Intro

My good blogger/photographer friend suggested I write a blog to keep track of my wildlife adventures... And here it is!
I haven't kept a blog in years so I've kind of forgotten what it's all about...
My last blog was just a short travel blog to document my travels from a trip I took in 2009, which would begin this lifetime commitment to wildlife I decided to make. I had done one of those expensive volunteer abroad programmes in Costa Rica, usually directed towards gap year students and the like. Unfortunately I did find myself surrounded by silly English and American gap year students, most of whom had no real interest in actual wildlife conservation.
After that, I decided to do it a bit differently. I had fallen in love with Costa Rica and wanted to return and to see some of the surrounding countries too. During my trip I wanted to do a bit of volunteering, but I wanted to do work that was really needed and that I would be good at.
I worked at Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary for 2 weeks caring for and rehabilitating injured and orphaned wild animals. I organised my stay directly with the owner, so none of my limited funds were going to some 'middle-man' agency and I was free to negotiate my own affairs.
All that was asked of me was a very small fee for the family run guesthouse I stayed in and a small donation to the sanctuary to help with the running costs.
After my work at the sanctuary and my travels around Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico I figured out who I was and what was most important to me. I knew what I had to do.

And so my return to education after a lengthy break began.
Here I am, a foundation year and 2 years of my degree completed (Plymouth, UK), and before I start my terrifying final year and all the horrendous anxiety, blood, sweat, tears and hard work that it brings, I will be spending a whole year in my home land getting some practical experience in the field!

This summer is my 3 months with the Galway & Claddagh Swan Rescue, rescuing and rehabilitating wild birds. I started on the 18th of June and will be helping out at least until the end of September.

Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary Costa Rica
Petition to protect Costa Rican wildlife from electrocution
University of Plymouth, UK
Galway & Claddagh Swan Rescue on Facebook