This Week at Liberty
February 10, 2026
Hoots, Howls, and Hollers
Megan Mosby
Executive Director
Education is Key to the Future
Sharing our educational ambassadors with the public has been a huge part of what we do in our educational efforts at Liberty Wildlife. We travel far and near, across the state and in our own ‘backyard’ to inspire our audiences to help nurture nature. And, we love it. The efforts to encourage everyone we contact to appreciate, care for, and enjoy the natural world is just a very large part of what we do.
We also know that the younger we can start these efforts, the better chance we have to influence the generations to come. We value the goal of making a difference. One way we have chosen to do this is through our contacts with the young people in our orb. We travel to schools, community events, and provide activities on our own campus to this end.
And, we are happy to announce that we are adding yet one more opportunity to positively influence young people and their families as we introduce a new activity for those visiting our campus.
Story Walk® is an active, outdoor presentation of a children’s book….one glorious page at a time, out of doors, in nature, to be read by families as they stroll. Early childhood literacy, family engagement, and appreciation of nature all in one fun location. We’ve added this new feature to our education trail at Liberty Wildlife. You can now walk along the trail, and alternatively see eagles, hawks, owls, mammals and a condor or two, as you move page to page through a children’s book.
The current book featured on our Story Walk® introduces young people and their family and friends to Peewee the Potoo, a debut children’s book by the author Bloob. Charming illustrations and a lightly written story is all about Peewee and the really not-so-great day that he is having. The walkers on the trail learn to appreciate the “good” side of life on a rainy day. What a great lesson to learn and Peewee is a great teacher. Learning about Peewee’s challenges while strolling on a very interesting walk is a valuable lesson in teaching young people how to deal with adversity in a playful way.
We are adding this fun activity to our other child-oriented leaning experiences. Our Teen Club, captures the attention of 13 to18 year old learners. The goal, with this group, is to present conservation-oriented themes which lead to an understanding of the importance of advocacy. Our Superheroes are for grades K-3. They, and an accompanying parent, meet once a month with a Master Naturalist instructor. The goal with this group is to provide awareness of the natural environment and the individual’s ability to have a positive impact on it. Guided informational demonstrations, hands-on activities help the little ones gain confidence in their ability to make a positive impact.
New this year is our Nature Explorers Programs. This program is designed for grades 4-6. The students attend, with or without a parent, and meet Sunday afternoon from 1:30-3:30 for sessions led by a Master Gardener. The program lasts for a four-week period and includes activities of sharing nature experience, and visits with Liberty Wildlife animal ambassadors. Each session has a different topic like habitats, adaptations, migration, pollinators and gardens. The overall goal is to delve into selected topics in depth, encouraging inquiry and exploration through exposure to the natural elements on the Liberty Wildlife Campus including hands-on activities that demonstrate understanding of the topic. The next session starts in March.
We encourage you and your family to explore all of these offerings on our campus. You won’t be sorry!
This Week @ Liberty
The intake total for the year is now up to 355.
It’s official: we made it through the longest January ever. The Seahawks (who our very own Jax the Harris’s hawk predicted would win) won the 2026 Superbowl and now we here at Liberty Wildlife are getting ready for… babies! We’ve seen a few of them trickle in there and there, but over the next month, we’ll see more and more. Those babies will head to Orphan Care where our volunteers will care for them during their 4-hour shifts; and yes, we need volunteers!
Starting in March and ending in September-ish, our orphan care volunteers are integral to caring for these babes who are sick, injured, or orphaned so that they can grow up and be successful out in the wild.
If you’re interested in Orphan Care (or any part of volunteering at Liberty Wildlife), make sure to apply to volunteer here!
By: Acacia Parker | Public Outreach Coordinator
Bobcats Gone Wild
There’ve been tales of bobcats who roam around Liberty Wildlife heading to the Rio Salado just north of us. Many volunteers have seen them pass, made note of them, and we’ve all enjoyed the tale but secretly wanted to see him/her for ourselves.
Well, I’m happy to say, it finally happened (for me, anyway)! On Wednesday, February 4th, as public hours commenced, I passed the intake window to excited volunteers saying a bobcat had just walked by. He’d disappeared quickly, but the vibe was all excitement and thrill. Having believed I missed my opportunity, I headed for triage (where all animals who are dropped here start their journey) when the intake volunteers yelled the bobcat was back! I hurriedly ran to my office and, low and behold, there was this beauty roaming our walkway in front of our building.
It’s a little funny to consider that, even though we have Bobby the one-eyed bobcat, and I’ve seen these animals before, there’s still an excitement about seeing them out and about in their native environment that is unsurpassed. These medium sized cats weighing between 30-50 pounds are typically crepuscular (most active at dawn and dusk) and nocturnal hunters; and in urban settings, they especially like to hunt later to avoid detection. So, to see one so close before noon was something to behold.
Not only are bobcats only found in North America, they’ve got some amazing qualities that make them notable all on their own:
- As carnivores, their food of choice are rabbits, however, they can also grab birds, rodents, lizards, snakes, and some carrion;
- Predators include coyotes, foxes, owls (especially when they’re kittens), wolves, and unfortunately, humans;
- They can live almost 15 years in the wild;
- These cats prefer to change their shelter almost every single day; when at rest, they’ll find hollow logs, a saguaro, boulders, or areas hidden by vegetation to hang in, and move their kittens, if necessary;
- Like a mountain lion, bobcats hunt by waiting motionless and then pouncing.
While you might not get to see this bobcat when you come for public hours (or an event), you can still drop by and take a look at our resident, Bobby, who’s equally as gorgeous as this guy. Of course, these animals are all over the Valley; if you’re out and about at sunrise and sunset, you may just catch a glimpse of them if you keep your eyes open!
Notable Mentions
Whew, well it’s that time again! As of now, public hours are going strong on Wednesday, Saturday and Sundays’ from 10am-1pm. We also have our 3rd annual El Rio Vivo happening on Saturday the 7th from 8am-4pm. And we’ll have a few other events happening throughout the year that we’ll make sure to let you know about.
Without further ado, here are this weeks’ notable mentions:
- Groot the coati takes a nap and is assessed by Dr. Lamb who did a thorough job of cleaning his teeth (1 picture)
- Benji the raccoon goes on an afternoon walk and makes his way atop a perch (2 pictures)
- Another wedding happened on campus on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon! (3 pictures)
As always, thanks for hanging with us and keeping an eye out for our Arizona wildlife.
Until next time!
More Posts from Liberty Wildlife
December 31, 2024
Well, it’s official. 2024 is coming to an end, and it appears we’ve pushed well in to the 10,000+ intake range (the super official number will be given in the next blog, since we’re still taking in animals for the remainder of the day).
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