Jenny Howard and her small team of interns spend summers on Seal Island off the coast of Maine in an effort to monitor and help the fledgling puffin population there. Howard has been at it for the last three summers and her efforts have helped restore the populations of several sea bird species including the arctic terns, great black-backed gulls and Atlantic puffins.

Seal Island is a national wildlife refuge situated about 21 miles off the Rockland, Maine coast and was once owned by the U.S. Navy who used the location for bombing practice. Live ordnance can still be found on the rocky terrain.

Life on the island may seem idyllic but it comes with its own set of hardships. The volunteers, who live on the island in a group of four or five, sleep in tents and use solar heated water to take tepid showers when they can. There is no electricity on the island except for two solar powered lights, and therefore, no refrigeration. The crew brings in what they can carry in their backpacks – clothes, canned and dried foods and supplies. Water and food are brought in every ten days by a local lobster fisherman who sometimes brings fresh lobster too.

Howard supervises the crew for Project Puffin, a seabird restoration project associated with the National Audubon Society. They monitor and look after nine species of seabirds in the summertime when the birds breed.

The primary focus is on the puffins who were hunted for their feathers and as food 150 years ago until none were left on the island. Dr. Steve Kress who created Project Puffin is responsible for the reintroduction of the puffin to the island 40 years ago.

The daily routine consists of counting the paired seabirds for three hours starting before daybreak. Later, they record wind direction, air temperature and sea surface conditions in order to monitor the habitat.

A single cabin is used for cooking, data collection and data entry and houses a small library containing books left by past volunteers. It doubles as a shelter during inclement weather.

Howard says the best part of her day is playing with the birds. She loves seeing a baby chick and the work she does is all the satisfaction she needs.

Hurricane Sandy left in its wake battered buildings and broken dreams. The people affected by the fury of the storm are still putting their lives back together one step at a time. Essentials like food, water, shelter and clothing have to come first. Non-essential items are not even given a backwards glance so the senior class of one Queens neighborhood never expected to be celebrating prom. Thanks to an army of volunteers, this is one dream that didn’t have to be discarded.

The Channel View School for Research in the Rockaway neighborhood of Queens in New York City was hard hit when Sandy swept through, losing power and being flooded like many other buildings in the area. The students were forced to attend classes at alternate lo0cations for months while repairs were done. Every spare penny was being used for restoration with little hope of funds being set aside for a prom.

That’s when Operation Prom stepped in. Operation Prom is a charity that helps students realize one of the most looked-forward-to events of their young lives when circumstances, such as a natural disaster make the cost prohibitive.

The organization raised more than $11,000 for dresses, tuxedos and the prom itself. Men’s Warehouse chipped in with some of the expenses, too.

Instead of quietly finishing out their senior year and stepping into the next phase of life without a prom, these charitable volunteers gave a graduating glass the memories of a lifetime. They were able to celebrate with friends and have the experience that their peers across the country were having. This group of seniors shares the start of a bright future that even a hurricane couldn’t blow away.

More than two dozen pilot whales beached themselves on the beach in Fife, Scotland, just south of St. Andrews. Ten were refloated and returned to deeper waters after being stranded however, sixteen other died on the beach.

Veterinarians were on the scene and did what they could to keep as many of the 20-foot creatures alive while rescuers worked to get them back in the water. Volunteers from all over came to help the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, the Fire Brigade, local coastguard, several animal charities and the local vets get the animals to safety.

News of the beaching between Anstruther and Pittenweem reached the coastguard early Sunday morning on August 26. Among the whales that died were three calves.

Local fish filleter, David Galloway of Anstruther, visited the beach around noon and was horrified by the spectacle, something he has never witnessed before. Visitors were not allowed on the beach while the rescuers were working but the sight could be observed form a short distance away where others had gathered to hold vigil. They watched as the rescue workers worked to keep the whales moist while waiting for the tide to come in.

According to a spokeswoman for the coastguard, whale beaching in Scotland is very rare. There is no telling why the whales chose this spot to beach themselves. In most cases, the lead whale becomes lost or ill and beaches itself with the rest following suit. It has not been determined what caused the beaching in Scotland.

Fortunately, the ten that were saved headed out to sea and seemed healthy according to officials on the scene.

Earlier this week many parts of the southern United States were hit by a wide outbreak of tornadoes that essentially flattened many towns and cities. Fortunately in such a time of need and disaster thousands of volunteers have flocked to the affected areas to offer a hand with cleanup and recovery efforts in any way they can.

Throughout the affected areas hundreds of people were injured and thousands more are now essentially homeless; fortunately for all of these affected people there are thousands of volunteers already on the scene or already headed that direction. Volunteer organizations from various schools, churches, colleges, and other locations in the affected areas are hard at work cleaning up after the devastation left behind by the extremely powerful tornadoes.

The recent tornado outbreak was so severe it even crippled many emergency response crews by destroying or damaging equipment; in these areas specifically outside emergency crews have already begun to help by replacing essential equipment. In certain areas the Nation Guard has also been called in for assistance.

Many affected areas are already starting to see serious signs of recovery as the massive volunteer armies continue with the cleanup. Many local analysts say the turnout of volunteers in many areas truly is astonishing. Currently government assistance programs are not yet deployed though President Obama has said he hopes to offer some sort of assistance as soon as possible; in the meantime the volunteer groups will continue taking control of the situation and doing everything they can.