Nationwide Volunteer Week 2025: Alyce’s Story
This Nationwide Volunteer Week, WIRES is celebrating the unbelievable efforts of volunteers who’re connecting communities via care, compassion and dedication to wildlife. The 2025 theme, Connecting Communities, highlights how each act of volunteering brings folks collectively to create lasting change.
Alyce, a volunteer from our Illawarra department, has been with WIRES for over 5 years. Her journey reveals how wildlife rescue and schooling can strengthen neighborhood connections and make a distinction for our native wildlife.
How Alyce bought concerned with WIRES
After returning to Australia from residing abroad, Alyce felt a powerful connection to the landscapes and wildlife she had missed. Having supported conservation efforts for a few years, she determined to take a extra lively position.
“I wished to take a hands-on position in rescue, rehabilitation, and schooling; following within the footsteps of my inspiring Aunties Suzanne and Judith, who’ve devoted their lives to caring for animals and other people..”
Alyce joined her native WIRES department and accomplished a variety of species programs “I used to be lucky to be welcomed into an unbelievable department of skilled and passionate carers, all the time keen to share their data and assist each other”
Rescuing and caring for native species
Through the years, Alyce has rescued and cared for a wide range of species together with birds, possums, kangaroos, bats and reptiles.
At residence, she and her associate—now the Tawny Frogmouth Coordinator for his or her department—have centered on rehabilitating Tawny Frogmouths. Their property has develop into a secure and quiet area for these distinctive nocturnal birds to get well.
Sharing data with the neighborhood
With a background in educating, Alyce now volunteers as an Training Officer for her department.
“I [have] naturally discovered my place as a volunteer Training Officer for our department, mixing my love for wildlife with my ardour for educating,” she says.
“Whether or not it’s facilitating interactive rescue situation walks and studying via music with children, or operating hands-on workshops with local people teams, I discover a lot pleasure in constructing connections, sparking curiosity, and empowering folks to make a distinction for our unbelievable wildlife.”
Recommendation for brand new volunteers
Alyce encourages new WIRES volunteers to take their time and continue to learn.
“Wildlife rescue is as a lot about studying as it’s about serving to. Each animal, scenario, and problem will train you one thing new—be affected person, keep curious, and embrace each expertise.”
She additionally reminds people who WIRES presents some ways to get entangled. “WIRES is greater than rescues; schooling, advocacy, and neighborhood engagement are simply as very important. Wildlife conservation is deeply related to folks, environments, and systemic challenges—no matter your power, use it, as a result of each contribution issues”
Considered one of greater than 4000 volunteers
Alyce is one in every of greater than 4000 WIRES volunteers throughout Australia who’re connecting communities via their take care of native wildlife. Her story displays how every volunteer brings distinctive strengths, life expertise and goal—and collectively, they assist shield what makes Australia wild.
