Tour and Volunteer at the Florida Exotic Bird Sanctuary [Lunch Provided]

Let's take a tour through numerous bird flights and meet all of the over 800 beautiful birds at the Florida Exotic Bird Sanctuary! Experience the vast array of species and learn all the fun facts from experienced tour guides.

After the tour, we will break into multiple groups (depending on how many people sign up) and do volunteering activities. Our main focus will be landscape maintenance (weeding, pruning, raking) at the sanctuary but will also need help with creating toys.

What to wear and bring

Please wear closed-toed shoes (parrots do bite bare toes). We recommend clothes you can get dirty in, a long-sleeved shirt, hat, and sunglasses. Also, bring a refillable water bottle. A water refill station will be available. Also, bring yard clippers, trowels, and other small gardening tools if you have them.

You may bring guests over the age of 16. If you do bring a guest, please try to carpool with them as the sanctuary has limited parking. No pets are allowed at the sanctuary.

Schedule:

1. 10 am: 1-hour Tour and Macaw Interaction
2. 11 am - 2 pm: Volunteering Activities
3. 12:30 pm: Lunch break (Pizza Provided by the sanctuary)

Sanctuary Wishlist
The sanctuary is run totally by volunteers and depends on the community to fund its operations and take care of the birds. They are waiving the admission fee, giving us a tour, and providing us lunch in exchange for our time. I think it would be great if we could help them out with some of the items on the wishlist. You can also donate via PayPal or buy something from their Amazon Wishlist.

Workshop Needs:

• Used tools you no longer need (drill bits, screwdrivers, wrenches, etc.)
• Utility Knife and Blades
• 12, 14, and 16 Gauge Wire
• Ryobi Rechargeable Batteries
• Drywall Putty Scraper
• 3/15 x 1 1/4 Washers
• Brooms
• 10” Circular Saw Blades

Grounds Needs:

• Used gardening/landscaping tools you no longer need (rakes, shovels, trowels, clippers, etc.)
• Paper Towels
• Vinegar
• High-Pressure Hose Nozzles

Miscellaneous Needs:

• Oil Filled Heaters
• Heat Lamp Bulbs - 250 watt, red or infrared
• Alligator Clips
• Large Tarps
• 50 Gallon Heavy Duty Black Trash Bags
• 16x20 Air Filters

Retail gift cards:

• Amazon
• Lowes
• Home Depot
• Walmart
• PetSmart

This allows us to immediately purchase specific needs. We regularly purchase things such as lumber and chains to make our own toys!

Toys, Cages & Play-stands
Toys are big favorites at the sanctuary! The birds love to chew, tinker, and play. They discover great joy in having their own toys. Keep in mind they will be used outdoors, so no cloth or string toys, please. We recommend ordering from Planet Pleasures:
www.planetpleasures.com

Fruits and Vegetables:
As part of our Sanctuary Life Reimagined vision, we would love to have donated fruit trees, vegetable seeds, and vegetable plants to us. We have staff on-site that specializes in fruits and vegetables that grow well in our slice of paradise. It’s our dream to be able to give these parrots a diet as close to what they would find in the wild. If you are interested in helping out with our vision, please contact Stephanie at 727-514-0796.

About Florida Exotic Bird Sanctuary

The Florida Exotic Bird Sanctuary is dedicated to the care and well-being of parrots and other exotic birds. We do not breed, sell, trade, or offer for adoption the birds in our care. Instead, we endeavor to provide them with a permanent home that allows them to mingle with other compatible birds in outdoor open-flight aviaries. We also strive to provide a permanent, caring home for birds with special needs, including those with physical challenges or behavioral issues. Finally, we are committed to raising public awareness regarding the moral responsibilities and physical demands of keeping parrots or other wild animals as pets.

With millions of parrots produced by the pet trade each year, the population of captive birds continues to grow. This excessive breeding of parrots has become a heartbreaking tragedy. With life spans of up to 100 years, parrots have a built-in homeless factor which means almost every long-lived parrot will outlive its original guardian. FEBS was established for the purpose of helping as many of these parrots as possible.

At FEBS, our one and only purpose is to provide a safe haven for parrots to live out their lives in a happy, healthy, and natural environment. The captive birds continue to grow. As peoples’ interests fade and the birds AND the people get older, the overpopulation of parrots is destined to become a heartbreaking tragedy.