Tracks • a New Home and Purpose the NEWSLETTER of the NORTHWOODS WILDLIFE CENTER • Ways You Can Help
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
• From Fear to Freedom • The Peculiar World of Parasites • Lead Poisoning in Eagles 2020 Tracks • A New Home and Purpose THE NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTHWOODS WILDLIFE CENTER • Ways You Can Help Providing a Better Future for Wildlife Through Rehabilitation, Education, and Research. Greetings from the Northwoods The Northwoods Wildlife Center clinical sign of lead toxicity. Stu has gone through the protocol of would like to thank all of you who lead treatments, was recently re-tested, and is currently at 9 ug/dL, make it possible to save so many a potentially releasable level. We hope for eventual recovery, to injured and orphaned wildlife, allow him to once again soar amongst the clouds. allowing us to give them another In wildlife, lead is most toxic when consumed by an animal, as chance at life back home in the wild. opposed to lead bullets or shot simply lodging in the muscle tissue. The animals count on those who Exposure to digestive fluids and stomach acids breaks down donate towards their care, the finders the lead, allowing it to be absorbed into the bloodstream and who rescue them, the staff, interns distributed to internal organs, the nervous system, the respiratory and volunteers who spend countless system, and the renal system. This lead is being ingested by eagles, hours providing for their care. raptors, and non-target species when they scavenge the remains Every animal that we save and and entrails of animals that have been shot. release can help to make your life As we head into another busy year, we hope we can count on your better as well. Squirrels leave behind support to help provide for the food, formula, veterinary services, Mickey Mueller buried nuts that grow into trees. and ongoing care needed for the animals to thrive in our care until and Stumpy Stu Raptors control rodent populations. we are able to return them to the wild. Many birds are important pollinators. Painted turtles will feed on dead and injured fish, While we are facing challenging times with the COVID-19 virus as well as duckweed and algae. The common loon, with its rich and uncertainties in the market, our injured and orphaned wildlife yodeling, provides us with the musical sounds of an early summer still need us! Please help us reach our Annual Campaign goal in the Northwoods. These, and so many other animal species, are of $250,000 by using the enclosed envelope or donating on our all amazing symbols of wilderness, occupying this earth to remind website, www.northwoodswildlifecenter.org. Every little bit helps! us of the beauty that nature itself beholds. “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact In the photo with this article is our current patient Stumpy Stu. on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and On November 4, 2019, this eagle was found on a stump by two you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” concerned grouse hunters, who immediately called the Center and –Jane Goodall transported him to us. We quickly realized that he had no use of his right talon, however, the x-ray was inconclusive of damage. Blood was drawn to test for lead toxicity, and Stu’s result was 51 ug/dL. Lead levels of 40 ug/dL, or greater, are suggestive of lead poisoning in the presence of clinical signs. Nerve damage is a Mickey Mueller, Executive Director COVID-19 UPdate The COVID-19 pandemic has caused uncertainty for so many people, businesses, and nonprofits, including NWC. One thing that is certain – we have the most generous supporters in the world. Unfortunately at this time we are not open to the public for tours and we are unable to do educational programming, our two main sources of income this time of year. Another thing that is certain, the injured and orphaned wildlife will soon be arriving. We are doing everything we can to make sure we are able to provide the care while Krystal Westphal, Executive Director of Let’s Minocqua Visitors keeping our staff and the public safe, but we need your help Bureau + Chamber of Commerce, presented the Northwoods now! Please help us in any way you can to get us and our Wildlife Center a Milestone Recognition Award in honor of our wildlife through this very difficult time. Thank you for your 40th anniversary. (l to r: Bart Kotarba, Amanda Walsh, Mickey continued support, together we can do this! Mueller, Krystal Westphal, Amanda Schirmer, Courtney Wright) Board of Directors NWC Staff Karen Gabert – President Katie Black Mickey Mueller – Executive Director Bryon Black – Vice President Dee Dee Lund Bart Kotarba – Sr. Wildlife Educator Carol Warden – Secretary Geri Miller Courtney Wright – Sr. Wildlife Educator Aubrey Dalbec – Treasurer Colleen Skjerven Amanda Schirmer – Sr. Wildlife Rehabilitator Harv Skjerven Amanda Walsh – Sr. Wildlife Rehabilitator Susan Bilda – Administrative Assistant 2 “Good Morning” cover photo by Gay Van Pelt, 2018 Artist of the Year. Education Programs