The Joy of Helping Native Animals: Volunteering with Mandurah Wildlife

Jo Evans is one of the original founders and pivotal in getting the Centre started back in 2008. As such, there is no one better qualified to talk about volunteering. During her time with Mandurah Wildlife, she has fulfilled a whole range of roles and now, as Chair, is heavily involved in administration and helping to set policy development and vision.

Q. 1 - Has volunteering at Mandurah Wildlife positively impacted your

mental health or wellbeing? How so?

Absolutely. I think it gives you a sense that you are making a difference. I have a deep love of animals, always have, so for me it has provided an avenue for greater involvement in that passion, and this has had a positive effect on me, personally.

Q. 2 - Do you feel a sense of connection or camaraderie with other volunteers and staff? Can you describe that community?

Yes, because when you link up with people who have the same passion as you, you develop camaraderie. I do it partly because of the people and you build great friendships. Working as a team is awesome and seeing the Centre grow and the team become more proficient and skilled provides me with a real buzz.

Q.3 - Do you feel you’re contributing to something greater than yourself? What does that mean to you?

I just want the Centre to keep growing and be as big and efficient as Kanyana (a Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre based in Lesmurdie). It is a hard slog, it has been a long road with many hills and bumps along the way and when it gets hard it is easy to turn your back and walk away but I always keep that end goal in mind. Something that is bigger than me, that I want us to achieve.

Q.4 - How fulfilling do you find the work and why?

Very fulfilling, absolutely, though I do get very tired and frustrated sometimes because it is a real struggle, constantly looking for funds, constantly worrying about what is happening next, trying to get a better building. It’s not an easy road; it’s never been an easy road. We have people come; we have people go. We have a really good Board with lots of skills and then someone leaves for whatever reason. But I do find it fulfilling. It does take up a big part of my life and I don’t regret that.

Q. 5 - Have you learned new skills since starting as a volunteer here? What are they?

Yes. I had been doing wildlife care for many years before I came here. It started off with a pink and grey that my husband and I found when we were living in Karratha. It had a wing that had been shot, and we took him home and started looking after him and that started my journey. I have developed a huge number of skills, but I went from not knowing what on earth I was doing to doing a lot of wildlife care as a volunteer and so developed the knowhow.

I don’t do a lot of wildlife care currently (in my role as Chair), I do more admin now which means I have had to learn a whole range of new skills like what non-profits are, how to run a Board and all the admin stuff that goes with it. And because I have been the one constant here from the beginning, a lot of the history does sit with me – how to fill out forms, how to apply to be a charity. And of course managing Volunteers, never easy, is another skill that I have had to learn.

Q.6 - Have you discovered something about yourself through volunteering – a strength, a passion, or a perspective you didn’t know you had?

Probably, yes, and I think that it is daily thing. You have to reach into yourself and even when I have problems in my outside life, I find the work here is a bit of a saviour for me. I can funnel my energy and positive thoughts into this space and that provides me with a lot of strength.

Q.7 - What is something new or surprising you have learned about wildlife or animal care?

I think you can learn new things every day. And if you get a new animal that you have not had much to with before my first go-to is, let’s find out about it. Let’s not just fail, let’s do some research, let’s ring some people, let’s work out how we can care for it. So that’s a learning curve, instantly

Q.8 - What keeps you coming back, even on the hard days?

I think the team of people. People rely on you to keep it going. Then there is the overall mission of keeping this place going long term and I suppose really the bottom line is my love for animals and that we have given them a second chance.

Q.9 - How has volunteering changed the way you see native animals or the environment?

Very much so. When you first start off, you know that the wildlife are out there but you are not fully aware of them. Now I do get quite distressed that wildlife is not more of a priority. We have already lost so many species and it upsets me that environment is not more of a priority with government and developers. We have to share this earth and I think as humans we are a bit arrogant.

Q.10 - If someone was thinking about volunteering but wasn’t sure they were ‘qualified’, what would you say to them?

You don’t need any qualifications, you just need a good heart and a willingness to learn and we will work with you from there.

Q. 11 - In one sentence, What does Mandurah Wildlife mean to you?

It means we are making a difference.