Jonathan S.

My partner, Sheida Soleimani, roped me into it! Over time, however, rehabbing has become a core part of my life — not just in terms of a daily routine, but also as a way of thinking about the human and nonhuman worlds in which we live. Even as rehabbing work on the ground is labor-intensive and exhausting, committing to this work—instead of prioritizing one's own career, interests, or needs—has transformed who I am and the kind of future I want to fight for.

We founded Congress of the Birds because too often we find that rehabilitators work alone and burn out after a few years. By building something that brings people and animals together, we aim to create a robust at-home and on-site rehabilitation network to help educate the public and aid a greater number injured and orphaned animals. As we've grown, we've outgrown our one incubator, and we now need to give our babies more space! If you are able to give something to help us reach our goal, we would be extremely appreciative.