“Wonders of Nature”

...Notes of Hope for Colorado’s Wildlife

Summer 2011 Newsletter

We Are Pleased To Announce Wild Forever's Third Annual Nature Hike
Walk on the Wild Side!
Photos of WWS 2010

Where: Fountain Creek Nature Center
When: Saturday, September 17th from 10AM to 2PM
Who: Open to the Public
How Much: $10 per person, plus $5 each additional person per group - Kids under 10 are free.

Come join us for a nature hike and to raise money for a wildlife care and rehabilitation center in the Colorado
Springs area. We had a wonderful time last year and found the Fountain Valley Nature Center to be
the perfect venue for a "nature trail" with educational booths and with subject matter experts talking about
wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.
Our Corporate Sponsor goal for this event is $2000 with the proceeds going towards our center fund. We invite your business to sponsor this event. Your company logo will be printed on the 2011 commemorative t-shirt as well as being highlighted on our web site. The media exposure is always a great way to get your name out there. Local businesses, like Dorman Real Estate and Those Guys Property Management support our cause every year. We could not make this nature hike happen with out them. Please help us realize our vision of a modern facility that would provide the emergency services animals in distress need while educating the next generation of wildlife rehabilitators. Visit our web site and follow the link to the secure on-line registration.

Fall Squirrel Season

Photo of infant squirrels An interesting factoid, squirrels have two litters of babies each year. The first litter happens around the first of March with the second litter born around the end of August; beginning of September. With squirrel season just around the corner, we should expect to see a lot more baby squirrels running around.

If you encounter a baby squirrel you should take the following precautions:

Check to see if the baby is hurt or sick
If yes, then call your local wildlife rehabilitator
If no, look for a nest or den nearby
If there is a nest or den, then place the baby in it (be sure to wear protective gloves). Otherwise, put the animal in a shallow box close to where it was found so that it can stay warm but out of the sun.
Watch for the mother for 4-6 hours. Stay completely out of sight because a mother will not approach if any people or pets are present
If the mother returns within that time, you can leave the area.
If the mother does not return, call your local wildlife rehabilitator.

Hatched Under the Highway

Goose on her nest Animals do not always choose the best places to make their homes. This goose was found nesting under the highway in an industrial area back at the end of April. At first glance, the goose seems to have made a poor decision regarding the location she was choosing to hatch her eggs; however, it really isn’t all that bad.

When determining whether an animal is in danger or not, it is important to assess all of the potential threats facing that creature. The space that the goose chose is essentially free of debris and is frequented by people less than the parks that are typically deemed acceptable for nests. Goose near highway Aside from the traffic noise, it seems a fine place to hatch eggs.

Based upon those criteria, it was decided that the goose and her nest would be monitored but not relocated. If you encounter an animal whose residence seems questionable, the best action to take is observation. Just keep an eye on the creature so that you can call for help if needed. It may be difficult to stand by and not intervene but it is usually the best thing for the animal. Humans make terrible substitute parents to wild animals and a relocation gone wrong could possibly separate babies from mother resulting in expensive rehabilitation and consumed resources. It’s best to seek the advice of an experienced wildlife transporter before relocating an animal’s nest.

The Raccoon with Two Broken Legs

Animals are capable of amazing recoveries. One such recovery can be followed with the story of a raccoon with two broken legs. This little creature was found hanging upside down by its legs from between the wooden slats of two fence-posts. When the raccoon was taken in to be medically examined, the vet could tell that one leg was fractured, and a bandage was placed on that wound. One of Wildlife Forever’s rehabbers, Anita, proceeded to take care of the animal. According to her, the raccoon “was very distressed and taking care of it was a two-person job”. Anita would hold the creature while her daughter dressed the wound with a bay-leaf solution. After having the bandage on one leg for ten days, Anita took the raccoon back to the vet for a check-up. It was then that the vet discovered the raccoon’s other leg was fractured too. Anita and her daughter took action to give the animal’s other leg the TLC it needed. With the right treatment, Anita said that this raccoon went from a scared animal that was difficult to handle to “a very good patient”. Both legs have healed completely, and the raccoon gained six and a half pounds putting it at a much healthier weight than when it was first found.

Birds and Glass Windows

One of the biggest threats to birds is not a natural predator. It is glass windows.
Each year, at least a million birds in the United States perish from colliding into windows in homes and buildings. Ornithologist Daniel Klem of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, told Audubon magazine in 2004 that “glass is one of the great bird killers,” adding that it was rivaled only by threats such as habitat destruction, predators, and disease. This problem has a simple cause and an equally simple solution.
Unlike humans, birds are not always able to discern that a window is a transparent yet solid object and are distracted by what is reflected on the surface. Glass patio doors that mirror a backyard garden and trees may look like open space to explore. Large windows that face one another at opposite ends of a house can create a clear line of vision for a bird, and the bird will mistake the view for a viable flight path. And quite often, when a bird flies toward a window and sees its own reflection, the animal thinks another bird is nearby and will fly towards the other in greeting or pursuit.
All of these scenarios can lead to a bird flying into a window at top speed. The impact can result in instant death or lifethreatening injuries. The bird may also be stunned temporarily and drop to the ground where it becomes easy prey. In 2004, Audubon magazine reported how at least a dozen birds pummeled into windows at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore, Maryland, then fell into a reflecting pool below and drowned.
Such unnecessary deaths can be prevented by making glass windows visible to birds. The easiest way to achieve this is to allow birds to identify the glass as a solid object. Here are a few suggestions from avian advocates including Audubon magazine, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Bill Thompson, III, editor of Bird Watcher’s Digest:

Close the blinds or curtains
Hang objects on the outside surface of windows (branches, windsocks, streamers,
shiny mylar balloons)
Place bird feeders closer or farther away from windows (within 3 feet or at least 20
feet away)
Apply transparent decals that reflect ultraviolet light visible to birds
(http://www.windowalert.com/windowalert.html)
Another option is “fritted” glass. This specially-designed glass has dotted rows of
etched circles that make windows more visible to birds but transparent enough for
humans to see through from a distance, explained Klem and engineering professor
Carr Everback of Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania to NPR’s “Morning Edition”
in 2006. Swarthmore used fritted glass in their new science center with positive results:
Window sensors placed intermittently throughout the building detected only
two bird strikes in five years.

Any of these techniques will help to reduce bird mortality. It is a small investment with a big payoff for both the birds and the people who appreciate them.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We are looking for dedicated individuals to join the Wild Forever team. Our volunteers are committed to making a difference for urban wildlife.

Volunteer Coordinator This position works closely with the Board of Directors and serves as liaison to the volunteer base. This person coordinates resources and activities, recruits new volunteers and communicates necessary information to the ranks.

Event Coordinator This position works closely with the Board of Directors and collaborates with the Volunteer Coordinator to facilitate community events. This person researches outreach programs and community events relative to the WFF mission and reports the program effectiveness to the Board of Directors.

Grant Writer Researches and acquires public and private funds that promote the WFF vision.

Wild Forever is always looking for telephone hot-line assistance, transporters and licensed rehabilitators. If any of the above positions interest you, please visit our volunteer page.