The Rescuer

Involved in various wildlife rehabilitation efforts for more than a decade, Becky Duerr (above) works as WRI's weekend animal care coordinator while pursuing a degree in environmental studies.

Becky joined WRI as the weekend animal care coordinator in 1998, after more than 10 years working in wildlife rehabilitation. She also volunteers at The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC) and works with birds and other terrestrial wildlife at Wildcare in San Rafael.

Becky gained a broad spectrum of experience at TMMC, from beach rescues of stranded seals, sea lions, whales and dolphins, to supervising an animal care shift to articulating skeletons. She currently oversees a weekly shift that cares for newborn harbor seals, and she helps with postmortem examinations.

Becky returned to school in 1997, leaving her career as a professional jeweler. She is a student at San Francisco State University, where she is working toward a bachelor's degree in environmental studies, focusing on ways to lessen human impact on wildlife.

Becky's interests fit well with the work at WRI. She enjoys working with both the volunteers and the wildlife. Becky also admits that she really loves the busy, hectic weekends when there is too much to do!

Kathy Tyson (above) dedicates much of her life to helping local wildlife and companion animals. In addition to her job as the weekday animal care coordinator for WRI, she is busy applying to veterinary school.

A Bay Area native, Kathy graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in biology in 1997. She is now in the process of applying to veterinary school.

Kathy has worked at WRI for the past four seasons, spending much of that time as an animal care coordinator. She was an intern at the shelter in 1995.

The balance of Kathy's time is spent as a veterinary technician in the Spay/Neuter Clinic at the Peninsula Humane Society, and she also volunteers one night a week at The Marine Mammal Center.

Kathy appreciates the opportunity to learn about both wildlife rehabilitation and surgery through her two jobs. At WRI, working with the volunteers and helping the shelter run smoothly have been very rewarding.

Kathy can be found busy at the shelter Monday through Friday. But on weekends she enjoys reading, hiking and having fun with her five house mates and her cat, rabbit and turtle.

In the future Kathy hopes to become a small-animal veterinarian and to continue volunteering in rehabilitation.