This Week at Liberty
February 24, 2026
Hoots, Howls, and Hollers
Megan Mosby
Executive Director
Get Outside – Discover the River in Our Backyard
El Rio Vivo is right around the corner, Saturday, March 7th. Is there more to say than “Free Family Fun?”
Well, yes…how about 4 musical acts, 20 artist vendors, local food trucks and ice cream, conservation experts from across the state…and wildlife, up close and personal. And all of this in one place… the beautiful Liberty Wildlife campus at 2600 E. Elwood St in Phoenix. It will be the third annual El Rio Vivo celebration of the Salt River that runs through our community. And, yes, a family of any size…even just one…will enjoy the day.
Let’s start out with a walk on the river beginning at 8:30. Your departure for the trail will be enriched by the musical talents of Ashley Creighton in the Butterfly Garden. You will be greeted by informational booths as you walk down the river trail replete with wildlife ambassadors and handlers, there will be interpretations of the flora and fauna (seen or not) that live along the way.
Upon your return, you will have a chance to sip a “cuppa”, talk to conservation groups, peruse local art booths and listen to the tunes of Echo Twins, Blood Feud Family Singers, The Rebel Set, all appearing in the Amphitheater, and enjoy the ambiance of Mando and his cello by the condor pavilion. WOW!
If your little ones want some age-appropriate things to do, there will be coloring pages, rock painting, face painting and story time. Vendors are encouraged to bring activities that the young ones can try and there’s always the beauty of the wildlife on the Education Trails. For folks who haven’t visited the campus lately, take a stroll on the southwest side of the education trail and participate in our new feature, The Story Walk®, and read a book about Peewee, the Potoo…a cute little guy having a tough day. Stroll along the education trail and see Peewee broken down page by page. Exercise your brain, your literacy and your enjoyment of nature all at the same time.
There is truly a lot to do ….and did I mention, thanks to our sponsors, SRP, Freeport McMoRan, ASM, and more… the event is FREE!
Besides attending this event there are a number of ways that you can be involved by volunteering to help the day before as Keep Phoenix Beautiful is bringing a crew of volunteers to clean up the river path. Or, on the day of, we always need volunteers in the various roles necessary to make an event like this happen…setting up, tearing down, table sitters, face painters, etc.
Put Saturday, March 7th from 8 to 4 on your calendar and help us celebrate the 3rd Annual El Rio Vivo! See you soon.
This Week @ Liberty
The intake total for the year is now up to 565.
If you’ve been following us for any given time, you’ll know what’s about to hit…baby season!! We’ve seen pigeons, doves, and some sparrows making their way through our doors due to tree trimming (if you can, please wait until the summer to do this) as well as some high winds. But no worries, we’ve had some “downtime” and we’re ready for it. Orphan Care is getting ready to take their rounds again and get these babies fed and cared for until they’re ready to be released.
Interested in volunteering? You can apply here – and don’t worry, all training is done on-site where you’ll get to meet other like-minded individuals and take care of adorable wildlife!
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
O’possum my Possum
Opossum’s, I might assume, are an animal most people haven’t seen often in the wild. Though they’re known to thrive in suburban life(think metropolitan phoenix in residential areas where they can hide in attics, garages, under decks, and in bushy areas, especially near water), the only marsupial in North America is a nocturnal hunter, so unless you’re out and about on their shift, it’s unlikely you’re going to see them.
With that being said, here in Arizona this adorable but quite fierce looking marsupial is found mostly in the southern part of the state and along the border of Mexico. Ours are Sonoran opossums (which are native here) with the other being a Virginia opossum (not native). They tend to hide in debris piles, under homes, inside and under sheds, as well as vehicles (that aren’t being used). Garden pests and rodents, as well as pet food left out overnight and rotting fruit from trees in neighborhoods is what brings these guys into our “territory”. But mostly they enjoy snails, mice and rats (which means they make for good rodent control).
Some other fun facts about opossums:
- The littles are born after an 11-13 day gestation period. They’re so small at birth that almost 20 of them can fit into a teaspoon, and as they develop inside their mothers and get big enough, they will eventually ride on mom’s back until they are old enough to venture out on their own
- Their average lifespan is between 1-2 years (they unfortunately have a lot of predators, and even though they “feign death”, sometimes that doesn’t always fool their predator)
- They have fifty teeth, which is the most of any North American land mammal (aka marsupial)
- They cannot hang from trees by their tail, but the hairless appendance is able to grab onto tree branches to help with balance and to carry nesting material. They also have opposing thumbs to assist in climbing/grabbing
I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve gone on and one about opossums…well, that’s because we had a sighting here at Liberty Wildlife! While moving inventory of vehicles downtown, a car dealership found this little girl in one of the vehicles being moved. They were able to carefully place her in a transport box and bring her here where our veterinarian Dr. Lamb confirmed she was healthy and ready to be released. After a short stint in our mammal room (and by short, I mean 3 days total), she was taken down to Patagonia and released.
We wish her the best of luck out there; we’re rooting for those babies we’re sure you’re going to have!
Notable Mentions
There’s lots happening here at Liberty Wildlife over the next few months. Our third annual El Rio Vivo happens next Saturday, March 7th from 8am-4pm (river walk is from 8:30am-11am, art/vendor show from 10am-4pm) and you can check out more info here. We also have a free nature walk on April 11 (more info here) as well as our annual Wish Tree event happening April 26th at 10am (more info here!). Make sure to keep an eye out for other events that are bound to pop up throughout the year!
Without further ado, here are this week’s notable mentions:
- The osprey is assessed by Dr. Lamb before being moved outside for further rehabilitation and monitoring (2 pictures)
- Arya the Red-Tailed Hawk hangs at ANDAZ on a beautiful Friday afternoon (2 pictures)
- Baby season is soon upon us… a gaping Anna’s hummingbird impatiently awaits their next feeding in triage (2 pictures)
- Elmer the gopher snake says hello to an on-site field trip (1 picture)
Public hours is continuing strong on Wednesday, Saturday and Sundays from 10am-1pm, and our intake window is open 7 days a week from 8am-6pm.
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).
February 11, 2025
It looks like cupid’s little dart has been busy. A few blogs ago I mentioned that we had assisted a family in constructing a new great horned owl’s nest in a tree on their property.
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