Education Department Updates.

The last month has been full of action for the education department. I was able to kick it off with one of my favorite things, a Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education Conference. The WAEE fall conference is truly a highlight of my year. It is such a great opportunity to network with other professionals in the EE field, visit with friends old and new, see what is happening in the field and get energized with ideas. This years conference was located at Upham Woods (a UWEX camp) in Wisconsin Dells. The Dells area is so often thought of as a tourist trap, but if you step just a short way off the main drag you get to see some beautiful things.

(Above: Inside a debris hut that we built during the nature awareness program.)
One of the great sessions was a nature awareness session led by an educator who uses survival skills to get people involved while learning. One of my favorite parts about going to an environmental education conference is that you don't have to spend the entire time in a meeting/conference room. You get to go out in the field and learn in the same way that we strive to teach. I also had the chance to get a glimpse at a project that we are excited about. The DC Everest School Forest has partnered with REGI through the years to teach about owls to their students. They are working on a beautiful interactive exhibit that will include an amphitheater for REGI to teach in when it is finished. You can view some of the progress on the artists website by following this link.



While I was in the area I decided to check out another amazing place just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Dells, The International Crane Foundation. It was my first experience getting that close the beautiful and rare Whooping Cranes.

( The 3 and 4 year olds at Busy Bee enjoyed having the opportunity to touch a hawk skull and take a close look.)

As a former early childhood teacher I always enjoy an opportunity to work with pre-school age children. Last week I took a few birds to the Busy Bee Child Care center in Antigo. The look of amazement on the children's faces when they get to see a bird close up always brightens my day. They could not get enough of Lil' Bit, the saw-whet owl, but then again... who can.


Karissa, who spent the summer interning with us, has begun to help out part time with education. We traveled to Rhinelander on last Thursday to do a program on owls for a family event. After the live bird program we did bird education activities with the children and families. The children were very wrapped up in the education stations that we had set up on tables. They learned about wingspans, birds sense of smell and got a chance to use binoculars. Nicolet College in Rhinelander is a beautiful campus located on the shores of Lake Julia and the staff and families where a pleasure to work with. It was one of two Rhinelander programs in the last week.

We have been keeping ourselves busy. Now that summer tours have wrapped up we had a short lull and now we are off and running again with school programming!

Molly McKay
Environmental Education Coordinator

Turkey Vulture Pumpkin Fun, Saw-whet Improving, Barred owl Hit by Car

( Photo: Morrie and Pilchard our resident Turkey Vultures love investigating the used Jack-o Lanterns left over from Halloween. )

Enrichment is important for the birds in captivity. They get bored when things remain the same and life has no challenges. Let face it, their life in the wild is perilous, but raptors are born thrill seekers. Our education birds have lots of things to keep them busy. Some species need more challenges than others. Turkey Vultures love to seek out their food and use their sense of smell. Not many birds have a good "olfactory" system. Turkey Vultures are the exception to most avian species and have an exquisite sense of smell. They also happen to be gregarious and full of curiosity.

This year we reached out to the public and encouraged children to bring us their used Jack-O-lanterns once they began to fade after Halloween. It was a great idea if we say so our self!

Not only were the Turkey Vultures enamoured with the pumpkins, but other species were as well. The Sandhill Cranes, Wild Turkey, and corvids like the American Crows enjoy them as well. For some we hide meat pieces inside and let them "find" them and work a bit to get the meat out. Others like the Sandhill Cranes and Wild Turkeys just wanted to tackle the pumpkin itself. Even the seeds are excellent food for many species.



( Photo: This female Saw-whet Owl was admitted several days ago. She is improving quickly. While she is still being tube fed most food, she was chomping on mouse when I last peeked in on her. )



( Photo: This Barred Owl was hit by a car on Monday evening.
She suffered a broken wing. )

Our education team has been very busy with programs in Northern WI. Education Coordinator will update everyone soon with their travels.

Snow is predicted this weekend. We know we have been very lucky this past few weeks, but sooner or later the white stuff will come. Enjoy the warm temperatures and bundle up for the weekend.

Have a great tomorrow everyone,

Marge Gibson 2010

Saw-whet Owl Admitted, Migration Exhaustion, Loon X2 Update, Volunteers UWSP Environmental Education Club

( Photo: This Saw-whet Owl , admitted with starvation and migration exhaustion was weak and near death when she was admitted this weekend.)

