Dear Potential Volunteer

 

Here is our Volunteer information...it is mainly addressed to OVERSEAS volunteers, because that's what we have the most of, and as they have to pay for their airfares they have the most to loose if they do not have a clear understanding of what to expect!  

 

Of course, as Matt Carpenter, one of our volunteer/interns from the University of New Hampshire (now in an M.Sc. programme) wisely said: "Nothing can prepare you for coming to volunteer at the CEI!" but we do try to prepare potential volunteers...

One thing it is important to bear in mind is that, although we really enjoy having internists/volunteers come to work and learn at the CEI, we do not need to have them. In fact, in many cases, the time expended on training internists hampers the work done here, just simply because the volunteer/internist doesn't know how to do what needs to be done and needs time to learn.

For this reason there are very few places available and the selection process is stiff.

There are three (3) classes of volunteer/intern that come to participate in the work done at the CEI. For the most part, they are all from overseas and, if accepted, they stay on site at the CEI. For example, in 2004, we had volunteer/interns from Sicily, France, Spain,  Italy, Mexico, Brazil, the U.K and B.C. (one of them fell in love and got married out here and now lives with her husband and baby daughter at the CEI!) in 2005, they came from Canada, Spain and France..At present six of our past volunteers have either recently completed or are still in Ph.D. programmes, while others are M.Sc. candidates.

 

Volunteers should all have clean Driving Licenses, because you will probably have to drive.  The CEI is right out in the country 25Km from the nearest village…all downhill. if you like biking, but uphill going back…and if you really want to get away there are no busses. Last year, our ancient fleet of vehicles finally gave up the ghost, we will be looking to repair one truck or get another for the same price, if we do, that is the vehicle you will drive.

 

Volunteers (Classes 2 & 3) do get TIME OFF, two days per week!   (for Class 1, the amount of time off is up to them)  generally, our volunteers have liked to ‘save up’ days and then go off for a week or two and see the country.

Because the CEI is chronically short of money, and because we focus on achieving success with very little, CEI housing is extremely rustic, you MUST NOT expect luxury

 

Housing is fairly primitive and depends upon availability. Housing varies between shared accommodation in a flat (with its own kitchen & bathroom) or in a two bedroom rustic cottage*, to a Tipi or wall tent. Besides the kitchen and bathroom in the Flat and in the rustic cottage, The CEI also has a large communal kitchen, 2 shared lavatories, one shared shower, and washing machine and a dryer for clothes.

* The rustic cottage has its own kitchen, shower and bathroom but you have to truck water to it.

It is hard to explain clearly what to expect, much easier to say what not to expect!  The CEI is quite isolated, we are 18Km from Cochrane and 25Km from Calgary, so, while living at the CEI, it is difficult to hang out in pubs and bars, if that is your preference. On the other hand, the CEI is less than an hour from Banff National Park and from Kananaskis Country (provincial parks), both of which provide magnificent hiking and climbing opportunities in the Summer and good skiing in the winter.

 

Sometimes we have very few volunteers (one or two, only), sometimes we have six or seven. Living together, and sharing kitchens, at the CEI means that everyone has to get along, but you will know you’ll always find someone to hang out with. If only one or two, there is a possibility, if you are a very social sort of person, that you will be lonely.

 

VOLUNTEER CLASSES

 

Volunteer Class (3)...These are generally, and fondly, known as "dogsbodies" and need no qualifications other than interest and enthusiasm.  Class 3 volunteers are expected to do absolutely anything asked of them, cementing walls, constructing enclosures, building, mowing grass, planting, butchering up donated road-kill, cleaning and maintaining facilities, feeding and observing the animals, helping out the researchers if required, dealing with the public, answering telephones, collecting feed or collecting injured or orphaned animals*, in fact, anything that needs to be done. The hours are long, the work sometimes hard, but people who have been Class (3) 'dogsbodies' with the CEI always seem to want to come back to us...so it must be enjoyable too!

 

For a list of what we hope to do over the next 18 months, please check the end of this document.

OVERSEAS Class (3) volunteers, in general, live at the CEI, if living at the CEI they are expected to contribute $10.00 per day to cover utilities (telephone extra, internet included) obtain perishable foods for themselves while the CEI will provide non perishable staple foods (flour, beans, rice, etc.) plus milk and butter.

