Sue was born in England and immigrated to Canada in 1964, after training as a Registered Nurse and doing some globe-trotting. She started wildlife rehabilitating by accident one day about 15 years ago, when the local humane society asked her to take in some orphaned raccoons. She and her husband started cage-building, and as fast as they built, the animals came. Build it and they will come! Sue herself is a full time volunteer. As she would say, “No one could afford to pay me for the hours I put in here. But it is my passion, and I enjoy every minute I spend caring for wildlife.”
Leah Birmingham, RVT: Licensed Wildlife Custodian, Assistant Director SPWC, Internship Program Coordinator
Leah is a Registered Veterinary Technologist (St. Lawrence College 2002 Alumini). She worked at a domestic and exotic animal practice for three years in Kingston after graduation. In 2005, Leah was hired on a full-time seasonal basis. At that point her dedication to SPWC’s work became a huge part of her life. In March of 2005 she was awarded OWREN's first Scholarship for Most Promising Contribution to Wildlife Rehabilitation in Ontario. Leah enjoys working in the not-for-profit sector, and being part of a cause, she finds it much more personally rewarding than working in practice. At SPWC Leah can often be found in the clinic tending to wounds and various other treatments, as well as coordinating the Internship Program. She loves spending time ensuring the patients have environmental enrichment materials in their enclosures, and monitoring patient medical improvements. Recently she has started to do more public speaking for SPWC, as well as teaching a course on Wildlife Care at St. Lawrence College to the Vet Assistant program. It is her lifetime goal is to improve the care wildlife receive when they are in need of help from the general public, as well as while they are in the care of veterinary practices. Leah relocated to a small hobby farm in the Napanee area for this job in 2005 with her husband James and their 4 cats. Since moving to the country, she has opened her home to another cat, two dogs, 3 geese, and a large flock of laying hens!
Barb: Donations and Newsletter Mail-out
Barb is a retired Medical Laboratory Technologist, with 40 years in Microbiology. She has volunteered at the Centre for about 4 years doing data entry, donations, and paying bills. She enjoys seeing the critters and especially likes the releases. Her dog Cooper also enjoys their weekly trips.
Janet: Animal Help and Fundraisers
Janet has been a volunteer at Sandy Pines since July 2006, starting the week after she retired from her previous life teaching Science at Ernestown and Napanee Secondary Schools. Janet has always had a special love for biology and a life-long interest in living things, so to be able to work in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation has been wonderful. Among other things, she has learned how to feed tiny but feisty bats, safely handle hawks and owls, outsmart adolescent raccoons that refuse to use the designated litter trays, bottle-feed a half-dozen hungry young squirrels at the same time, and clean skunk pens without annoying the residents! In addition to hands-on work with the animals, Janet does various handy jobs around the centre, and helps out with fundraisers. When she is not working at Sandy Pines, she loves taking photographs and watercolour painting (subjects in nature, of course!), travelling, and life in the country.
Julia has grown up surrounded by a variety of animals. When not working at SPWC, most of her time is spent on the farm helping her parents with their commercial sheep flock and dairy goat herd. When she inquired several years ago on how to become involved in wildlife rehabilitation, Sue explained that the first step to working at the Centre was to complete the Vet Assistant or Vet Tech program. Julia's interest was further peaked by a presentation in her Exotic Animal Husbandry class, taught by Leah, describing the Centre and the amazing work accomplished by staff and dedicated volunteers. Her passion, desire, and hard work allowed her a placement spot in the Spring of 2007, and upon completion, became a member of the SPWC team. Julia works in all areas of the Centre, however her main focus is the pre-release cages which house animals soon to be released back to the wild.
Brigitte: Volunteer Driver
Brigitte has been volunteering at the Centre for nearly 4 years. She does hands on care and also is a volunteer driver and rescuer. "I have a very big heart for animals and feel fulfilled caring for them".
Faye: Fundraising Co-ordinator
Faye is our fundraising co-coordinator who comes up with great ideas such as the Art and Jewellery Sale, the Annual Baby Shower, and the famous Death By Chocolate Event. She works with Jean, Brenda, Barb, and Connie in Kingston.
Laura: Volunteer Co-ordinator
Laura first became aware of Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre in 2006, when her mother brought home a T-shirt bought from the Sandy Pines Annual Baby Shower fundraiser at the mall. From the moment that she saw the shirt, she knew this is what she wanted to do. A couple days later she contacted the Centre to inquire about hands-on volunteering and has been volunteering since. You can find Laura at Sandy Pines most Saturdays, either working alone or orientating a group of new volunteers. In 2008 Laura became the volunteer coordinator for the hands-on volunteers. Without volunteers, Sandy Pines would not be able to take in and care for all the animals they do. Volunteers play a large part in the success of the Centre, so Laura wants to make sure their experience starts off on the right foot. When not at Sandy Pines or working at her full-time job, Laura enjoys spending time with her family, friends and her two dogs, Lexus the boston terrier and Molly the pug. She has recently taken up the sport of agility with her dogs. It's great bonding time with the dogs!
Jean: Fundraising
Jean has worked at Queen's University for 26 years and retired in 2000. She owns a Shetland pony who lives in Sydenham with her horse friend Maverick. Jean spent four years volunteering for the Kingston Humane Society before volunteering for SPWC, and also now volunteers at a retirement residence in Kingston. Her summers are spent with her husband at their log cabin on Fairbank Lake west of Sudbury, where they enjoy lots of golf and kayaking. The rest of the year she lives in Kingston, spending most of her time making wood crafts in a workshop. She has one daughter who lives in Mexico.
Meet the Team
