In a wink, after being asked to join in 2004, I was consumed by the volunteer spirit and camaraderie of the regional board of the Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Glastonbury. This group works tirelessly and selflessly to plan and conduct fundraisers - five per year - to support the children's education programs about the natural world that the Center provides. You have but to shadow one class of third graders and to watch the awe and excitement on their faces as they have first-hand experiences with nature, on our field trips or in the classroom, to to understand why your volunteer effort makes a difference and how your investment of time and money reinforces the Society's mission. It is also a joy to watch our after school group of volunteer children learn how to take care of and handle the animals (birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and arthropods) at the Center.