随风摇摆

I have been in 南非 for 54 days now and today has been the most rewarding day, by far. I got to partake in something that most people will never experience and it made me smile for hours.

我一直在SAMREC做志愿者, a marine bird rehabilitation center consisting mostly of penguins. 他们的目标是康复, research and reintroduce the birds back into the wild while educating the public on the endangered species, 南非企鹅.

For the past six weeks, we have done a lot of cleaning and were eventually able to feed the birds! Some days are more exciting than others; we have even been here for the arrival of two Gannets, one Cormorant and have been here days after the arrival of many penguins. 今天, all of the long days stuffing dead fish with vitamins, mopping up cages and wrestling with penguins were put into perspective...

为企鹅的释放做准备

Some penguins come into SAMREC exhausted, dehydrated, malnourished and usually molting. All they need is some TLC to finish the molting process. Others are badly injured and will most likely live there rest of their lives. SAMREC does a wonderful job of giving the life-er penguins a nice and comfortable home, but it is sad to think that these wild creatures could not survive on their own.

When you get to release NINE penguins and see them return home it is an indescribable feeling. 这一整天就像一阵旋风. 这件事被公开了, and because today was a national holiday - Human Rights Day - there were at least one hundred people here to watch. All of the volunteers stood up front each with a specific task: We cut off three feathers for data, snipped the plastic identification tag and educated the audience with some information about each specific bird. Then we loaded them up and met the crowd down by the beach, where we scoped out the perfect place to set up the caution tape and create a human barricade into the water.

接下来的五分钟飞逝而过. We carried the crates down, lined them up and prepared the release. In my crate were Kevin and Misty, two of the more spunky penguins. 我也特别喜欢凯文. As aggressive as he was, you could calm him down by rubbing his neck and speaking softly. It always amazed me how they all had their own personalities. 数到三, we all carefully lifted the top and tilted the crates so they could waddle out on their own. They waddled and stopped and than waddled some more until they were fully in the water. The volunteers followed behind but leaving enough space to not distract them and to help with crowd control, 直到他们游回家.

我敬畏地站在那里, it was bittersweet to see these nine beautiful birds finally be able to go home. 几秒钟后, high fives and hugs were exchanged between all of us, we all have grown a connection to the birds and as much as we will miss them, we were so happy to know that they were able to go home and confident that they will survive in the wild. We stood there for a few more minutes admiring our work before we loaded the empty crates back to SAMREC.

Lining up the penguins to be released back into the wild!

Starting their walk down the shore, heading towards the water!

向水边走去，就快到了!

当我决定宝博体育时, I had no idea that I would be able to experience and be apart of something like this. I had no idea I would sign up to volunteer, and I am so grateful I did! 我对这些动物的辛勤工作确实得到了回报!

Taylor Farro is the Spring 2016 东航 MOJO in 伊丽莎白港, 南非. She is currently a junior at Stockton University in New Jersey.