Over the summer of 2018, I volunteered with ten of my SGC peers at the Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary. I had heard about the site from the previous group of Alturas volunteers who had recommended the opportunity. As the group of future volunteers was finalized, we received the forwarded information from Alex Berardo about the location and who our supervisor was. To those who wish to also volunteer at Alturas, I would recommend contacting the site early to confirm dates and housing, as well as booking the flight together so that everyone arrives at the same time. I think we avoided a lot of problems by finalizing the dates early and having one person book the group flight so there was no confusion regarding which flight we were booking. At the site we performed tasks such as cleaning, preparing and delivering food to the animals, raked and painted around the facility, built enclosures and structures from scratch, collected enrichment and fruit to be added to the enclosures. Frank and I also assisted the veterinarians one day by travelling with them to local schools and put on a puppet show that helped teach the children about the importance of conservation. What I learned was less on the academia side but more on the field work/hands on experience. By volunteering I learned about the inner workings of a wildlife sanctuary and how to maintain the facility. The experience was similar to working at an animal shelter but on a much larger scale. I gained a greater appreciation for conservation biologists, specifically the conditions they endure and hours they work to keep the animals healthy. I have always planned to go into conservation ecology but I learned that working at a sanctuary may not be for me. Instead, I think doing field work and observations is more suited for me. Although the work I performed at the sanctuary was fun, by the end of the trip I was beginning to process the physical exhaustion of working in very hot and humid conditions. On top of that, considering I am not that strong or athletic, doing physically demanding tasks all day was not ideal. Suggestions for future volunteers would include be extra prepared, such as pack at least 3 cans of bug spray and sunscreen, bring extra pairs of clothes for each day (including clothes you don’t mind throwing away afterwards because sometimes they are ruined beyond repair), and stay hydrated. I think the most valuable part of the experience was seeing how a sanctuary works because most people who wish to pursue conservation often want to join a sanctuary or conservation site. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity because working at a sanctuary was something I was interested in and now I have the experience I need to adjust my career trajectory accordingly. Although I still want to work in conservation, I may look into working at a plant conservatory or botanical garden. Even though working and bonding with the animals was very rewarding, it was also a lot of work and got messy at times. Additionally, if I had worked at Alturas for longer I’m sure I would have fallen in love with the animals by working with them for a longer period of time, but given the two weeks we stayed, I only admired the animals and did not really get to connect with them. Overall I enjoyed the experience and wouldn’t have wanted to undergo my practicum project in any other way and I highly recommend it to future students since the work was both intellectually beneficial as well as physically. For someone like myself who is more shy and independent, the experience pushed me outside of my comfort zone which helped me grow a lot.