REBECCA WINER-SKONOVD
Name:
Rebecca Winer-Skonovd
Occupation:
Environmental Scientist
Birthplace:
St. Louis, MO
About my family:
My parents live in Maryland which is where I grew up. I have two younger sisters -- one just graduated from Georgetown and is now residing in Washington DC and working as a research assistant for George Washington University. The other sister is working on her masters in geology at Miami University in Ohio. My husband and I moved out here from Maryland in January. I am currently working on the sisters right now (you know you want to live in California!) -- perhaps if the sisters come, the parents will follow? We'll see! ;)
Companion animal I share my home with:
Loki, a 4-year-old American shorthair tabby with white; he was a former barn kitten that we took in from a friend.
Vina, a 7-year-old American shorthair tortoiseshell with all the attitude that we come to expect and know from torties! We got her from an SPCA in Maryland 6.5 years ago.
Favorite hobbies:
Volleyball, hiking, and sudoku
Favorite foods:
Mexican, Indian, and Thai
Favorite movies:
The Lord of the Rings trilogy
Favorite TV show:
I can't say that I really have one, if I had to pick one, I'd say, "Lost."
Favorite way to relax:
Sitting outside with my husband on a Friday evening with wine glass in hand.
Books I'm currently reading:
Marley and Me by John Grogan. Can't say enough good things about this book -- hilarious and touching, very well written and an easy read; highly recommend for anyone who's ever had a dog or is thinking about getting a dog!
My first job was:
Working at an ice cream shop over the summer with no air conditioner for $3.75/hour!
I play the following musical instrument:
Piano
Most-extreme sport or activity I've tried:
Hmm, haven't done anything too extreme -- gone white-water rafting several times -- all on the East Coast. One year we went rafting on "ice breaker weekend" -- it's the weekend of the first snow melt -- boy were the waters cold that day! I'll think twice now about going rafting in early April...
Country in the world I'd most like to visit, and why:
There are so many to pick from -- the Galapagos Islands (okay, so not a country, but they are part of the country, Ecuador) is high on the list right now -- it would be amazing to see the diversity of wildlife that is unique to these islands.
My idea of a perfect vacation:
See below.
Most surprising fact about me:
I had a destination wedding... in Belize! I had never been there before and always wanted to go, so figured why not? This also answers the question above, because this was the perfect vacation -- my husband and I spent the week leading up to our wedding with 40 close friends and relatives on Ambergris Caye, a Belizean island on the Caribbean. We went snorkeling, relaxed by the pool, imbibed in rum punch and wonderful Belizean food and enjoyed the beautiful Caribbean scenery. I was possibly the most relaxed bride-to-be ever. After our wedding, we "ditched" everyone and headed inland to the jungle where we spent the week canoeing, checking out Mayan ruins, and cave tubing.
Causes or issues that matter most to me:
Of course, with an environmental background, I care very much about the current state of our water resources and how our everyday activities impact the streams and rivers that we rely on for drinking water and recreation.
And this one isn't a surprise either (since I am a volunteer with FFR!): I also care very much about the care and welfare of animals -- cats, dogs, penguins, endangered species, etc.
Current volunteer role with FFR:
I work adoption events on Saturdays at PetsMart (at least once a month).
Why I decided to volunteer with FFR:
I get paid on the weekdays to work on environmental issues, so I wanted to dedicate some time to the other issue that matters most to me -- helping animals. I did a search on Volunteer Match and discovered FFR. I like that FFR is a no-kill rescue with many different ways to volunteer.
What I like best about volunteering with FFR:
When you know a great match has been found at an adoption event -- especially when it's an adult cat that has been with FFR for awhile and has finally found his/her home with a great person.
Advice I have for other people wanting to volunteer:
It's easy! The way I see it, I get to play with cats for 3 hours, once a month. I travel a lot for work and if I can set aside 3 hours a month, I think just about anyone can. 