Our Presenter:
Patty McLaughlin has been involved with the Wild Bird Care Centre since she was 16. After completing 2 university degrees in biology, she now works at the centre looking after wounded birds brought in by the public, and running their educational program.
The Presentation:
The Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre is the only place in the Ottawa Valley Area dedicated to the care, treatment, and release of sick, injured, and orphaned wild birds. It is a registered charitable organization and through public donations is able to care for over 3000 wild birds annually. The Centre welcomes visitors to come and learn about its history and daily operations, and hear stories about the most common and the most unusual patients! The presentation will provide a firsthand experience of what it is like to care for over 120 different species of wild birds each year though pictures, video and facts. Ms. McLaughlin will share tricks used to keep the birds comfortable in captivity based on their typical personalities, interesting facts, and miraculous recoveries. She will be accompanied by her sidekick, Indigo, an American kestrel, who cannot be released back into the wild because of his injuries.
Biography:
Patty McLaughlin first became involved with the Wild Bird Care Centre at the age of 16 as a volunteer. She continued to work as a summer student for 5 years as she completed her B.Sc. in Zoology at Laurentian University. She finished her M.Sc. at Carleton University before returning to the Bird Centre where she has been caring for the birds as well as developing and running their educational program for the last 6 years. In 2013, Patty received The Elizabeth Le Geyt Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to public awareness and care for wild birds. Patty’s passion to educate others about birds and the natural world lead her to create a Young Naturalist program for the Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists. Now in its 5th year, this successful program continues to fill to its maximum capacity with nature loving 5 – 11 year olds.