As a youngster I watched the ABC news each night, fixated on the bulge in the newsreader’s jacket. It was a baby flying fox called Archie. Richard Morecroft went on to write a book about Archie’s rehabilitation, and I was hooked. Based in NSW my dream from that moment was to join WIRES as soon as I was old enough. Time however intervened, and I found myself in Tasmania and WIRES-less. I asked my local vet if she knew anyone who could mentor me in the world of wildlife rehabilitation and 17 years later I am still as passionate about wildlife as ever. I have seized every opportunity to expand my knowledge, and attended absolutely every workshop on offer, and there is still so much to learn. I joined the Wombat Protection Society board and, in 2014, coordinated Tasmania’s first Australian Wildlife Rehabilitation Conference. In between caring for my many orphans I helped establish the Tasmanian Wildlife Rehabilitation Council as the peak representative body working to support wildlife carers in our state, and currently serve as its President. Above all else it has been my privilege to work with our precious native animals.