|
 |
Table of Contents
|
|
|
|
 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk being banded before release by raptor specialist Anne Ardillo, volunteer with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO) and WildCare. Photos by Ric Panizo |
 |
| Before release, measurements are taken and recorded by a volunteer with GGRO and WildCare. |
 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk just before release by a GGRO volunteer. |
 |
| This is one of three late-season baby raccoons that will remain in foster care until December. Photo by JoLynn Taylor |
|
|
 |
| Hungry Owl Project Owl boxes encourage predators of rodents and may help control California Ground Squirrels -- even those that live in Ojai. Photo by David Taylor |
 |
| Kids love animals, even "tough" little boxers whom Nature Van Naturalist Marge Gibbs visited recently. Photos by Elizabeth Friedle |
 |
|
 |
|
Behind the Scenes
Things are slowing down in WildCare's hospital this month, and releases are becoming a top priority, even though some species seem to think it is still spring and continue to have babies. Our education department, on the other hand, is just getting rolling with new fall programs. Here's what has been going on behind the scenes.
The Hawk Release
If you saw the video on our website last month about the raptors in the flight aviary, you will be interested to hear that both Red-tails featured in the video were released last week and are now free and wild again. A Red-shouldered Hawk that shared the aviary with them was also released on Saturday, August 22. Rescuer Ric Panizo was on hand to see the release, and he forwarded some photos to us.
Raptor specialist Anne Ardillo, who volunteers for both WildCare and The Golden Gate Raptor Observatory(GGRO), took measurements and banded the bird before he was released. His information will go into the database of information kept by GGRO.
Anne will be offering a class on raptor identification and a field trip to Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands on October 3 at WildCare. Click to learn more.
Three More Orphaned Raccoons
Just when we thought baby season was over for 2009, the Marin Humane Society brought us three baby raccoons, still nursing. Or rather, they would have been nursing if their mother hadn't been trapped and illegally relocated.
The Marin Humane Society officer who brought these babies to WildCare had managed to pull them out of a crawl space under a house. She said it was no easy task. The space was only about 12 inches high, so it was impossible to crawl in to get them. The officer said they had to use catchpoles as fishing poles to pull the babies out from over 15 feet in.
The babies were in remarkably good condition, considering their mother had been trapped on a Tuesday morning and the babies weren't found until that Friday. They were dehydrated, and were given fluids before going home with a WildCare Foster Care volunteer. Their caretaker gave them more fluids the next day to address the fluid deficit, and got them started on a substitute milk formula.
They are now well into recovery and we expect to keep them in care until December, when they will be old enough to take care of themselves and can be released back to the neighborhood where they were found.
A Long-distance Win for the Environment
Maggie Sergio, Director of WildCare's Wildlife Solutions, reports continuing good news about increased awareness of, and reductions in, rodenticide use. She received a follow-up letter from Cristin who single-handedly petitioned her Homeowner's Association to stop using rodenticides at her complex in Ojai and won (read the story in WildCare's June 2009 eNews). Cristin is now working to stop rodenticide use in the surrounding areas (including agriculture and open space) as well. One person really can make a difference! Cristin writes:
Last week, I called to get owl box plans as I thought the Ojai Raptor Center was out of boxes. As it turns out, they have some boxes, which are lined up on our porch, bringing smiles to everyone who sees them!
We are also building some boxes using WildCare's Hungry Owl Project plans as neighbors are enthusiastic and requesting boxes like crazy.
The Casitas Water District left a message this afternoon about getting rid of their rodenticides.
I want to thank you again and forever for all of your assistance.
A Wild Time at Boxing Camp?
Marge Gibbs, WildCare's Nature Van Naturalist writes:
Usually the Nature Van visits schools, but during the summer I go to a lot of summer camps and I recently visited the East Oakland Boxing Association.
I had to wonder where I was going that had a name like that, but it turned out to be a very well-run camp for underprivileged kids. Their goal is "to inspire and educate the youth of East Oakland so that they may grow up to be vibrant and healthy adults with improved opportunities and a better quality of life."
They actually have a full boxing ring and gym. They also have a nice garden where they grow food to sell and to eat themselves.
