Monday, July 14, 2008
Today was pretty awesome. I didn’t have to clean the mammals or the bird cages in the morning since we had a lot of people helping and it made things run very smoothly. So, while they were cleaning pens, I was dong the dishes and was able to get the water all ready to go back to the animals. But before we give them back their water we have to spray down the floors and squeegee all the water into the drains put at strategic locations around the building. Again, this job was completed with ease and didn’t take long at all.
Then Victoria and I worked on diets and were given the job of putting a mixture of mulch, sand, and dirt into a new tub for the Gopher Tortoise. Apparently, the old tub had a huge rust hole on the bottom… I’m not really sure how the dirt stayed in it. It was pretty fun and we actually got into the tub and mixed everything together with our feet… like grapes and wine in a tiny village in Rome.
Lunch was good… I got an ‘Icee’… we do not have such entities in Maine… It was almost as if it were flavored ice like a Slush Puppy, but then it was almost carbonated feeling. Strange… good.
My favorite part of the job is training and handling the animals. I really like that they are trusting me to be able to handle some of the animals without supervision. There is always someone around if I need help, but they aren’t overseeing it like they were in the beginning, which makes me feel like they trust me which is important for a work environment. It makes me feel like I’ve earned a place there… and I believe I have. I like being able to see the different ways to train the animals and I’ve gotten to the point where I can answer questions about the animals to people walking by.
The afternoon went well, we did our shows, got all our training exercises in, did some monthly cursory exams, our end of the day stuff, and we were able to get out of there by a little after 5. So, I’d say it was a really good day and we had a lot of fun.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Update from Julie Kozak in Isreal...Vultures, National Geographic and More
Hey Everyone,
It's been about a month since I last e-mailed anyone and I thought I should update you on some of the happenings here at Gamla Nature Reserve. Well last week was a very exciting week, on monday we had a bunch of rangers here for tagging to two Griffon Vulture chicks. I was originally supposed to observe from across the the gorge where the nest is but I got invited to come up on the cliff with everyone else at the nest named Susana. It was very exciting watching one of the rangers repell down to the nest and watching the weighing, leg banding, and wing tagging process and how it is exactly like the stories I have heard in my classes, but in Israel. While this was happening Yoram Shpirer was photographing it all, he's one of the top photographers here in Israel and he's very nice. He came and sat next to me when I went back to my observation spot, talked with me for awhile and took pictures together. It my first chance to get close to a Griffon Vulture, and it was nice since I've spent a month watching them from 100-400 meters away. Then on thursday we received 6 fledgling vultures to add to our 7 that we are raising until adulthood (because their parents were poisoned last year), so now we have 15 vultures in our enclosure. Igal the man who was raising them asked me if I wanted to come to the cage and help release them into the cage, and of course I said yes! There was this woman who I had never seen before with us and she even went to the cage with us (which only workers get to do), later I found out that she was a photographer from NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC!!!! The magazine has been following Igal and the chicks through the whole process of their developement, it was so cool! I can't believe National Geographic was doing a story at my internship location, when I was first told they were here I thought it was a joke. But no, its for real. Anyways I think thats enough excitement for now!
It's been about a month since I last e-mailed anyone and I thought I should update you on some of the happenings here at Gamla Nature Reserve. Well last week was a very exciting week, on monday we had a bunch of rangers here for tagging to two Griffon Vulture chicks. I was originally supposed to observe from across the the gorge where the nest is but I got invited to come up on the cliff with everyone else at the nest named Susana. It was very exciting watching one of the rangers repell down to the nest and watching the weighing, leg banding, and wing tagging process and how it is exactly like the stories I have heard in my classes, but in Israel. While this was happening Yoram Shpirer was photographing it all, he's one of the top photographers here in Israel and he's very nice. He came and sat next to me when I went back to my observation spot, talked with me for awhile and took pictures together. It my first chance to get close to a Griffon Vulture, and it was nice since I've spent a month watching them from 100-400 meters away. Then on thursday we received 6 fledgling vultures to add to our 7 that we are raising until adulthood (because their parents were poisoned last year), so now we have 15 vultures in our enclosure. Igal the man who was raising them asked me if I wanted to come to the cage and help release them into the cage, and of course I said yes! There was this woman who I had never seen before with us and she even went to the cage with us (which only workers get to do), later I found out that she was a photographer from NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC!!!! The magazine has been following Igal and the chicks through the whole process of their developement, it was so cool! I can't believe National Geographic was doing a story at my internship location, when I was first told they were here I thought it was a joke. But no, its for real. Anyways I think thats enough excitement for now!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Email Update from Bryan Lane who is Interning in Big Sur State Park, CA
Hey Nicole,
I hope everything is going good for you. I'm having a great time out here in Big Sur CA. I got my internship started back on May 18th and finally finished it the end of last week. I have to say I am so lucky I got the opportunity to come out to CA and work for the state parks. I started my internship off with a lot of trainings and a lot of hours being worked. After the first couple weeks or so I'm getting the hang of everything and started to explore the area more, some of the pictures explain this. I have to say my supervisor out here Ranger Rich Levin is so nice. If there was or still is anything I needed; Rich would help me get it. Along with all the trainings I have met so many wonderful people. Everyone out here has open arms to me and it has really made me feel at home. Now with my internship completed I am working for the parks and actually getting paid, which is going to be a change. But now no sooner that I get paid; everyone and I was evacuated from Limekiln SP because of forest fires in the area. I have had some great adventurers out here in CA, but something tells me I still can't wait to get back to Unity and see some familiar faces. So with all of this I'm safe and sound waiting out the fires and will be returning to the east coast in early August. Also I hope these pictures and possible my summer internship will help inspire more students to go out and try new things. I will be in touch again.