The female Saw-whet Owl in the photo above, was admitted in critical condition. The weekend was rocky for this tiny owl, but she is doing much better this morning. We are optimistic for a full recovery. Readers ask what causes an otherwise healthy owl to starve when there are plenty of mice around to eat. The answer in many cases is many of the birds migrating through the State Of Wisconsin are from Canada. By the time they reach Wisconsin they have already had a long journey. Many have used up their fat stores. Storms and strong winds complicate migration causing the birds to use more calories to survive extreme weather. It is harder to find food during difficult weather conditions as well. Our Saw-whet patient likely came through Hawk Ridge located in Duluth, MN. It is on one of the major flyways from Canada and a stellar place to watch the migration. Many thanks to Dave and Judy Marshall from transporting the little tyke to REGI from WI Rapids.



( Photo: This Common Loon and a second loon not picture are both doing well. They will soon be taking a private jet to the warm waters of Florida!)

We have exciting news on the Common Loon patients that have been with us for several weeks. They are both doing well. Both are gaining weight and while they continue to be tube fed to augment the calorie intake they are ready to be fishing on their own again. Their stories are in the blog a few weeks ago, but the loon with the fish hook is doing spectacularly! No one could have predicted this case would end up so wonderfully. She is having another x-ray this afternoon. That will be her last check before she sees the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico. The other loon that came in with poisoning continues to improve daily and is also making great strides. Now we just hope the Gulf of Mexico is healthy for them. A generous company from Wausau, WI has offered to transport the loons for us to Florida. We are so grateful!

It was a beautiful weekend. The sun was shining and weather was warm at least in terms of what we in Northern WI are accustom to in November. We were able to continue winterizing cages, transfer more fragile species to heated areas and prepare the natural areas with wind protection. At any given time we can have up to 100 patients in the winter season as well as our education birds. There is a lot of preparation to be done. Careful attention is give to each bird, taking into consideration its disability or condition. The UWSP Environmental Education Club volunteered on Sunday. A big thank you to Marie Fargo, Meaghen Leatherbury, Jenn Lempa and Brandon Carmichael for their help.



( Photo: The UWSP Environmental Education Club members Marie Fargo, Meaghen Leatherbury, and Jenn Lempa along with super volunteer Brandon Carmichael and REGI staffers, Molly McKay, Rob Prinsen and Katie Farvour enjoy swapping stories at lunch. )

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Post Storm Clean-up, Barred Owl, Sandhill Crane Admitted,Ruffed Grouse Released

( Photo: Barred Owl hit by a car. He suffered a wing fracture but is doing well.)

It has been a busy few weeks. A huge storm system came through the Mid-west causing havoc all around. We were lucky in that we did not have any significant power outages, but some folks less than a hour away lost electricity for over a week.

I am grateful to my grandson for doing most of the clean-up. He is a whiz around a chain-saw. I helped too.:)



( Photo: Me cutting up parts of a tree that came down in the wind storm. )

Several birds were admitted during the week of the storm. This happens when the winds whip the birds into tree branches, the ground or even the side of houses or barns. We are talking serious winds. They were classified as up to a Category 3 hurricane force. We are not used to that in the Mid-west and it did get our attention.



(Photo: An adult female Sandhill Crane was admitted during the week. This photo as she was coming out of the transport box.)

A beautiful female Sandhill Crane was admitted this week. She came from an area near WI Rapids, WI.. We are grateful to the folks that have watched this sandhill family for years, for noticing "mom" was not doing well. Sandhill mate for life. The male and the pairs youngster were trying to get the female to fly so they could leave on migration. The male would not leave without his mate.
The real stories of our patients are often heartbreaking but also beautiful. Their reaction to situations such as this allow us an opportunity to see their society and social structure. We have so much to learn from our amazing patients and their lives before they came to us.
We are grateful to the family the first noticed the bird in trouble, the gentleman that caught her and kept her safe until we could transport the crane, and two of my summer interns, Katie Rymer and Rob Prinsen. Katie and Rob took time from their busy college schedules to pick this crane up from the capture site and transport her to REGI. It takes so many people working together for these cases to have a happy ending. There will be more to come on this story.

The Ruffed Grouse admitted after being hit by a car has been released. She was eager to leave us. We were not able to get any photos as she launched into the air and flew into her future.

I had the opportunity to talk to some terrific people in the La Crosse area a few weeks ago. It is always exciting to talk to people that are excited about birds and conservation. Their presence fuels my enthusiasm as well.
Journalist Jim Solberg writes a terrific column, Ridgerunner Reports. He was kind enough to include my presentation in the column. Click here to Jim Solberg's column in the Ridgerunner Reports. It will be another busy weekend. We have had some snow but happily the weather has held and allows us to continue winterizing the REGI facility.