As a youth growing up in Oakland, the sport of boxing helped keep EOBA Founder Mr. Stanley Garcia off the streets, engaged in positive activities, and helped him steer clear of drugs and alcohol. Through this personal experience, Stanley established the EOBA in 1987 because he felt strongly that the "tough" sport of boxing would coax otherwise hardened youth to explore the program. Similar to martial arts, boxing requires and teaches skills, discipline and respect.
Boys and girls alike learn how to manage and channel anger and fear through boxing. They then carry these learned behaviors and skills home and to the streets, where other alternatives are most likely extremely dangerous.
I found the kids to be very attentive and interested. They loved posing for pictures with the taxidermied animals. I hope to be able to visit them again as these are city kids who really don't get much chance to learn about the natural world around them. |
|
|
Back to Top
|
|
Events and Outings
|
|
|
| On September 6, WildCare will be in Tiburon's Labor Day Parade. |
 |
|
Run, don't walk, to the Marin Jewelers Guild to see the one-of-a-kind bird pins created by San Rafael metalsmith artists in honor of WildCare. Photo courtesy of the Marin Jewelers Guild |
|
|
| September 11 Marin Blues, Jazz and Soul Festival in Marin City |
|
|
|
September 12 WildCare Family Adventures Walk on Ring Mountain. Photo by Holly Manley |
 |
|
The 2009 Terwilliger Environmental Award Presentation will be on September 18 at WildCare. Above, winner Jack Laws drawing in Glass Creek Meadow in Mono County, California. Photo courtesy of Jack Laws |
|
|
| Black-headed Grosbeak (male) illustration by Jack Laws |
 |
|
September 22 at the Marin History Museum Teachers' Open House. Photo courtesy of the Marin Historical Society |
|
|
|
|
| September 26 WildCare outing to view wildlife of the Gulf of the Farallones. What wildlife will you see? Photo by Michael Grebanier from oceanicsociety.org |
 |
|
Humpback whale spy-hopping. Photo by Alison Sanders from oceanicsociety.org |
 |
|
Whale watching. Photo by Stan Minasian |
 |
| September 17 at Marin County Office of Education. Learn humane control techniques for rodents, owls, raccoons, ants and wasps. Photo by Garrett Scales. |
 |
|
Black Rat. Photo courtesy of huckleberry days blogspot |
|
|
|
 |
| September 29 WildCare hosts the Environmental Forum with a tour of the hospitals and guest speakers from the Oiled Wildlife Care Network and the Marine Mammal Center. Photo by JoLynn Taylor |
 |
| Northern Harrier male (above) and female (below). Photos by Don Moseman |
 |
WildCare Out and About
Our courtyard is small and intimate, but Marin County is big and wide open! Look for us everywhere this month! From Labor Day parades and music festivals to family walks in nature and Farallon Island adventures, there's something for everyone. Please join us!
Meet WildCare at the Ross Farmer's Market
WildCare board members Dianne Fruin and Susanne Lyons will be on hand at the Ross Farmers Market on September 3 from 3 - 7pm with a table full of great WildCare information and a taxidermy animal or two. Stop by our booth and say hello!
Return to calendar listings.
Tiburon's Fifth Annual, Old-Fashioned, Home-Town Parade
We're on the parade circuit this year, showing off the new Pitcairn Wildlife Emergency Service van. If you missed us in Fairfax or Corte Madera this summer, it's not too late to get in on the action! We'll be driving in the Belvedere-Tiburon Labor Day Parade on Sunday, September 6, and if you're lucky, you might even get a glimpse of the infamous Quail Dance!
Come for the Quail Dance, stay for the antique cars! The Tiburon Parade boasts five live bands with a variety of music, antique cars and creative floats. The parade starts at 2pm near the Tiburon Library at the corner of Tiburon Boulevard and Mar West Street and ends at 4pm at Belvedere Park for the final Concert in the Park Event.
If you'd like to join us and march in the parade, please email Jan Armstrong at janarmstrong@wildcarebayarea.org or call 415-453-1000 x13. We'd love to have you join us!
Return to calendar listings.
