Volunteer Spotlight - Debbie Yaskulka

This month's Volunteer Spotlight is shining on Debbie Yaskulka! We were lucky enough to have her join our team just a few short years ago in 2023, but it truly feels like she has been here forever. Debbie first found out about The Raptor Trust through her son Ben, who works in environmental conservation. After visiting and inquiring about volunteering opportunities, the rest is history! Her favorite part of being here is the importance of the work she is doing, being able to directly give back to our environment each week. Debbie loves having the opportunity to learn about these fascinating birds from the staff and getting to work with such wonderful people. And of course she loves all of the avian friends she has made along the way! No matter what task we throw at Debbie, whether it is training newcomers, sorting newspapers, or cleaning up after all of our patients, she always does it with a smile. Being partial to her backyard visitors, Debbie's favorites are hummingbirds and bluebirds. But for Debbie, nothing will ever beat the magic of watching a Bald Eagle fly. She was lucky enough to see one get released here at TRT earlier this year; it was quite thrilling! Her last name, “Yaskulka,” means “swallow” in Polish, so being a birder is in her blood. Debbie wants everyone to know that “sometimes it feels we’re not doing enough in the world for future generations, so it is empowering for me to help make a difference locally. At TRT, I know I’m contributing to something with widespread impact.” Thank you for all you do, Debbie, TRT loves you!