“Choosing to apply for the internship at the Macaw Recovery Network’s Breeding Center was one of the best decisions of my life. I’m sad it’s over, but I hope that one day life will lead me back to volunteer again.”
I still remember getting off the bus with my fellow intern Sabrina, feeling that warm, salty breeze and a mix of nerves and excitement about everything that lay ahead. We were picked up by Ruperto and helped settle into Hill House, our volunteer residence. I remember the Macaws calling around the site before I even knew where to look. Meeting the other interns, meeting the Bird Managers Amy and Nisha the next morning, those first moments marked the beginning of my six-month journey at MRN.
Living here meant stepping outside into wildlife every day, and I’ll forever hold the memories of the forest in my heart: the terrible but still memorable cicada rains, the war with the rats (rat actually, but we don’t talk about that), the silly iguana chases, awesome howlers and capuchin monkeys, adorable snakes, cool but creepy crawlies, lovely geckos, scary scorpions, beautiful wild birds, and of course, the Macaws because all of this was for them.
Before long, we settled into a rhythm at the breeding center. Days filled with feeding, cleaning aviaries, and keeping the birds comfortable. One of those daily routines was giving the birds a sprinkle to cool them down on hot days, especially for the Great Green Macaws, whose natural habitat is much wetter and more humid.
📷: You can tell these Great Green Macaws really enjoyed their morning shower
For me, the highlight of this journey was watching the birds shower. It was such a simple, joyful moment that will stay with me. Watching them flap, splash, and squawk in the water, and their wild friends joining in on the sprinkler fun, nearly made me cry every time. It is one the most beautiful sights, seeing the Scarlet Macaws puffing their bright, red feathers and shaking their long tails, and the Great Greens being all cute and goofy under the sprinklers, soaked but happy, made my day.
You can tell the birds enjoyed this time just as much, as they wouldn’t miss the opportunity for a shower whenever we were cleaning the aviaries. Of all these shower episodes, the best were always the showers the birds asked for … I remember the times when I deep cleaned the Education aviary, Forrest and Kermit (two young Great Greens that became my favorite birds during my stay) would chase after me to get sprinkled. I would simply turn the hose to the lightest setting and give them a quick splash or two and watch them go nuts while I continued to clean their aviary–and I wondered why it used to take me so long to deep clean the Education aviaries.
📷: Scarlet Macaws fly and play around in the water
“Even though I would end up getting soaked half of the time during the showers, I don’t think I would trade those memories for the world. Knowing that these everyday moments were also part of helping these incredible birds on their journey back to the wild.”
We had losses, we had wins, and we faced our fair share of challenges, but every experience taught me so much and I’m grateful for everything! The outings with the team, the walks on the beach, soccer games in Islita, our family dinners, the treks up and down the hills, the expeditions to Samara, the dancing, and my personal favorite, all the foraging adventures in and around the site.
📷: The calm before the storm. You wouldn’t believe these apparently calm birds would chase you for you to sprinkle them while cleaning their aviaries.
This entire journey was undoubtedly the best life experience I’ve ever had. It has helped me grow not only as a person, but also as a zoologist and a conservationist. Every day was a new chance to learn, not only about caring for wildlife and endangered species, but also from the incredible people around me. Getting to meet all these new and amazing people and their cultures will forever stay in my heart, just like all I learned about the birds. I will do everything to uphold these lessons and to protect the biodiversity wherever I go next.
I miss the people already. I miss the Bird team, the fantastic staff at the Punta Islita Wild Macaw Reserve, I miss the foraging trips with Fabio and the team, I miss all the volunteers who came and left behind precious memories, I miss my fellow interns who I spent the majority of my time with, and above all, I miss the birds so very much.
Huge thanks to Macaw Recovery Network for allowing me this opportunity, and to Bird Managers Amy and Nisha for always providing us with support and guidance when we needed it.
Haarmisha Parmar
Internship Graduate 2025
Interested in having an experience like Harmishaa’s?
Our internship program offers the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with endangered macaws. If you’re a biologist, veterinarian, wildlife specialist, or similar and looking to gain practical experience, we’d love to hear from you.
Click HERE to learn more about our internship program and how to apply!