Rare Birds for WildCare
Stop by the Marin Jewelers Guild from September 6 through October 3 to see some very rare birds. The Guild's metalsmiths will be selling one-of-a-kind bird pins to help support WildCare. Each pin is a work of art reflecting the distinctive style and skill of the artisan who created it.
The Guild will host a reception in honor of the bird pins on September 11 from 6 to 8pm. In addition to the pins, you can also check out and purchase beautiful prints and paintings of birds by artists Barbara Banthien and Peta Sanderson. Don't miss this chance to swoop up a special bird pin, painting or print, and help WildCare in the process.
The Marin Jewelers Guild is located at 1331 Fourth St. in San Rafael; 415-454-2711 marinjewelersguild.com.
Return to calendar listings.
Labor Day Blues, Jazz & Soul Party
WildCare's Nature Van will be on hand in Marin City on September 7 to join the fun at the Marin City Festival hosted by the Performing Stars of Marin, a non-profit organization for children, and the Marin Housing authority. Look for our booth with taxidermied animals and an afternoon of music and fun for the whole family. For more information call 415-332-8316.
Return to calendar listings.
Ring Mountain Family Hike
WildCare's new Nature Education program series-- WildCare Family Adventures-- encourages families to enjoy nature with WildCare naturalists in parks and open spaces around the Bay Area.
All programs are free and meet on scheduled Saturday mornings at the hike sites at 10 am. Click for a listing of upcoming programs.
On September 12, join us for a walk on Ring Mountain. Look for birds, insects, spiders, plants and the rocks that make up this unique ecosystem. We'll also visit the site of an ancient kitchen used by local Native Americans over 2000 years ago. Meet at Ring Mountain gate off Paradise Drive, 1.5 miles from Hwy 101 in Corte Madera.
Return to calendar listings.
Meet John (Jack) Muir Laws
Join WildCare staff, board and volunteers to meet and congratulate 2009 Terwilliger Environmental Award winner Jack Laws, and celebrate the 100-year-anniversary of Mrs. T's birth on Friday, September 18, 4 - 6 pm in the WildCare Terwilliger Center Courtyard (click for the event RSVP form and directions to WildCare.)
Jack Laws delights in exploring the natural world and sharing his love with others. He has worked as an environmental educator in California, Wyoming, and Alaska for over 25 years. He has written and illustrated field guides on the natural history of California and teaches classes on natural history, conservation biology, scientific illustration and field sketching, usually in conjunction with institutions like the California Academy of Sciences and the Audubon Society.
In the same encouraging spirit as pioneer environmental educator Mrs. Elizabeth Terwilliger, Jack inspires his students to explore, learn about and draw nature. He says "There is no 'right way to draw.' The most important thing is to just get out there and do it. It will come."
As an educator who has made a significant impact on Bay Area environmental education, Jack will be presented with the Terwilliger Environmental Award and $2,000 to continue his work. Join us on September 18 for this special award presentation.
Return to calendar listings.
Marin History Museum Teacher Open House
WildCare's Education Department will be on hand to meet Marin teachers on Tuesday, September 22, 4 - 6 pm at the Marin History Museum's Boyd Gatehouse, 1125 B Street, in San Rafael.
The Teacher Open House is sponsored by the Marin History Museum and the Marin County Office of Education. It will provide teachers the opportunity to mingle with fellow teachers and to review local outreach programs, resources and field trip opportunities available for classrooms during the 2009 - 2010 school year.
Other participating non-profit organizations include the Marin Humane Society, The Marine Mammal Center, the Marin Museum of the American Indian, Marin Organic and Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT), and many others.
To RSVP please contact Monica Burrowes, Public Programs Coordinator at monica@marinhistory.org or call 415-382-0770, ext. 2#.
Return to calendar listings.
Gulf of the Farallones Wildlife Trip with WildCare
The waters of the Gulf are teaming with marine life, and are home to several species of marine mammals and seabirds during the summer and fall. Common Gulf visitors are Humpback Whales, several species of dolphins, California Sea Lions, and the threatened Steller's Sea Lion. Seabirds found near the Farallones include Black-footed Albatross, Sooty Shearwaters, Rhinoceros Auklets and Tufted Puffins.
