Mechanics of Volunteerism: Where the Wild Things Are

(This item was submitted by Kelly Attebery, Senior Vice President, Corporate Banking Manager, for Mechanics Bank.)

Cleaning out a cupboard not too long ago, I came across some of my son’s old first-grade artwork and papers. One worksheet described his favorite field trip: to the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek. No wonder: it’s a magical place children can get up-close-and-personal with more than 50 animals, including a coyote, eagle, opossum, bobcat, gopher snake and more.

But it’s more than that. Lindsay established the first formal wildlife rehabilitation program of its kind in the country. When my now 19-year-old son found an injured bird in his front yard, he carefully scooped it into a shoe box and took it to the Lindsay to be cared for. There’s no charge for this service.

That’s one more reason why I’ve volunteered for the Lindsay for years — I believe in supporting the things you love.  I served on the giving subcommittee. We staged fundraisers, cultivate new corporate sponsors and increase the Museum’s outreach from Oakley to Oakland and beyond. Several of my fellow bank employees also are among the 600 active volunteers, including three who serve on the Museum’s board.

I was introduced to the Lindsay through my children’s field trips and have become a passionate advocate. The Lindsay educates 30,000 students a year, sponsoring dozens of camps and classes for all ages. It’s an inspiring example of how a good idea can grow, too. A local businessman founded the nature museum in an elementary school in 1955. Today, it occupies 28,000 square feet in Walnut Creek’s Larkey Park. More than 100,000 people visit annually, and it treats nearly 6,000 orphaned, injured or poisoned animals annually. Just recently, a barn owl was found snared in a fishing line in Martinez and someone in Alamo found a Western screech owl suffering severe head trauma. These helpless refugees are cared for until they can be released. If  that’s not possible, they have a permanent home serving as “animal ambassadors.”

Everything the Lindsay does tries “to connect people with wildlife to inspire responsibility and respect for the world we share.” If you share that passion,  go to http://wildlife-museum.org/ and click on the “Get Involved” button today. You won’t regret it.