Meet Susan Wilkinson

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Susan Wilkinson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Susan below.

Susan, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

How did I find my purpose?

I rescued a duckling.

Ironically, I had been actively trying to find my purpose. I had been attending events, soul searching, researching, just trying to find what I should be doing to make my life worth while and to help my community. None of it was helping. I was as lost as ever.
I live in Hawaii and my home was on a canal. I made friends with the ducks who came daily for a snack. A momma would come up with her newly hatched ducklings, and within a week, they were all gone. Nature is cruel, even in paradise. So, after seeing this happen a couple of times, I decided that if she came up with ducklings again, I would do something. She came with one duckling. I kept true to my promise and took in the little angel. I knew she would not make it thru the night if I hadn’t. That was Daffy.
Daffy went everywhere with me…everywhere. I volunteered a lot with an organization called AccesSurf. We helped anyone with a physical or cognitive disability have access to the healing power of the ocean. Daffy always came with. She grew up on the beach and became a therapy animal for our participants and soon learned how to surf. She even competed in the annual Going to the Dogs, SurFuf Competition – and was a sponsored athlete! Because of her public appearances, she gained a little notoriety on island. That’s when it started. Hey, you have a duck, I just found this lost ducking, can you help? Oh hey, this duck was hit by a car, can you help? I am not a vet, and the only medical background I have was growing up with my mom who was a quadriplegic. I did what I could to help any duck that was brought to me. I connected with a bird rescue group on island to learn as much as I could. I made friends with the vets who were seeing the injured ducks I was trying to help. And, I connected with an incredible rescue in Connecticut called Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary. Kim was my hero. She had been running Majestic for over 20 years and had written the book on rescue and rehab – literally! I bought her book.
I made the very important decision to become an official 501(c)3 non-profit Sanctuary. Now I wasn’t just a crazy duck lady, I was a legitimate crazy duck lady. And then it hit me – I had found my purpose. I wasn’t going to change the world, but I was going to do everything I could to make a difference in my part of the world. I have worked incredibly hard to get where I am, and I love that I am able to make a difference in the lives of so many waterfowl here in Hawaii.
A year ago – the unthinkable happened. My Sanctuary flock were the first case of Avian Influenza in Hawaii. Devastating does not even begin to explain what happened. Without going into detail, every duck, swan and goose, and even my pet lovebirds were taken from me. Either by the virus, or the state. I was in shock, traumatized, and have suffered so much grief and loss. I ran away from it all and went home to heal. I had lost everything in such a tragic way, that I did not know if or how I could ever recover. I am still not where I was, and I don’t know if I ever will be. But the support from friends, family, strangers, duck lovers – was incredible. I would not be anywhere close to where I am today without them. It took a long time to decide if I would return to what had been my purpose for 6 years. I was reached out to for help, and was not able to say no. It was part of who I am to help these souls in need. So, slowly I have been helping as best as I can. It’s not easy, but they give me a reason to wake up in the morning. To remind me that there is more to life than grieving. It will still take years for me to come to terms with what I experienced, and that is ok. I have been reminded to give myself time and grace. That is all I can do. But I am still so grateful that my purpose is still to help and remember that I am needed and loved.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Aloha!

I’m Susan and I am the founder and Director of Susie’s Duck Sanctuary on Oahu, Hawaii. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit whose mission is to help RESCUE, REHABILITATE, and REHOME ducks and geese on Oahu and all of the islands. We have been an official non-profit since September 2022, but I started rescuing ducks years before that. I fell into the world of animal rescue by chance. Daffy came into my life and changed it. I had been helping with ducks in an unofficial capacity, but after she passed away, I felt it was my mission to help as many as I could in her honor. The Sanctuary is her legacy.

It is definitely a labor of love what I do. It is long hours, hard work and can be heartbreaking. I am not a vet, I just do my best to help make a difference in my little corner of the world. I have learned so much and met some of the most amazing, kind and caring duck people around the world. That makes it all worth while. While going thru the tragedy last year, it was this community and the love and support, that helped me survive.

The best part is knowing I have made a difference in the life of another living being. The biggest challenge is fundraising and finding volunteers. But I love creating a place where people feel a part of what is happening here. Volunteers know they are appreciated and donors know how much of a difference they are making. We are in a new growth phase following our re-opening. This has been a chance to really share our love of ducks and waterfowl thru education and outreach throughout our community.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

This might sound a little random, but the most important skill I have that has helped the most, is the fact that my mother was a quadriplegic. She got a spinal cord injury while riding on bumper cars and was paralyzed from the neck down. I was her primary caregiver for most of my life. I learned compassion, humor, kindness in the face of adversity, some of the most obscure medical knowledge, and unconditional love from her. Never did I think this would all come together to help animals in need.

When I was asked to care for a swan who was paralyzed by a golf ball to the neck, I knew exactly what she was going thru. I gave her the care I had learned to give my mom. Months, and a lot of hard work later, the swan was able to walk again.
The way I would say this experience can translate to others is, never forget experiences you go thru. It can all translate and become knowledge in very unexpected ways!

Another experience that has helped me on this journey, is the fact that I grew up around the world. I have met so many different, amazing people. Being able to relate to such an interesting variety of people, makes you much more relatable and approachable. Travel – even if just in your city or state. Get out there and learn about other peoples’ experiences. You will be amazed at how much you can broaden your reach.

And the biggest skill is to not only listen, but to hear what people are telling you. Make sure they know you hear them and care. I am genuinely fascinated by others and what their story is. I love hearing about it and being able to have those conversations. I am always learning from their experiences.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Although I am in Hawaii, and it is not just around the corner for most folks, I am always looking to collaborate. Different ways for us both to promote what we do, and help improve ourselves financially. I exist on donations, so finding fun and unique ways to raise funds, is always on my mind. Other companies and organizations are frequently looking for non-profit organizations to support as part of their philanthropic endeavors. I love finding those partnerships that are beneficial for us both. I am easily reached via social media, email or phone.

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