WildCare's Director of Education, Juan-Carlos Solis, is an extraordinary naturalist who has led field trips with the Oceanic Society since 1997. This month, WildCare invites you to join us on Saturday, September 26 to visit the Gulf of Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, and to look for marine wildlife on a field trip created in collaboration with Oceanic Society Expeditions.
Families are welcome with children ages 10 to 15; an adult must accompany youths under 15 years. Advance reservations and payment are required for this all-day trip departing from San Francisco at 7:30am and returning at 4pm on Saturday, September 26.
WildCare members $110/non-members $120; for reservations and detailed field trip information, call Anya Pamplona at 415-453-1000 ext. 12 or email anya@wildcarebayarea.org.
Return to calendar listings.
Ants, Rats and Raccoons: Managing Pests Without Poisons
Marin County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (MCSTOPPP) invites you to a workshop on how to take an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to managing problems with wildlife. Offered on Thursday, September 17, 2009, 9 - 3 pm, the class will be held at the Marin County Office of Education, West Wing II, 1111 Las Gallinas Ave., San Rafael.
Maggie Sergio and JoLynn Taylor, representing WildCare's Wildlife Exclusion Service, will give a presentation on the behavior and biology of raccoons, how to manage the environment and why relocation of nuisance animals doesn't work.
Maggie Rufo of WildCare's Hungry Owl Project will talk about the hazards of secondary poisoning to predator owls.
Art Slater of UC Berkeley Pest Management will discuss the biology and behavior of Argentine Ants, water quality issues around pesticides and how Integrated Pest Management (IPM) can be effectively utilized. He will also give practical solutions to common pest problems, discuss the differences in behavior between Roof Rats and Norway Rats and provide exclusionary methods and information on the management of wasps, yellowjackets and cockroaches.
This workshop is free to Marin County Municipal employees, and open to the public at a cost of $15. Registration is required and includes lunch. Space is limited to 30 people. To register, download the event PDF and print and mail the form at the bottom with a check.
Return to calendar listings.
Environmental Forum at WildCare
On September 29 WildCare will be hosting a full-day session of the Environmental Forum of Marin (EFM), focused on California Habitats, which will include a tour of our wildlife hospital for participants.
Speakers will include WildCare's own Director of Education, Juan-Carlos Solis, Dr. Michael Ziccardi, Director of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network and Ann Bauer, Director of Education of the Marine Mammal Center.
The Environmental Forum of Marin's (EFM) Sustainable Earth Forum is an 18-week educational opportunity for adults, focusing on sustainability, ecology, human impacts on the environment, resource management, and citizen-based community action. Participants learn from key professionals, government officials and dedicated citizens working actively for environmental organizations. The goal of the Earth Forum is to provide knowledge to individuals who are, or who would like to be, involved in making decisions affecting their community. The underlying philosophy of EFM is that any decision, whether governmental, educational or personal, is a better decision when made by an informed individual.
For more information and a full description of the 2009-2010 Sustainable Earth Forum program, we invite you to visit: http://www.marinefm.org/training_traditional.html
Return to calendar listings.
A Day with Raptors
Anne Ardillo, WildCare volunteer and raptor specialist with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, will offer a class on raptor identification on October 3. The class will begin at WildCare at 9am and carpools will be arranged at the class for a trip to Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands.
Bring a bag lunch or snacks for a hawk talk at 12pm and stay to view the autumn raptor migration with GGRO naturalists.
The public is welcome. Fees are $15 for WildCare members and volunteers, $20 for non-members. Reserve a space at 415-453-1000, ext. 20 or email jolynntaylor@wildcarebayarea.org.
