A Columbia man is looking to honor the memory of his wife and the work of both her and countless other volunteers at a nearby environmental nonprofit.

The World Bird Sanctuary serves as a haven for birds and nature lovers alike. Located on I-44 past St. Louis, the organization boasts over 300 acres of woods, an array of avian exhibits and the Kathryn G. Favre Foundation Raptor Hospital focused on caring for injured birds of prey in the area.

Though housed across the Mississippi River, the organization has had a presence in Monroe County for some time, as representatives often visit school events or other local groups to present owls, eagles and other raptors.

World Bird Sanctuary Executive Director Roger Holloway offered a brief overview of the group, noting it was founded in 1977 as an all-volunteer organization before later being established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

The sanctuary keeps and cares for a number of permanent residence birds – who Holloway said live for a very long time under human care – while also rehabilitating raptors in their hospital.

Care for these birds, as Holloway described, generally involves feeding and veterinary exams in the hopes they can recover and return to the wild fairly quickly.

A key component he also highlighted is the volunteer rescue team which responds when the sanctuary hears about an injured raptor – typically from a farmer or other individual living in the countryside.

Holloway also mentioned the sanctuary’s education efforts with various traveling presentations and on-site exhibits.

“We protect and preserve birds and their habitats, and we do that through conservation, rehabilitation and education,” Holloway said. 

A core part of the organization, as he mentioned, is volunteerism. Holloway said the sanctuary currently only employs about 30 staff members in various positions with the tremendous remainder of work being handled by volunteers.

This work can include record keeping in the office, prepping food for the birds or less glamorous jobs like cleaning.

Some volunteers also offer their services doing landscaping, and one group known as the Tuesday Crew consists of trade workers who have done a variety of work since 1992, with folks joining and retiring over the years.

“It’s always been a volunteer organization where, any given day, there are always volunteers here helping with all the different departments and all aspects of the mission,” Holloway said. “We couldn’t get it done without them.”

One volunteer who offered her services for nearly a decade was Marian Rollins, joined by her husband Tom Rollins of Columbia.

Tom recently honored his wife and her battle with dementia last year as he established Marian’s Place, a plot of land within Cliff Cave Park in St. Louis County which he hopes to serve as an outdoor recreational and community locale.

The Rollinses celebrated the opening of Marian’s Place last August as a large field of sunflowers within the park’s acreage was blooming.

Marian tragically passed away shortly after, having fought past her original life expectancy of five years following diagnosis.

And though Marian’s Place serves as a strong legacy for his wife, Tom hopes to further commemorate her by recognizing one of her great loves: the World Bird Sanctuary.

Tom spoke quite highly of the organization and its accomplishments, himself having volunteered and served on the organization’s board for 30 years.

He particularly praised the sanctuary’s rehabilitation efforts, saying it often rescues over 600 birds each year at among the highest success rates with around 65 percent of raptors released back into the wild.

Tom also spoke highly about the group’s educational efforts. He noted that, by teaching folks about the “beauty and functionality” of these raptors, the sanctuary is able to instill both a love for the animals and an interest in nature.

“That sparks an interest in young people in nature and in the environment,” Tom said. “The birds are an indication of how well our environment is doing. If the birds aren’t doing well, our environment is not doing well… It encourages people to preserve what we have and build upon that, so that helps get the kids out into nature.”

Holloway expressed his appreciation and respect for the Rollinses and their work with the sanctuary.

“Tom and his wife Marian put in many, many hours, Marian moreso in the daily routine here,” Holloway said. “She worked with many of the birds here and answered questions from the public. She did a tremendous amount of work here, and always with such a positive nature.”

With Marian serving as one of many examples of fine volunteers with the sanctuary, Tom said he hopes to celebrate both her and the countless others who have contributed and continue to work toward the organization’s success.

To that end, Tom has – over the course of about nine months and with assistance from Columbia Mayor Bob Hill – procured a bronze statue to commemorate his wife which is set to be unveiled during a private ceremony at the World Bird Sanctuary on May 16.

“What we’re trying to do with this ceremony that is honoring Marian, we’re making her representative of the volunteers, both the past, the current and the future,” Tom said. “It’s to honor Marian for her dedication and work, what she did and to celebrate the volunteers and what an important role they play.”

Like Holloway, Tom spoke quite highly of the sanctuary’s volunteers and their vast amounts of work, noting that folks of all ages offer their time in support of these local birds, adding that a fair number of individuals from Monroe County are on the list of over 100 volunteers.

While assisting the sanctuary can often involve, as Tom said, “gruntwork,” both he and Holloway spoke to the benefits this service can have.

On top of simply contributing to a good cause, Tom highlighted the opportunities volunteering can provide for prospective veterinarians.

Holloway similarly emphasized how work with the sanctuary can bring closer to their birds.

“There’s not many places around the area, or the country really, where you could do all these different things in conservation and rehabilitation and education,” Holloway said. “Our organization is very unique in that regard, so the opportunities that are available, the longer you stick with it and work through the training and maybe the stuff that might not be that fun, but it’s a learning experience. It’s a very unique place, and it offers unique things that you’re not gonna get at a lot of other places.”

For more information on the World Bird Sanctuary or to volunteer, visit worldbirdsanctuary.org.