Volunteer dedicates 25 years to protecting local wildlife

Wildlife news from Jennifer Berry, Wildlife Volunteers Assoc. Inc (WILVOS) 54416200 www.wilvos.org.au

For 25 years, Roslyn has answered the call whenever the Sunshine Coast’s wildlife needs help – and she’s still going strong.

A long-time animal lover who once served as vice president of the RSPCA in Bundaberg. Roslyn joined Wildlife Volunteers Association Inc. (WILVOS) in 2001 after a neighbour found an injured ringtail possum by the roadside. A quick call to the WILVOS hotline changed the course of her life. She still remembers attending her induction in Eumundi.

Since then, Roslyn has worn nearly every hat WILVOS has to offer – staffing the 24-hour hotline (including many years of night shifts), transporting injured animals, undertaking rescues, and running community awareness stalls across the region. New volunteers are guaranteed to have Roslyn available to help for their very first hotline shift.

But it’s her free wildlife education sessions that have become her true passion. Roslyn presents to schools, kindergartens, scout groups, community associations and nursing homes – anyone willing to listen, “from ages 4 to 104”. Her sessions cover wildlife safety, what to do if you find an injured animal, the importance of the WILVOS hotline, and simple but vital messages: don’t take home baby birds, don’t feed wildlife, and be a responsible pet owner.

The impact is often immediate. Roslyn has heard countless stories of children spotting injured animals from the back seat and insisting their parents pull over to call WILVOS – lessons learned straight from her presentations.

“I help the wildlife, and the wildlife help me,” Roslyn says. Her hope is simple: that future generations will still be able to see wildlife thriving in its natural habitat.

To arrange a free wildlife education session anywhere on the Sunshine Coast, contact Roslyn at awareness@wilvos.org.au. For wildlife emergencies, WILVOS operates a 24/7 hotline on 07 5441 6200.