Megan Mosby
Executive Director
Camp Liberty Wildlife, our summer camp offerings, will soon be launching. If you know some youngster who is looking for a fun time while engaging with the natural world, this may be the opportunity they have been waiting for. The camp is designed for youngsters starting third grade to those exiting 6th grade. The first session begins June 3rd and goes until June 7th. The second session of the camp goes from June 17th through June 21st.
Week One of camp will have biomimicry as a theme. Kids will experience the thrill of finding solutions to problems through looking to the natural world…think seed dispersal burrs and Velcro, noisy bullet trains and kingfishers, or the camouflage of a cephalopod. This is fun stuff plunked down in a fun place with fun activities.
Each camper will have hands on experience with some of Liberty Wildlife’s educational ambassadors. Each camper will take home crafts and a journal of conservation and nature experiences to share with their family and friends. Each camper will have a fun time in nature that will set the summer tone of continual learning while having a good time.
The second week will feature life along the Rio Salado just outside our back door. There will be exploration of the different biomes and habitats that we embrace at our facility…think upper Sonoran desert, riparian, and wetland habitat with the flora and fauna that live there and make it whole. Once again, the campers will have crafts and journals to share with their families and friends and will continue to learn about nature in a fun and creative way.
Just writing this makes me remember my days at that age. There was very little television and absolutely no screen time. The first thing we did when we got home from school was change into our play clothes and head for the creek. There was no river rock left unturned, no lizard we didn’t TRY to catch and no garter snake we didn’t follow. I wish there had been a place like Liberty Wildlife when I was looking for an intriguing way to spend a summer day. Perhaps then, I wouldn’t have “rescued” all of those baby raccoons for my mother to try to rehab without any success. Nothing was safe from our inquiring minds…no one directed our ravenous curiosity, no one taught us about the connected nature of all things wild and natural. Maybe that is why I am where I am.
But, I really wish I had been able to go to Camp Liberty Wildlife.
For more information check out our web site, www.libertywildlife.org and scroll down to “Upcoming Events” to register for Camp at Liberty Wildlife.
This Week @ Liberty – May 21, 2019
We are presently a little over 200 animals ahead of this date last year. The weather has been pleasant so I’m kinda waiting for the “other shoe to drop” if we get any big storms. The wind we had last week set us up for a big weekend which saw us taking in 80 animals last Friday, 75 on Saturday, and 70 on Sunday. But then, May has historically been our busiest month so nothing new there. What might be new is how seemingly smoothly the operation is going this year. It’s as though we are finally hitting our stride at the new facility and we’re running on all cylinders. Let’s hope we can keep this up through the heat of the summer which we all know will come sooner or later…
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Last week we had a small get-together in the intake area to say adieu to Dr. Orr, our founder. After 37 years (actually more…), Kathy is retiring and moving to Panama. Some long time friends and volunteers came by to wish her well in her travels and adventures and to thank her for giving us and Arizona the gift of Liberty Wildlife. We will miss her but she has told us she will return periodically to visit.
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As you might expect, the baby birds are raining down on us at Liberty. The Orphan Care team is busy from dawn to dusk feeding and caring for all the tiny, and some not-so-tiny, orphans who need help. Lots of baby great horned owls, barn owls, red tails, and the occasional love bird are brought in daily. Last week, it seems as though everybody who brought in a baby bird had named it. There were several pigeons named “Pidge,” a couple of doves called “Lucky,” and even one love bird named “Freddy Mercury” that came in for care.
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The Peregrine Fund brought in a California condor for medical care last week. This is only the third condor we have seen since we have been treating them several years ago that has not being treated for highly elevated lead levels. This bird has a fractured wing which we are hoping that surgery will repair. Dr. Lamb is set to perform the operation as soon as possible.
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Last week Vet Night saw a lot of action as Dr. Orr was on hand as was Dr. Semick and Dr. Wyman. As usual, all current patients were seen and checked for progress and assessed for further or additional treatment. Kendall and Sara were also there to help and gain experience working on animals that they might not get to see in vet school. Its totally awesome to be able to provide aspiring veterinarians with real world training working with volunteer vets who donate their time and skill saving the wonderful wildlife of Arizona!
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We don’t get many northern cardinals in Phoenix. They are certainly here, but not in great numbers. When one does come in presenting an injury requiring medical intervention, it’s a noteworthy event. We recently took in one of these beautiful male birds who had an injured foot. To a passerine (a perching bird), not having the use of both feet can be quite problematic. Fortunately, Jan and Joanie were able to provide a wrap to hopefully heal the bird’s foot and he will be releasable in good time.
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Another bald eagle came in recently for medical help. The bird, a 20 year old adult, presented an injured wrist and wing tip. Since the damage was so close to the wrist joint, a simple wrap was about the only possible treatment. Quite handsome for a bird of such advanced age, he is still in our care for observation and further evaluation.
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Posted by Terry Stevens
Operations Director