Wild Things – April Sanctuary Update
Hi Everyone!
It’s spring!! Leaves are budding, flowers are blooming…pollen is blowing. It’s a hopeful and magical time at the Sanctuary. So, I wanted to take a moment and talk about the wild things here at the Sanctuary. I know when I say wild things, your first thoughts might be Missy and Scout if you’re a dog volunteer, or Jett and Dylan if you’re a cat volunteer. But I’m talking about all of the critters of nature that we share our space with in this environment. Let’s take a look!
Over the years here, I’ve had to learn quite a bit about our wild neighbors. There are the perennial visitors who come back every year, like clockwork. Bunnies hanging around our walking paths, deer out on the trails, and oh so many turtles! If there’s one thing we can always count on from our wet scenery, it’s lots of turtles all around. We’ve even had them visiting up by the cat cottages in years past.
We also have some of our more charismatic regulars around. There is a pair of ducks who returns to the pond every year and takes up residence for a couple of weeks. We have a heron (or maybe an egret. I don’t know much about birds) who can be regularly seen out on the pond, especially in the early morning. And of course, there is Theodore, a hawk who can often be seen on patrol at the top of the lamp posts or on the Memorial Wall. I call him our Pest Control Manager.
Then, there are the wildlife that wax and wane over the years. Last year was a big year for small rodents. There were times last spring where leaf and brush piles would just undulate with the small population underneath. We had one summer a few years ago with multiple coyote sightings, even trotting past the pavilion. And you can’t have a pond with a dam without having a beaver show up once in a while. This year seems to be getting defined by the geese who are putting on quite a show on the pond. We’ve also had Billy the Beaver spending some time in our midst, though he seems to have moved on at this point after we removed his handy-work from the pond’s outlet stream a few times.
Then sometimes there are visitors who want to get real up close with us. Frogs, salamanders, and giant moths can often be found on our porches, bringing some excitement right up to our doorsteps. This is certainly an enchanting place to spend our time. And getting to do the work that we do in a space that seems to harmonize with our efforts is an immense gift. I hope you all get to see something magical here real soon.
Rosie’s Roundup
Hi Everyone!
I agree that this is quite the wild place you have here, but it’s not all just in the outdoors. There’s some crazy characters around here, from Shazam to Linus to the crew of misfit toys running amok in Sebastian House’s downstairs living room, as well as all the goofiness of Gidget, Bootz, and Aggie. And I could tell you some stories about some of the silliness I’ve seen from some of the humans around here. It really is a place for everyone to come and grow and thrive. So if you are a wild one or a misfit toy yourself, or are just pretty normal, we’d love to have you come by and share in the magic happening at the Sanctuary by volunteering with the dogs and cats. It makes everyone’s day a little brighter.
See you soon!
Rosie
And of Course…Adoptions!!
April had just one adoption, but it was a great one. Our sweet little fluffster, Pecan Pie, found her way to her forever home. Hooray!!
Welcome home, Pecan Pie!
Thank you all so much for whatever way you support us and our mission. We couldn’t do it without you.
Jon Phillips
Sanctuary Director
I just finished reading your latest publication. EXCELLENT!
I have used several programs over the years! Dog Training (Olivia Rachel) who wouldn’t SIT for the judge and didn’t get a certificate. I have also partaken of the TNR program and was able to fix many feral cats from my neighborhood.