Northwoods Wildlife Center’s team of environmental educators offer education programming for schools and groups of all ages throughout the Northwoods each year. Below is a sample of the many programs available. • Birds of Prey of Wisconsin • Frog Calls of Wisconsin • Be A Wildlife Superhero! • Turtles of Wisconsin • Gray Wolf Ecology • Songbirds of the Northwoods • Wildlife Rehabilitation • Egg Laying Animals • Insects of Wisconsin • Rocks and Minerals Wildlife Educator Courtney Wright Programming can be provided for schools and school forests, on-site at Northwoods Wildlife presenting on Turtles of Wisconsin Center, or at your events and parties! Programs can be created or formatted to best fit classroom at Lac du Flambeau Elementary or organization goals. Pricing is dependent on location of program and number of attendees. School For more information, contact Bart Kotarba or Courtney Wright, wildlife educators, at 715-356-7400 or via email at [email protected] or [email protected]. 2019 Interns Katrina and Lauren and resident wood turtle Woody at Eagle River Elementary School Conservation Fair Wildlife Educator Bart Kotarba Wildlife Educator Bart Kotarba Owl Costume during with resident broad-winged presenting on insects at Lac du Bird of Prey Program at hawk Rory at Stoney Creek Flambeau Elementary School Northwoods Wildlife Center Home and Garden Lakeland Union High School students helped Remembering Rory rebuild our bald eagle nest on our birds of prey tour The loss of Rory, the Center’s educational broad-winged hawk, was particularly hard on our NWC family including staff, volunteers, interns, board members, and supporters. Rory, with his quirky personality was, by Meet our New Resident! far, the highlight of our outdoor birds of prey tour. With his drawn-out whistles and side-ways looks, Rory will forever be remembered in our hearts as one of our best wildlife ambassadors. Please help us in welcoming our newest wildlife ambassador at Northwoods Rory was rescued by our staff in the summer of 2011 Wildlife Center – Loki the great horned after he had fallen from his nest and sustained several owl! He was rescued from Camp Jorn in injuries. He was approximately 1 month old. One of his Manitowish Waters on June 4th of 2018. injuries was the loss of an He had been found with a broken left wing eye which meant he was after most likely having fallen from his nest non-releasable in the wild; as a nestling. Upon further examination, he would never have the his injury was found with dead tissue and depth perception needed to bone, so a partial wing amputation was hunt prey with precision. successfully performed by the veterinarians From the beginning, it was at Northwoods Animal Hospital to prevent clear that Rory’s calling further infection. was wildlife education. He This spring, this young great horned never let his disability hold owl transitioned over to our educational him back from educating ambassador team and received his forever thousands at our wildlife name – Loki, a fitting name for his feisty personality and great horned events, center tours, and head! Our staff is working to glove-train Loki this year, with the goal of educational programs. You eventually working with him as one of our outreach birds in the future. will be missed, our friend. 3 Thank You to Those Who Make it Happen Spring 2019 Andrew Marino: B.S. Biology from University of Rhode Island - Kingston Lauren Zager: M.S. Biology from Miami University Liz Quandt: B.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Science from Paul Smith’s College Summer and Fall interns at Hoggie Doggies Summer 2019 Katrina Theisen: Wildlife Biology major at University of Montana Alex Schwander: Zoology degree from Southern Illinois University Liz Quandt: Fisheries and Wildlife Science degree from Paul Smith’s College Melissa Phillips: Wildlife Science degree from University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forest Tionna Elkins: Biology degree from Coastal Carolina University Frances Torres: Biology degree from University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point Sean Pergams: Animal Science major at University of Illinois Lydia O’Brien: Biology and Computer Information Systems majors at University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point Hayley Schnae: Marine Science degree from Texas A&M – Galveston Zack Spodek: Fisheries and Wildlife major at Michigan State University Fall 2019 Melissa Phillips: Wildlife Science degree from University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Brittney Graham: Animal Science degree from Oregon State University Frances Torres: Biology degree from University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point Jenna Atma: Biology degree from Calvin College Summer interns at 4th of July Parade The Peculiar World of Parasites By Melissa Phillips, 2019 Summer/Fall Intern When I came to Northwoods Wildlife can happen when an animal is too sick or Center as an intern this summer, I was weak to rid itself of parasites or when there prepared for it to be a dirty job.