December 2024 Volunteer of the Month
December 03, 2024
On several very early Pine Bush mornings, December’s Volunteer of the month was within the preserve doing net runs and banding birds.
Congratulations Hannah on your well-earned distinction, we thank you for all your help this year!
By Sarah Reilly
Meet Hannah Brewer, who started volunteering with us earlier this year but has already dedicated several hours of her time to our bird banding program.
Nominated by Neil Gifford for her “time donated, skill, and enthusiasm for banding and public education”, Hannah has shown incredible dedication and expertise to our bird banding program. When asked, her favorite part of volunteering with the APB is “learning something new every time I go and being able to help the environment while also being up close and personal with wild birds!” While her favorite animal in the preserve is the black-capped chickadee, she fondly recalled the morning the banding crew caught and banded a raptor. “Definitely the closest I've been to a bird of prey”.
Throughout the banding season, she was eager to help with any task and demonstrated the skill and knowledge needed to handle wild birds, while still having a positive attitude and willing to share her knowledge with any inquisitive passersby to the banding tent. Her favorite moments though were early mornings, “right after sunrise when we're checking the mist nets for the first time of the day and there's still some fog throughout the Scrub Oak”.
A resident of Schodack, NY Hannah recently graduated from the University of Connecticut. She now works as a scientist at Taconic Biosciences, working with animal models to accelerate advancements in human health.
When not working or volunteering, Hannah enjoys time with her two dogs Nellie and Maggie, and doing fiber arts such as quilting, crocheting and knitting.
Congratulations Hannah on your well-earned distinction, we thank you for all your help this year!
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