Megan Mosby
Executive Director
Here I go, climbing on my soapbox. Folks, the only way we can accomplish all that we do….and we do accomplish a lot…is getting support from the community that we serve. That would be YOU! This year we will undoubtedly end up assisting almost 9000 animals. We will educate the public of all ages both on site and in the community. We will assist corporations, agencies, and the public on instances where nature and civilization collide. We are an important part of the entire community and we continue to need help from all of you to fulfill our mission.
So here’s where you come in. Listen up!
Our biggest fundraiser of the year is twelve days away…Yikes…twelve days, and we need you to do your part. We still have seats left and you aren’t going to want to miss out. Our auction is filled with delightful items…trips galore, baskets to fit anyone’s needs, and activities around the state that you can enjoy. Our garden section is what every aspiring homeowner can use to pretty up your outdoor environment. For the aspiring traveler there are American Airlines flight miles galore….550,000 to be exact.
The food and drink will be top notch with M Catering serving up a delicious menu. There will be nothing stuffy about this evening. It is all about showing you what we do with your donations. It is all about having fun. It is all about going home with some cool, useful, and unusual stuff that you really can’t live without….we promise!
Our speaker for the program is Chris Parish, Director of Global Conservation for the Peregrine Fund. He will thrill you, entertain you, and educate you. You will get to visit with the Liberty Wildlife Educational Ambassadors, and see the culmination of the rehabilitation process in action.
Then there are the games…you play, you win! Enough said.
Attached you will find the electronic invitation. Don’t miss out!
And, please go to our website, www.libertywildife.org to publications and view our latest copy of WingBeats, the Liberty Wildlife magazine and annual report.
I do hope to see you on October 20th!
This Week @ Liberty – Oct 08, 2018
Well, we’ve gone from record setting heat to record breaking rain in just a week or so. Largely thanks to Hurricane Rosa, we had the most rain in years – in pretty much just a day. Since the facility is still new and it’s difficult to determine how the drainage works prior to a deluge like Rosa, we had to deal with a lot of standing water issues. But, Alex and her DC team came through and the only problems arose trying to move the raccoons to higher ground (they’re so ungrateful!) The Education team is back in the saddle after their break, and we have acquired some new enclosures for our reptilian ambassadors. AND although the intake rate has diminished substantially, animals of all types and ages still arrive at the window. Now, the main thrust is gearing up for Wishes for Wildlife 2018 which will be held here on Saturday, the 20th. We are looking forward to a large crowd and a good time for all!
The dedicated mammal room served as the refugee center for creatures displaced by the huge rainfall a week ago. Our cisterns are full, as were the water detention basins temporarily. Even the river had water in it! But most of the facility worked as designed and now we have some cooler temps to deal with.
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The Education Team is doing their on-site programs in more bearable conditions now, as are the Liberty Teens. Here we see a couple of them on a recent weekend demonstrating and explaining how owl pellets are dissected and studied. Continuing improvements to the education process include our new reptile enclosures seen here being installed in the interactive classroom. More are being assembled as I write this and will be added shortly.
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It seems as though no matter what time of year it is, baby animals still show up for care. We have a few baby tortoises in our care now, plus this little kangaroo rat that is living with us now. The rain last week brought in two baby jackrabbits that were rescued from drowning. I’ve included a shot of one alongside a baby cottontail to show the differences. AND we have yet another single, baby duckling that came in from someplace. He is now close to the top of the “Cutest Intake” list for this month…
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Two more recent intakes include this Cooper’s hawk and a western screech owl. This is the time of year when the yearlings make their juvenile mistakes and wind up injured. The lucky ones are found and brought to Liberty for care and a second chance to be what they were meant to be.
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We have a new bald eagle joining our education team. “Trinity” came originally from back east which accounts for the bird’s size even though we have yet to conclusively determine it’s gender. (We figured “Trinity” was sufficiently androgynous so the name given him/her by the previous permit holders could carry on as the name of record.) We had heard various rumors as to why the bird was in captivity but Jan and her team are still trying to figure out what the main issues are. In any case, Trinity will be a gorgeous addition to the eagle team.
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Speaking of eagles, a golden eagle came down to us recently and is improving in our care. Presenting indications of aspergillosis and possible elevated lead levels, he seems to be improving since his arrival. We are going to see if he can be part of a new study to figure out how to keep golden eagles from having disastrous and fatal encounters with the growing number of wind turbines across the west. We’ll keep you posted on this!
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Posted by Terry Stevens
Operations Director