Today I am compelled to acknowledge the hard work of the staff and volunteers who are trudging through the heat and discomfort to guarantee the well-being of both the animals that you bring in to us who are readying for release and for those we have groomed to educate the public.

The folks arrive at the-crack-of-dawn.  They log in and fetch the tools of the trade…the likes of brooms, rakes, dustpans, buckets, scrub brushes, measured cups of food all snugly tucked into the wagon to be dragged across the hot gravel to the enclosures of the rehabilitation and education animals.  The enclosures are cleaned, and the food consumed is documented.  Water bowls are cleaned and refilled while the condition of the animals is noted in detail.  In cages with foster parents and orphans camouflage must be donned in order to negate any potential of mal-imprinting or habituating…the extra clothing exacerbates the heat.  The education animals are carefully administered to as they each personally need.

It is hot.  There is no way to avoid the heat this time of year.  They can start before the sun comes up.  They bedeck themselves with sunscreen, water bottles with dripping wet towels over the shoulders, around their necks or tied around their destroyed coifs. But, they beaver on because the animals need to be cared for.  Fans are turned on; water is checked in the evaporative coolers. Invading pests must be kept at bay.  And, it is hot.

Those critters ultra-sensitive to the heat are brought into temporary housing until the temperatures start to drop.  That allows for yet more housing to be cleaned, watered and fed inside…but it is what must be done in the summer in the desert.

The thing that is so amazing is that this happens every day. The temperatures usually start to climb in mid-June with the intention to continue until mid-September if we are lucky. And, this year is no exception.  What makes this a red-letter year is that it is all being done under the black cloak of COVID-19.  That means that you add to the wet towels, face masks…a rule of entry into Liberty Wildlife.  We have also temporarily lost some of our very active volunteers due to the risk of exposure making each daily team a little bit challenged.

But, this stalwart group rises to the challenge with very little grumbling and still when they socially distance pass a cohort, the crinkle of their eyes is proof of their welcoming smile.

Let’s not forget the hours of time that staff spends moving animals from one set of enclosures inside to another set outside as they graduate from one stage of readiness for release to the next.  That is a lot of animals to be monitored, moved, and re-monitored…thousands to be exact.  The Orphan Care department must make sure every different species is readied in a different way.  If it eats on the wing…they provide that opportunity.  Use your imagination…that is a lot of work, outside, during the diurnal hours.

The owl team shows up in the later part of the afternoon to prepare the food for the nocturnal residents and as you can imagine, the heat has only increased for those hearty souls who must clean out residue, clean and change water bowls, document what was consumed and replenish the coffers for that night’s dining.

Then there is the extra spraying down of everyone (the patients) a couple of times a day so that there is relief from the oppressive heat…the animals love it.  I guess the volunteer enjoys it too as it often results in “ spraying down spill over”.

Join me in applauding and thanking the dedication of this hearty, caring group with stars in their crowns…because they do this daily…and it is hot!

Do you enjoy reading about native wildlife? Check out long time volunteer Gail Cochrane’s blog, LetsGoLookout.com!