Return to calendar listings. |
Back to Top
|
|
|
 |
|
Desert Tortoises spend at least 95% of their lives in burrows that protect them from extremes of desert temperatures. Photo by Steven Corn, courtesy U.S. Geological Survey |
|
|
|
Unique water conservation strategies allow Desert Tortoises to store water in their bladders for later use. |
|
|
|
Spring wildflowers supply a good part of the moisture a tortoise consumes. Photo by Bonnie Rannald |
|
|
|
Social only during courting and mating, you can tell the difference between male and female Desert Tortoises by size, tail length and shape of the plastron and guitar horn. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey |
|
|
|
 |
| Newly hatched Desert Tortoises are vulnerable to predators that include coyotes, foxes, Gila Monsters, badgers and ravens. Photo courtesy of the California Bureau of Land Management |
 |
| Tortoises are slow to adapt to change and may attempt to return to territories if moved. Photo courtesy of Arizona Dept. of Fish and Game |
 |
| Mojave, WildCare's Wildlife Ambassador Desert Tortoise lives in the Terwilliger Nature Center, open every day. Photo by Trish Carney |
Reptile Bio: Desert Tortoise
The Desert Tortoise is native to the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of California, Nevada, Arizona and Mexico. This amazing animal is able to live where ground temperatures may exceed 140 degrees F. It spends at least 95% of its life in burrows, where it is protected from extreme heat and from freezing while dormant during winter torpor (brumation). Burrows may be over nine feet long.
Tortoises are land-dwelling turtles. The State Reptile of California, the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is one of four species of the genus Gopherus, known collectively as gopher tortoises. Gopherus agassizii adults weigh 8-15 pounds, with a carapace (shell) of 9-15 inches long.
Water in the Desert
Desert tortoises have unique characteristics that help them survive in their desert environment. From March through October, tortoises emerge from their burrows in the morning or late afternoon to forage for annual wildflowers, herbs, grasses, some shrubs and the new growth of cacti and their flowers. They also ingest rocks and soil, perhaps to maintain intestinal digestive bacteria, or as a source of calcium or other minerals. As with birds, stones may also function as gastroliths to aid digestion.
Much of the tortoise's water intake comes from moisture in the plants they consume in the spring. Water that reaches the bladder can be recalled when needed for hydration. They also have been observed to dig catchment basins in the soil and to remember where these are. By November, most tortoises have begun brumation until the following March, only emerging during winter storms to replenish water stores.
Social Life
Desert Tortoises make hisses, pops and poink sounds, perhaps as fear and distress calls, but other than during mating, they are solitary. Even then the best you can get from a male is a grunting sound.
Tortoises reach sexual maturity at anywhere from 8 - 20 years old, depending more on weight than age. Males are generally slightly larger and have longer tails than females, and their plastron (lower shell) is concave compared to female tortoises. Mating season is August to October, when the males' testosterone levels peak. Females store sperm until summer.
Both sexes have a gular horn -- an extension of the plastron in the front. The horn is longer in males and often upturned. Males use these in fighting with other males, attempting to flip the opponent on its back. The defensive male attempts to stand as high as possible to prevent this from happening. Each female lays just 4 - 8 eggs, using her hind limbs to dig her nest.
Population Decline
These ancient animals can live 80 - 100 years, but Desert Tortoise populations of the Mojave Desert have declined by 90 percent since the 1980s and they are now are federally listed as a threatened species. It is unlawful to touch, harm, harass or collect a wild Desert Tortoise. but that doesn't stop it from happening.
Ravens, Gila Monsters, Kit Foxes, badgers, roadrunners, coyotes and Fire Ants are all natural predators of the Desert Tortoise. They prey on eggs and juvenile tortoises, when they are two-three inches long and still have thin, delicate shells.
Ravens are now one of the Desert Tortoise's primary predators, and have caused more than 50 percent of juvenile Desert Tortoise deaths in some areas of the Mojave Desert, but habitat loss is the larger culprit. As urban expansion increases, invasive plant species are introduced and raven populations increase. Illegal collection, off-road vehicles and vandalism, upper respiratory tract disease, and the loss of forage plants from grazing contribute to the tortoises' population decline.
Tortoises that have been illegally taken from the wild and kept in captivity cannot be returned because of the possibility of introducing upper respiratory disease, contracted while in captivity, to the wild population.
Conservation Efforts
Tortoises are slow to adapt to rapid changes in habitat alteration. Long life spans, late maturity, and widely variable nest success are traits that allowed turtles to outlive the dinosaurs, but they are poorly adapted for life in the rapidly changing modern world. While many conservation efforts are underway, success has been illusive.