Have a great weekend everyone. If you live in the local area enjoy the sunshine!:)

Marge Gibson 2010

Wind Storm Extraordinarie Hits WI, Saving Bears in Istanbul, Turkey

Our blog has always been about the day to day work we are doing at REGI. A few days ago a friend, Wildlife Veterinarian, Ahmet Emre Kütükçü posted a beautiful video depicting some of his wildlife work, at Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center of Turkey . The center is located near Istanbul, Turkey. Too often as we focus on the wildlife problems in the U.S. we remain blissfully unaware of the important work unfolding in other countries. I wanted to bring the video to REGI blog readers to raise awareness of wildlife woes throughout the world. I taught classes in Wildlife Rehabilitation at the University of Ankara several years ago. The Wildlife Veterinarians and Rehabilitators in Europe and Eurasia work hard, just as we in North American do to make a difference for wildlife.

Saving Bears video. The story below was submitted by Ahmet to explain what is happening.
Ahmet writes:
"A villager called Necmettin Alper, who had gone to the forest to pick chestnuts on October 21, 2010, witnessed a brown bear trapped in a wire trap designed to trap wild boars in Samandere village of Duzce province in north-western Turkey. He notified the local directorate of Environment & Forestry for the rescue of the bear. The local directorate got in touch with the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation team of Turkey. The team had made its preparations and left Istanbul at 4.00 am in the morning to rescue the bear. They arrived at Duzce at 6.30 in the morning and met with the local directorate members to reach the location where the bear trapped. They arrived at the village of Samandere driving along muddy roads under heavy rain and reached the location. They had to hike about 1 km in the forest to reach the bear.

A brown bear of an estimated weight of 250 kg was identified and seen that it was trapped in a wire trap designed for wild boars mostly. The team started their preparations apply the anesthesia. Meanwhile the bear got very aggressive. It was quite tough for the team since the vegetation was very dense and covered with bushes and rhododendrons. They had to climb up a tree in order to get a better sight to shoot the bear. The bear was shot three times with the dart gun He went to sleep in a few minutes. The local directorate team and villagers helped the rescue team. A thick wire cable caught the bear in his thick hide in the midsection. The bear had no long lasting injuries in part because the bear was very fat for the winter hibernation. Therefore the wire did not hurt the muscles or the tissues of the bear. The team cut the wire and rescued the bear.
The bear was trapped at least for a day, tired, hungry and thirsty. In order not to keep the bear under anesthesia, the team injected the anti sedan for the quick reversibility of the bear. The bear woke and went on with his life.
Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center of Turkey was established by KuzeyDoga Society, Turkish Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks and BTC Co. Environmental Investment Programme.

We are still having very strong wind storms in our area. Our Internet connection is often compromised because of the storms. If you have contacted REGI and not heard back please call again. Thank you for your patience. There will be many rescues due to the storm within the next few days.

Marge Gibson 2010

Loons Times Two, Ruffed Grouse Admitted, Coulee Region Audubon Society and La Crosse Sierra Club Presention

When I last wrote we had one young Common Loon in the REGI clinic. She came in wrapped in fishing line. On Thursday we admitted another Common Loon patient. This is also a young bird. Unfortunately, loon #2 has lead poisoning.


( Photo: This fishing hook is embedded in the digestive system of the Common Loon that was also wrapped in fishing line. If you have ever had a fishing hook in your finger you can appreciate how this must feel to the loon patient. )



( Photo: This is a full body x-ray of the Common Loon. The x-ray shows the location of the fishing hook. Look at center chest of the x-ray. )

Loon #1 is gaining strength and eating well. She remains on one tube feeding a day and is on prophylactic treatment to ward off aspergillosis. She is also on antibiotics. The hook has caused an infection in her abdomen.
The great news is the hook appears to be degrading within her. With a little luck and her strong digestive system, the hook should disappear over the next few weeks. We are so grateful hooks are not made of lead.

Loon #1 was admitted with a weight of under 5 lbs. She is now closing in on 7 lbs!
We are cautiously optimistic she will be a wild loon within a few weeks time. The plan is to fly her to the coast of Florida to be released.


( Photo: Common Loon #1 is gaining strength rapidly. While she currently carries a fish hook in her abdomen, we hope for a full recovery.)

Common Loon #2 is much weaker than our first loon. She has lead poisoning and is under treatment with CA EDTA to chelate the lead from her blood. The good news with this loon is the x-ray does not show any lead in her digestive system. We hope once the lead is chelated from her blood and bones, she will begin to recover as well.

She is being tube fed exclusively as she is unable to eat on her own at this point. Having said that, she grabbed a minnow and ate it early this morning. YEA!


