with newly learned details. Her favorite birds are Blue Jays, teeming with tenacity and territorial tendencies, Mourning Doves, always accommodating their plump, seed-hungry bodies at her feeders, the unsung heroes of our environment, vultures. Getting to see wild vultures taking a drink at our bird feeder and watching our resident vulture, Winston, so playful and filled with personality, further solidified for her that they are not the fearsome monsters people make them out to be. Kathleen says The Raptor Trust is a wonderful place to volunteer, and she recommends it to anyone who loves animals and/or nature. It is fun, challenging, and educational. She is grateful for the opportunity to be part of this dedicated organization. Thank you for all you do, Kathleen!