 * Animal handling training is provided by the CEI before anyone is expected to handle or to interact with the wildlife already here, or that is collected and brought here. You will be taught by Pat Mistero, who was trained at Zoo-keeping school in Sweden

Volunteer Class (2). Class 2 internists are at the CEI to develop field skills and experience. They are trained in field skills by experienced instructors, and once the skills are learned are expected to apply them on the project in the field. What the projects are is dependent upon the funding available. If we have no field projects in place we will have no openings for Class 2 internists.

If working with, and being trained by, CEI personnel in the field (GIS, radio telemetry, tracking, survey, , etc.) they pay $20.00 per day while being trained, and $15.00 per day after training, while working as part of a team, and provide their own field equipment (tents, food, bedding, cooking utensils, binoculars, etc.). Class 2 internists are expected to willingly do anything asked of them in a responsible fashion, whether in the field or at the CEI. The availability of research assistant Volunteer positions will be dependent upon the number of projects being undertaken.

While at the CEI, (if living here) housing is provided. But, the Class 2 volunteer, as in the field, is expected to contribute $15.00 per day to cover utilities (telephone extra, internet included) and to obtain and cook their own food while here. Any publications resulting from work to which the Class (2) volunteer/internist has contributed, will acknowledge the contribution of volunteer/internists. If requested, the CEI will serve as a referee or will provide a letter outlining project contribution (field work) and field skills acquired.

Volunteer Class (1). This is for graduate or post graduate researchers. They have to design and submit a research proposal to the CEI's Director of Scientific Research (Ken Weagle, M.Sc.) for review. This proposal must be undertaken, completed, and written up at the CEI. If the proposal is initially accepted, then the proposal goes to the CEI's Board of Directors for approval. If approved by the Board, the researcher comes to the CEI to undertake their project either here, or in a site where we are working (depending on the project). The researcher is expected to participate in undertakings at the CEI provided there is no conflict with their research project, which is of paramount importance. All research produced at or through the CEI by graduate and post graduate researchers should acknowledge the CEI role, and any research used in CEI publications will acknowledge the researchers contribution.

To date, most of our M.Sc. and Ph.D. research candidates have come to us from overseas, so they have all lived in shared student housing at the CEI. This means that they pay $20.00 per day to cover housing and utilities (telephone extra, internet included) and they obtain and cook their own food while here.

If you are still interested after reading the above, if you have any further questions please contact myself
Yours sincerely,
Clio Smeeton, president, CEI

 

CEI is a “work in progress” and an organization which has been operating for 36 years, so most of our enclosures need work done on them…this year, 2006, as an example, the Animal health Centre needs a complete overhaul as it is looking very scruffy.

 

PROGRAMMES; 2006

1. Swift fox reintroduction.  The CEI may be at the end of our groundbreaking swift fox reintroduction programme.  Over the past 3 years we have received no funding for it, and have been carrying on on the back of our kind Bank. Clearly this state of affairs cannot continue! The Canadian government, although getting the maximum charge out of what we do (the CEI is the only facility in Canada with a captive breeding colony of the endangered swift fox, and the only organization in Canada undertaking swift fox reintroduction) by highlighting the success of swift fox reintroduction in Canada does not feel that it is their responsibility to pay for it!  But we have now been approached (2006) by the US Fish & Wildlife Service Chief Tribal Assistance, to inquire if we would be in a position to supply swift fox to native American tribes in the USA. I said YES, but we would need funding…now the ball is in the US Govt. court. So, if we hear a YES back from the USA we may be having a swift fox reintroduction in Montana (August 2006). If we do not hear a YES back from the USA we will have a final release on Blood land in Canada in August 2006.
   
2. In any event, the swift fox programme will continue for the next five months.
   
3. Wildlife Rehabilitation, the amount of animals that we treat varies with the levels of human/wildlife impact and the vagaries of the weather. In general, we start getting orphans in to the CEI May. May to September are the peak months for Wildlife rehabilitation. Volunteers who are interested in that aspect of the CEI’s work should plan to come to us from May 2006 on.
   
4. School and community Group educational programmes. For volunteers interested in participating  and developing educational programmes, the school ones match the school year for timing. Community groups are more interested in winter visits from us.
   
5. We are in the process of upgrading CEI facilities, so 2006 will be a big year for construction. We have to strike while the iron is hot, for example, having just arranged a bear release..we can finally get into the bear enclosure and clean it out, repair the fencing, etc. work on the bear house.
   
6. The CEI would like an inventory of amphibians undertaken in 2006. A baseline survey (no funding as yet) (April/May and September/October)
   
7. The same applies to plants
   
8. Also to invertebrates in the CEI waterbodies.
9. The CEI will be focusing on increasing participation in WHALEFORCE in 2006.