Why I Support Team Build
- brcsonoma
- Dec 8, 2025
- 4 min read
Everyone has something they feel passionate about. Perhaps it's family, or music, human rights or any one of a million other things.
For me, at this time in my life, it's supporting BRC's relocation project. I'd like to share with you why this has touched my heart so deeply in hopes you will join me in supporting Team Build.
If, after reading this, you agree this is a worthy and vital project, please join Team Build because BRC's 2025 Challenge Match is underway!
I became a BRC spouse in 2005 when my husband, Brad, first started volunteering at BRC almost twenty years ago. Our cat had gotten into a Towhee nest – twice – and out of both compassion and guilt, Brad signed up to help feed baby birds. Here was this big, strong guy delicately feeding the tiniest little babies with utmost care. His guilt receded but his compassion kicked up to a whole other level.
And then came the day he was allowed to help with his first raptor. It was love at first sight and from that day forward, he was hooked. He studied, trained and went on to become BRC’s first Raptor Release Coordinator. Brad felt a deep, personal connection and a profound sense of responsibility for each and every raptor that came in for care.
I learned to share him with his newfound passion. And every time a bigger, badder species came in, his dedication to caring for these majestic birds of prey grew even more. I watched as he spent countless hours doing nest reconnaissance in order to successfully place orphaned babies with foster parents. I drove through the countryside with him searching for nests and parents in order to return babies to their families. I waited up for him to return after releasing owls after dark. And I witnessed his anguish when a plan didn’t come to fruition the way he had hoped.
For him, volunteering at BRC wasn’t simply a matter of putting in a few hours a week. He soon discovered, as many of our volunteers do, this was a calling of the heart.
Fast forward to 2018. The ancient World War II Quonset hut that houses BRC was literally disintegrating. The roof leaked (everywhere), portable heaters and AC units couldn’t even begin to keep up with the temperatures outside. War raged with what seemed to be an army of rats wanting to take over the premises. And the County announced its imminent plan to sell the property we had occupied for so many years.
That was the year I joined the board of directors in order to lead the relocation project. Having witnessed first-hand the heart and soul of this organization, there was no way we were going to watch it go under.
The journey since then has been filled with highs and lows. We found a potential new home, lost it, and then found one even better thanks to a generous benefactor. Slowly but surely we began to learn how to fundraise. Our dedicated army of volunteers stepped up time and again, only to be sidelined by COVID. And my beloved husband of 46 years passed away. But no matter how many times we collectively got knocked down, together we got back up. Stronger. More determined.
Today, thanks to that army of volunteers who have now been able to return to our ranks, thanks to a generous community who have funded repairs to our old Quonset hut, and thanks to angel donors who share our vision of what can be; we are moving ever closer to building a modern new facility that will match the heart and soul of BRC. One that will enable us to serve our community – and our local avian populations – in ways that surpass the expert care we currently manage despite the physical limitations of our center.
I have a personal stake in this project. I’m determined to build a facility that matches the compassion, effort and expertise found within our walls. And I’m grateful to have a way to ensure a legacy for my husband. He got me into this. And I’ll see it through because I know now just how vital it is. This new facility won’t just be straight walls and a roof that doesn’t leak. It will be a place of new beginnings and second chances. It will be a safe haven for sick, injured and orphaned wild birds. It will provide that kind and knowledgeable voice on the phone when people call in a panic needing help for a wounded bird.
The new Bird Rescue Center will be all of that and more. And you can help me make it a reality. Every gift helps ensure the future of this vibrant organization – a refuge for the birds who desperately need help, and for the ones who tirelessly provide it.
Your gifts will have such an impact. It’s not often you have the opportunity to make a clear and lasting difference – especially right here in our own backyard. This is one of those times, so please join me in supporting Team Build.
With my heartfelt thanks and deepest appreciation, Sam Marsh
BRC Board of Directors
Whichever team you choose to support (and why not both?), you will be investing in our skies and giving second chances to the thousands of wild birds we care for each year. Donate online using the button above, or mail your check to:
The Bird Rescue Center
PO Box 475
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
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