If you have volunteered at Ravensbeard, you would have met Jessica Solomon at least once since she is the one who trains new volunteers. Chances are, you’ve run into her multiple times because she is working at the Center multiple days per week. Jessica was the Volunteer of the Year award recipient in 2024 and is the most senior volunteer at Ravensbeard.
RB: How long have you been volunteering at Ravensbeard?
JS: Since spring of 2021.
RB: As the senior most volunteer, what is your role at Ravensbeard?
JS: My role at Ravensbeard is a little bit of everything. The day I arrived I was looking to possibly feed baby birds for an hour or two once a week. Ellen (Kalish) said she was also looking for a right-hand person and I said, ”Okay, I’ll show up tomorrow.“ I had no idea what I was getting into at the time, but I was at ease with Ellen and her calming presence. We hit it off immediately and had so many things in common. I quickly began changing water, pulling papers, and “throwing rodents.” Seeing the grossest stuff I’ve ever come across (I came from 25 years in NYC), it didn’t seem to bother me. Eventually I started holding birds, and was immediately comfortable with them. I recently just finished mentoring a homeschooled preteen every Friday for two years, as part of her science courses. I’ve done a few education programs on my own with our birds, and assisted Ellen with several education events. I pretty much do whatever is needed. This week, outside of my normal duties, I’m taking a broad-winged hawk to the vet for an x-ray. I have also been busy digging up red wigglers for our possums, turtles, fish, and blue jay.
RB: You’ve trained a lot of volunteers. Where do you find them and what do you want to see from volunteers?
JS: Volunteers find us many ways. We are not picky about who comes to volunteer. Everyone’s different and I’m always interested in the conversation about what brought them to Ravensbeard, what they’re interested in, and what they’re looking to get out of it as well. My favorite volunteers are the ones that show up when they say they’re going to show up and they enjoy what they are doing. Not to sound like a hippie, but we’re all here to bring out something of the best in ourselves.
RB: You must have seen a lot of things over the years. What are some of your fondest memories volunteering at Ravensbeard?
JS: My fondest memory of Ravensbeard is working with Ellen when we went together to find a great blue heron on someone’s wonderful estate. We were wandering to the little pond where he was at and we were discussing how to approach the heron. There was a scuffle in a bush by our feet, and a bobcat, jumped out, caught a rabbit, and killed him all within 10 feet of us. It was crazy.
I found myself immersed in nature, I was with my good friend, and it was very exciting. I also really love going to other places, finding and rescuing birds, and saving them from awkward / deadly situations.
RB: How do you see Ravensbeard’s operation evolving?
JS: I don’t have any immediate needs for Ravensbeard to evolve because it’s not my spirit to adjust. I believe that the intent, and the service that it provides, and the communication that it gives to the community is spot on at the moment. We could always use more dedicated and caring people to help, but the no-pay for the job sometimes gets in the way of people being counted on.
RB: What do you think Ravensbeard’s greatest needs are?
JS: Ravensbeard’s greatest need is more appropriate outdoor cages for birds of prey, songbirds, and rodents. Outdoor cages should be larger, and numbers increased by at least three. Cages need to have double safety doors so no one flies away. Ellen has ideas about that but as always, it’s about the $$. Existing cages would need total security cloth all around to keep out rats and fisher cats, soft closing doors (inside and out) for less startling of birds and a better quiet environment. At the end of the day, Ravensbeard needs its rent paid, and we could use a visiting wildlife veterinarian. On can dream. Right now, the needs are training new volunteers and trying to arrange people’s schedules so we always have coverage.