National Aviary 2024 Volunteer of the Year
The National Aviary has named Washington County resident Linda Fetchen its 2024 Volunteer of the Year in honor of her years of dedication to the Aviary. Having served more than 2,100 hours in the last six years, Linda is being recognized for her innate attention to detail, commitment to the guest experience, strong teaching capabilities, and continuous passion for spreading the National Aviary’s mission to inspire respect for nature through an appreciation of birds.
Volunteer Manager Teri Grendzinski, fellow volunteers, and Aviary staff commend Linda on her willingness to always step up and help an array of departments whenever they are short-staffed. “Linda is always kind and helpful, covering programs and offering assistance when needed. I so appreciate working with her. (She) does a tremendous job with our groups, attending to their needs and goes above and beyond in her teaching,” says a fellow Aviary staff member.
Fetchen, similar to other Aviary volunteers, came from an extensive background in education. She worked as a full-time teacher for 43 years for the Washington County school district. During that time, she acted as a coach for an environmental educational program and competition called the Pennsylvania Envirothon at Ringgold High School, where her growing love for nature and birds alike would thrive. “Coaching the Envirothon was a super informative experience,” says Linda. “My students and I had to learn about every aspect of wildlife, not limited to tree identification and bird calls. We also attended several nature-centered field trips, received talks from prominent voices in the environmental space, and would eventually go on to win competitions at the state level!”
Linda would also access her love for nature through international trips, which is how she would come to learn about the National Aviary. “I had just retired from working full-time and was working at a career tech school part-time while searching for unique volunteer opportunities,” says Linda. “I was debating volunteering at a library when I decided to book a trip to Costa Rica with AAA Travel, and it turned out that trip was with the Aviary and Dr. Pilar Fish! From then on, I started to learn more about the Aviary and the amazing work that they do.”
However, even after this eye-opening encounter, Linda was still not convinced that volunteering at the Aviary was the best choice for her. “I hated coming to the city!” says Linda. “But a fellow Aviary volunteer (and 2022 Volunteer of the Year recipient, Fran Reichel) encouraged me to come shadow her for the day, and when I did, I realized it had been everything I had been missing since I stopped working full-time. The camaraderie with fellow like-minded people and my desire to learn new things told me I was right where I needed to be.”
Since that day, Fetchen has become an incredible asset to the Aviary. She currently works with the Aviary’s Education and Animal Programs team and can often be seen giving talks, guiding tours and field trips for students and adult groups, and introducing little ones to birds on her gloved hand. “The Aviary has definitely pulled me out of my comfort zone; the first time I held an owl was an experience like no other,” says Linda. “I now regularly work with owls, falcons, and penguins – specifically completing encounters with our Penguin Animal Ambassador, Sunshine. Sunshine was the same penguin I met in my first encounter at the Aviary before I started volunteering here, and I think it’s such a sweet coincidence that I now get to work with her all the time.”
In addition to the animals, Linda’s favorite thing at the Aviary is the people. When asked what her favorite animal was at the Aviary, she replies, “My favorite mammals at the Aviary are the staff; they treat the volunteers like gold, and I am so grateful to work with such wonderful people.”
Fetchen continues to foster her love for birds and nature through her volunteer work, spending quality time outdoors with her loving husband, and attending birding expeditions alongside Aviary experts.
The National Aviary is beyond proud to call Linda Fetchen our Volunteer of the Year.
Interested in becoming a volunteer? The National Aviary is accepting applications for a range of volunteer positions. Learn more here.