Soon after Abi was given a canary, a guest offered us a parrot. A mischievous, opinionated cherry head named Beaker came to us . Little did we know he would change our lives forever. Knowing nothing about parrots, we turned to the AOL chat rooms and met the incredible bird community that still supports us to this day. Some are passed, some still with us, the chat rooms are long gone… But the generosity and experience we gained there guides us still.

Parrots can’t be alone, so Cosmo Patagonian came to live here, then Gracie macaw arrived after a LARRA sponsored conference, and our ties to the Midwest parrot community grew. Soon, the roomy farmhouse was full of birds, the children grew and left, and the new birds trickled their way upstairs. We had to make a decision… Find these a home and quit, or commit to being a rescue? So we set up a 501c3 non profit status, created a webpage, and acquired a board. In 1999, the birds had filled the third floor attic and we were running out of space to reasonably shelter and care for them.

We needed to make a decision about whether to remain a small in-home rescue, or take the huge financial and time commitment to expanding. At this Lynne and Derrick Grimmer from the MidAmerican Cage Bird Society in Des Moines approached us in 2006 about expanding our capacity and mission. Their generous grant and continued support led to a separate dedicated building plus funds and a mandate for land restoration. In 2008, the birds moved to the new building.

Since then we have built a loyal family of volunteers and donors. We've seen additions and upgrades, plus a lot of birds passing through on their ways to new homes. By the end of 2022 that number was over 1,100. Along the way we've been helped by too many people to mention, as mentors, volunteers, donors, and supporters. We're always learning, always trying to help, and always hoping that someday we won't be needed, when every bird is in a good forever home.