( Photo: Katie F. positions Loon #1 for an x-ray while Betsy R. tech at the Antigo Veterinary Clinic prepares to take her x-ray. Many thanks to Dr. Sarah and the Antigo Vet Clinic for their continued support. )


( Photo: Common Loon #2 swimming in the tub. Notice the pea green feces under her. The green color is an indicator of liver damage and lead poisoning. )

If anyone has access to and can donate live minnows or small fish for our Common Loon patients, we would greatly appreciate it.


( Photo: This young Ruffed Grouse was hit by a car. She is improving daily. We hope for a full recovery. )

A Ruffed Grouse was hit by a car near Elcho, WI. She was fortunate a caring person scooped her up off the road and brought her into REGI for care. Thanks Rachel!

I have been traveling doing programs this past week. On Wednesday I was honored to do a presentation for the Coulee Region Audubon Society and the La Crosse Sierra Club in La Crosse, WI. They are two fantastic groups. Talking to groups involved in the environment is exciting for me on many levels. Many thanks to them for inviting me. I left La Crosse with many new friends.

We continue to prepare for winter at the REGI faciliy.



( Photo: Robert and Brandon working on installing the plastic shielding on the caging.)

Have a great day everyone.

Marge Gibson © 2010

Bald Eagle Release, Bald Eagle, Goshawk, Mourning Dove, Cedar Waxwing Admitted, Loon Update

( Photo: Gina (Javurek) and Kyle Smith pose with me and the Bald Eagle they released minutes later.)

It was a busy and exciting weekend for us. Gina Javurek, former REGI UWSP intern and employee was married to Kyle Smith. It was a beautiful outdoor wedding which was punctuated with the release of an adult Bald Eagle Click on the link to see the story. Gina and Kyle are both biologists and currently work for Alaska Fish and Game. Gina is also an Environmental Educator. We wish them the very best as they begin a life together!

Anyone who knows me even a little bit understands that our interns and former employees remain part of the REGI family, and therefore ours, forever:). There have been many interns over the past 20 years. They are living and working far throughout the U.S. and world. We treasure the times we meet up with them, and share special times in their lives. We are convinced REGI people have the most beautiful weddings EVER!




( Photo: Immature Bald Eagle admitted with a traumatic wing injury. )

We admitted a young Bald Eagle with a traumatic wing injury this weekend. He lost a lot of blood with the injury. He is beginning to eat on his own and that is a good sign. As in most wildlife cases, we are not sure what caused the injury. It is possible the eagle was shot. Shooting an eagle is illegal, of course, but happens more than the public would believe. Wildife law enforcement will be involved if the injuries are the cause of illegal activity.



( Photo: Lance carries the Common Loon patient to the water tub so she can fish.)

The Common Loon admitted last Sunday with fishing line and a lead sinker wrapped around her beak and tongue is making progress. She had some breathing problems through the weekend and began running a high temperature. She is now on antibiotics as well as the antifungal drugs to ward off aspergillosis.

Her beak is actually indented, which may be a long term mark. Fortunately, that will not be a disability.



( Photo: The indentation on the loon's beak where the fishing line was wrapped is still visible. )

Cedar Waxwings are winging their way to warmer climates and eating fruit left on trees on their way. The birds can get a little affected ..."drunk" from the berries and fruit as the fruit begins to ferment on the tree. The birds affected are often found on the ground looking dazed or hit windows when their judgment is impaired. We admitted just such a patient Sunday. A beautiful Cedar Waxwing spent a little too much time eating crab apples and hit a window when she was startled. She is doing great and will be released this morning.



( Photo: This young male Goshawk had a lot to say as he lay on the exam table in REGI's clinic. He hit a window near Wisconsin Rapids.)

Speaking of hitting windows, we admitted a young male Goshawk on Saturday. He hit a window near Wisconsin Rapids. Many thanks to Dave and Judy Marshall for transporting the Goshawk to REGI.

Goshawks are a bird of the woodlands and are not often seen. Of interest, we have admitted two young males in the past month. Both Goshawk patients hit windows and have head injuries. The Goshawk is a species of special concern in the State of Wisconsin.



( Photo: This Mourning Dove was admitted on Saturday with a trichomonas infection. Trichomonas is easily treated if the bird is brought into care but is almost always fatal without intervention. )

Amy and Cody Lane of Wausau, along with a friend, volunteered on Saturday. We didn't get any photos of their time here but really appreciate the help. Thanks guys!

Have a great week everyone. I will be doing a presentation in La Crosse on the evening of the 20th. I will have more information on that later this week.

Marge Gibson © 2010