Volunteer Spotlight: Isabelle Sargeant...

One definition of a a Master Naturalist is a person who is dedicated to maintaining, restoring, and teaching about the environment, especially local ecosystems.

Growing up in Bermuda and then moving to and raising my family in Vermont, I have been privy to two of the most gorgeous & very different ecosystems but moving to coastal SC had brought me to a lovely smorgasbord of different environments. I have always enjoyed everything about nature so I was thrilled to be able to take the course and become a Master Naturalist in the spring of 2005. What I have found is the class learning simply whets your appetite for more and opens your eyes to the numerous opportunities to interact and educate with other nature lovers.

My work at the Center for Birds of Prey in the Avian clinic is a weekly learning experience. One minute you are hand feeding young chicks that have fallen from their nest and the next holding a red shouldered hawk while it receives fluids and treatment. Catching a bird in one of the outdoor enclosures to get it ready to be released is one of the most satisfying rewards of the work. These birds don’t want to be there but the caring compassion shown daily and the drive to get them all better so they can go is amazing to see.

This past winter provided the opportunity to become an eagle ambassador at Caw Caw. Interacting with the multitude of visitors to the park and conversing with them on the resident eagle’s journey to becoming successful parents was simply exhilarating.

By becoming a Coastal Master Naturalist Association (CMNA) member even more opportunities are opened up. The Association does a wonderful job providing opportunities for exploring, further education and volunteer opportunities. Becoming a member of the board also offers unique opportunities. Recently I became the Membership chair. In this role I hope to make a tangible impact on the association’s success and improve the already healthy number of members. My increased interaction with the board and ability to help other master naturalists rounds out the more physical volunteering. By the way, they are always interested in having new naturalists join the group.