Holiday Parrot Toy Project, Helping People Helping Parrots

I have a request….

Most of you know I am the Maryland Education Coordinator for the Phoenix Landing Foundation, and in that capacity I sometimes do presentations to different types of groups, teaching them about parrot care. Earlier this year I was contacted by a wonderful woman, named Suse, who is the instructor for the Horticultural Therapy Program at Gallagher Services, a division of Catholic Charities, which is a day program for developmentally disabled adults. Suse asked me if I would be willing to come give a presentation on general parrot care to the 80+ individuals in her program. She also wanted to know more about what types of plants would be beneficial to parrots, and would Phoenix Landing want a donation of organically grown plants that her classes would grow for us. See, Suse is a firm believer in teaching that everyone is capable of being of service to someone else, no matter their level of physical or mental ability.  Her classes grew an assortment of beautiful herb plants and aloe plants for Phoenix Landing, which they presented when I came, with Trixie and Annie, my macaws, to give the groups the Parrot Care presentation, we all had a wonderful time!

A small sample of the plants the folks at Gallagher grew for Phoenix Landing

For Suse’s next service project she wants to have her classes make simple parrot toys that they will donate to Phoenix Landing for foster birds and the birds at the Landing. She will be teaching her classes about how important play and toys are to parrots, what kind of material are safe for parrots to play with and chew, and then the classes will actually construct toys for the birds. These will be very simple toys, a variety of safe materials strung either on Poly Rope or Stainless Skewers, depending on each person’s level of physical ability. Phoenix Landing has donated  50 skewers to fill. And I have plenty of poly rope which Suse, a wonderful young woman Suse works with named Annie, and I have already begun cutting into lengths and tying hanging loops on.

Suse and Annie in my Workshop, tying hanging loops in Poly Rope

Suse will be using part of  her allotted monthly budget for now through the beginning of December to purchase a variety of parrot safe toys parts, to make the toys before the Christmas Holiday, but being a nonprofit organization, her funds are limited.

So here’s my request,
If anyone has extra toy parts they are willing to donate to this project, or would be willing to purchase and send toy parts (preferably with ¼” or larger holes), or even more skewers for us to fill, we would be ever so grateful, and Gallagher Services would in turn send you a tax deductible charitable donation receipt for your gift. Toy part donations can be sent up through the beginning of December. The more toys parts we can get, the more toys these wonderful people will be able to make, and the more birds will have much needed enrichment.

Deb White, owner of http://www.makeyourownbirdtoys.com/ has most generously offered to match any purchase made though her store for this project!

Truly this is a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season, helping people helping parrots.
Thank you all!

Please send your toy part donations to:

Parrot Toy Project
C/O Suse Greenstone
Gallagher Services
Horticultural Therapy Programs
2520 Pot Spring Rd.
Timonium, MD  21093

Annie made a few sample toys