Bryan Lane, Internship with California State Parks
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Star Crack.
My internship has been going great so far but there have been a few things that I have experienced that I didn't at TRT. Its a fact that in wildlife rehabilitation you have to deal with death. It comes in many situations in rehab. It can be an animal that has just come into your facility with fatal wounds that it dies within minutes, an animal that has been doing well then one morning you go to check on it and it has passed in the night, or an animal that you know has been struggling and you want to do everything you can for it but the best thing for this creature is to be "put down" or "put to sleep". Any way you look at it death is a part of life and a part of wildlife rehabilitation.
I for one wasn't completely sure how I would handle it. At The Raptor Trust I knew when some animals were put down because either they were no longer around or I would ask about the animal to see how it was doing and one of the staff members would tell me he was "no good." This is a term that is used from what I undertsand in most rehab facilities. Both rehab centers I have worked in, when an animal isnt going to make it or has a fracture or injury that renders it unreleaseable, they say "they are no good." I don't know I feel about it but I guess it makes it a little easier for you to realize what is going to happen.
Back to my point, at TRT I never saw an animal actually being put down, but I saw it for the first time here at Avian Haven. It was an adult Bald Eagle that had a high humerous fracture that was close to the joint. In most cases any fracture in a raptor that is very close to the joint, they are not going to have a good range of motion and therefore not be have the ability to fly and hunt. There was talk about placement for the bird but there are regulations about placement animals and the wing would have to be amputated and there are other laws about Bald Eagles that I wasnt sure about, I believe it stated that eagles can't have any extremities removed. This bird was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If placement were an option most facilities would'nt want him because he was an adult and bald eagles are no longer endangered so there isnt a "demand" for them in facilities.
This birds situation was a heartbreak one. We only had for a week and then one day while I was doing my rounds, Marc got the eagle and brought him over to the area where they anesthetize the birds for routine medical procedures or x rays but also for euthansia. I thought nothing of it until a volunteer said "I can't stand to see them put down birds." I walked back into the area and couldnt realize what I was watching, Marc was putting this bird down. I watched until Marc placed a stethoscope against the birds chest then wrapped the bird in a towel to have some final peace. I didnt understand how I was supposed to feel, I had just watched an animal die. One moment he was alive and the next gone. It hit me pretty hard and the rest of the day was rough. Trying to wrestle was all the emotions that come with it was difficult for me. I called a friend that night and told her had happened and finally cried for myself and for the eagle.
I think to myself will I ever get used to it? Should I ever get used to it? Is there a half way point where you understand what you're doing is the right thing and there is no reason for tears? I know i've just started my career in wildlife rehabilitation and there will many more birds that die but I have to realize that its worth everything when you release birds that seemed as though they had no chance or when you have been incubating eggs for weeks and finally you see that star crack. Then you know that life has begun and everything makes perfect sense.
I for one wasn't completely sure how I would handle it. At The Raptor Trust I knew when some animals were put down because either they were no longer around or I would ask about the animal to see how it was doing and one of the staff members would tell me he was "no good." This is a term that is used from what I undertsand in most rehab facilities. Both rehab centers I have worked in, when an animal isnt going to make it or has a fracture or injury that renders it unreleaseable, they say "they are no good." I don't know I feel about it but I guess it makes it a little easier for you to realize what is going to happen.
Back to my point, at TRT I never saw an animal actually being put down, but I saw it for the first time here at Avian Haven. It was an adult Bald Eagle that had a high humerous fracture that was close to the joint. In most cases any fracture in a raptor that is very close to the joint, they are not going to have a good range of motion and therefore not be have the ability to fly and hunt. There was talk about placement for the bird but there are regulations about placement animals and the wing would have to be amputated and there are other laws about Bald Eagles that I wasnt sure about, I believe it stated that eagles can't have any extremities removed. This bird was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If placement were an option most facilities would'nt want him because he was an adult and bald eagles are no longer endangered so there isnt a "demand" for them in facilities.
This birds situation was a heartbreak one. We only had for a week and then one day while I was doing my rounds, Marc got the eagle and brought him over to the area where they anesthetize the birds for routine medical procedures or x rays but also for euthansia. I thought nothing of it until a volunteer said "I can't stand to see them put down birds." I walked back into the area and couldnt realize what I was watching, Marc was putting this bird down. I watched until Marc placed a stethoscope against the birds chest then wrapped the bird in a towel to have some final peace. I didnt understand how I was supposed to feel, I had just watched an animal die. One moment he was alive and the next gone. It hit me pretty hard and the rest of the day was rough. Trying to wrestle was all the emotions that come with it was difficult for me. I called a friend that night and told her had happened and finally cried for myself and for the eagle.
I think to myself will I ever get used to it? Should I ever get used to it? Is there a half way point where you understand what you're doing is the right thing and there is no reason for tears? I know i've just started my career in wildlife rehabilitation and there will many more birds that die but I have to realize that its worth everything when you release birds that seemed as though they had no chance or when you have been incubating eggs for weeks and finally you see that star crack. Then you know that life has begun and everything makes perfect sense.
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