Last year, more than 250 Desert Tortoises died after a disastrous attempt by the U.S. Army to relocate 600 tortoises to make way for a tank-warfare training area in the California desert. While the intention was to prevent a dangerous impact on tortoises living in the area, the effect was the opposite.
One defense mechanism the tortoise has when it is handled or molested is to empty its bladder. This can leave the tortoise in a very vulnerable condition in dry periods, and they should never be alarmed, handled or picked up in the wild unless they are in imminent danger.
Not only did many of them die in this relocation project, but many more were found to expend tremendous amounts of energy in attempts to return to their familiar territories.
The Army and the Bureau of Land Management is planning a massive relocation effort to move more than 1,200 additional tortoises even after the terrible results of the previous attempt. The comment period for the move closed on August 31, 2009 but click here to learn more about how you can help the Desert Tortoise.
Meet a Desert Tortoise
WildCare's Wildlife Ambassador Desert Tortoise, Mojave was taken out of the wild to become someone's pet, and now, sadly this 50-year old animal cannot be returned to the wild. As an educational animal at WildCare, however, you can meet him and see and learn about these amazing reptiles in person. Click for directions to WildCare. |
|
| Back to Top
|
|
Fostering Wildness
WildCare's Foster Care volunteers take more than fifteen different species temporarily into their homes and hearts to provide them a second chance at life, and it is a tricky endeavor. While our Foster Care volunteers love their little charges, we are challenged to help them learn to fear and avoid people and not love us back. We need to keep them wild.
Foster Care provides children from broken homes a family to care for them and a second chance to grow up safely and learn the complex process of living with other people. Foster Care is also the answer for orphaned baby kittens and puppies that can not be placed in loving families without first being socialized. Wild animals too need help when they are too young to care for themselves, but they don't need socialization with people. Just the opposite. They need to learn to bond with their own kind.
It is illegal to keep wild animals as pets in California, and this is a very good thing for the animals. There have been many sad cases where wild "pets" have become aggressive or destructive and have been confiscated by the California Department of Fish and Game. Some of these animals can be successfully placed at a licensed facility like WildCare, but many must be euthanized because they would not survive in the wild and there are no appropriate placements for them. That's why we cherish our Foster Care volunteers and the work they do to raise their orphaned babies wild.
Who Am I?
In wildlife rehabilitation foster care, babies are raised in groups of similar species. That way birds can learn the songs appropriate to their species, and each mammal species can learn the unique social and communication skills they need to successfully return to their interrupted lives.
If baby animals don't have parents of their own species to model themselves after, they don't know who they are. If they open their eyes and see only a person, they quickly come to believe they are one of us. If you are a raccoon or a skunk that could become a nuisance to people, that can be a problem. If you are a bird, that can mean you become imprinted, an irreversible condition that means you don't recognize others of your species, and will never be able to live a normal life or find a mate.
Imprinting, Habituation, Tameness
Vladimir, WildCare's Wildlife Ambassador Turkey Vulture, is one example of an imprinted animal. Vladimir was raised from a chick by a man, and Vladimir tends to like most men. He isn't as fond of most women, and he actively dislikes other vultures. Because he has no interest in his own species, attempts to engage his help as a surrogate parent to rear nestling vultures have been unsuccessful. He's a dreadful foster parent for baby vultures-- he ignores them. His is a classic case of imprinting, a very specific scientific term that applies only to birds.
Baby mammals can't be imprinted, but they can become habituated and tamed. This is often disastrous for them, because wild animals have very specific needs that are vastly different from the things people are used to providing for cats and dogs. Raccoons and skunks, for example, have been kept as pets often with unfortunate consequences.
Raccoons are highly intelligent, easily bored, inquisitive and dexterous. They are also great climbers. That means no cupboard is safe from a bored raccoon, much to the dismay of many a would-be raccoon owner. What happens to the animal when it becomes apparent it doesn't fit the family's need for a pet? Often the animal is simply dumped into the wild and it perishes from lack of hunting and survival skills.
