In light of COVID-19, the Board of Directors met by teleconference to plot a new course for Le Nichoir. The pandemic has forced us to cancel our main fundraiser, A Taste of Hudson. Replacing those funds will call for a major effort and a lot of goodwill. What’s more, COVID-19 safety measures forced us to suspend our volunteer program. Last year, volunteers provided over 4,600 hours of donated time to the Centre. These will be sorely missed in the coming months.
Our multi-talented biologists are working hard to adapt to this new reality. Here are some of the measures we’ve adopted so far:
- We have suspended the educational program until further notice.
- We have made changes to our bird care operations to allow us to pursue our mission safely, but on a reduced scale.
- Bird care will be provided exclusively by employees until further notice. The only exception is ambulance drivers, who can provide volunteer services without entering the building.
- The Centre is closed to the public except to admit injured birds. Anyone planning on delivering an injured bird must call ahead.
- La Plume Verte and Bird Friendly Coffee customers are encouraged to order online
- We are making maximum use of our telephone and online help lines to educate callers and avoid unnecessary admissions.
Le Nichoir is a strong and seasoned organization with exceptional staff. We are confident in our ability to keep caring for birds, even in these difficult times. Our many supporters and some recently announced government aid programs will help us along the way. We are prepared to make additional operational changes as the situation evolves, should we need to.
We will keep you posted as we go, so please stay tuned.