Baby Season
Unlike people, who can start a family at any time of the year, baby season for most wild species happens only in the spring and summer. June is usually our busiest month at WildCare, because of the large numbers of animals that have been brought to our wildlife rehabilitation hospital as a result of their close proximity to people. Fledgling birds are caught by pet cats, nests are damaged by tree trimming, mother animals are hit by cars, or forced to nest in people's basements or attics because of habitat loss.
What this means to WildCare is that babies all come at once. This was never more apparent than the year a heat wave coincided with the destruction of a building that had, in prior years, housed a maternity colony of Mexican Free-tailed Bats. Their roost destroyed, the mother bats moved into another roost already inhabited by other Mexican Free-tails. Overcrowded and unable to cool their offspring, more than 300 baby bats dropped to the ground where they would have died without help. WildCare Foster Care volunteers rallied to their aid and were able to save more than 100 of the bats in distress.
Space is another reason Foster Care is vital. If you have ever visited our San Rafael facility, you know that space is limited. We use every square inch of our architectural footprint in San Rafael, but in June is it never enough.
Raptors need space to learn to hunt and build flight muscles. Raccoons need seclusion-- away from people-- where they can learn to be raccoons and to forage for appropriate food. (And, no, it isn't pizza!) Skunks need space -- well, we all know why!
Thank you!
Without Foster Care volunteers who donate their time, spare rooms, private yards and specialized skills, WildCare could not care for the number of baby animals we take in each year.
But they aren't the only ones who work to return injured and orphaned animals back to the wild. Our donors' support is the bottom line that makes every successful release happen. Behind every person who has accidentally caused harm to a wild animal stands a donor who supplies the funding to help repair the damage. In our Foster Care program, this means everything from tangibles like caging, food and medications to intangibles like staffing, supervision and training for volunteers.
Recently, we were able to raise $12,000 to rebuild our raptor aviary, mostly from donations from you, our online family. That is a tremendous gift. But caging is only one part of the equation.
We will be asking our members for help to continue our foster care programs this fall. If you are able to support this work, we can promise you that your donation will make a real difference to the orphaned animals that need our help. |
Back to Top
|
|
Photo Contest Deadline September 18!
Click for an entry form and official rules!
Did you take a marvelous photo this year of a Bay Area wild animal in its natural setting?
Maybe your camera is perfect for sunsets or fog banks or seascapes?
Or did an animal enter your space and your consciousness in a way that made the perfect Living with Wildlife photograph?
These are the three entry categories in WildCare's Living with Wildlife Photography Contest presented by Tamalpais Bank. As Bay Area residents we have such an astounding wealth of natural beauty and amazing creatures to photograph, there's no excuse for not pulling out your camera and using it!
Choose your favorite shots and enter them in our Photo Contest. The Best in Show photograph will win $500 and be featured in WildCare's print newsletter. Prizes will also be give for first place in each of the three entry categories and for a People's Choice winner to be determined by an online vote.
Tamalpais Bank branches will host a traveling exhibition of the best entries (determined by a panel of distinguished judges) during the winter.
Please share your photography with WildCare and the greater Bay Area! Click for details and more information, and remember that all entries must be postmarked or delivered to WildCare no later than Friday, September 18, 2009.
The Amazing Lives of Birds
Presented by Gary Walter, Photographer and Bird Enthusiast
Friday, September 4, 7pm
Contempo Marin Club House
400 Yosemite Road, San Rafael
Support a talented local wildlife photographer at this delightful 90 minute slide show featuring extraordinary photos of birds enjoying life and having fun, accompanied by Gary's colorful commentary.
Admission is FREE | |
Great Gift Ideas for September
|
|
|
 |
|
WildCare logo-wear makes a great gift! Choose from a great selection of caps, tees and sweatshirts on our Shop page, or visit WildCare and choose from an even bigger selection! |
When you give a WildCare gift membership, your gift recipient will receive all the benefits of WildCare membership as well as the knowledge that, as WildCare members, they help create a healthy and sustainable habitat for humans and animals alike.
What a perfect gift! |
Or choose another extraordinary wild animal to adopt for that someone special! Your gift recipient will receive an art-quality photo of your chosen animal, a personalized certificate of adoption and a page of informative natural history. | | |
|
| |
