Wildlife News & Notes ~ Membership Issue 2016 id and release of sick, injured and orphaned wild animals. FMA is equally committed to public - it, 198 Edgar Poole Road, Crawfordville, FL 32327 / 850.363.2351 / www.FWMA.org Florida Wild Mammal Association Wildlife rescue since 1994 Message for the Executive Director Well, we are off to a running start for 2016! The —_way, please visit our weather has wreaked havoc with our animal website at FWMA. intakes and neighboring Franklin County has been org or contact me at especially hard hit. The patient caseload at the choppaotta@aol.com. center includes barred owls, loons, buffleheads, Needless to say, my great horned owls, newborn baby squirrels, New Year’s resolution pelicans, and two orphaned bald eagles less than _is to be optimistic! 3 weeks old. Add to this to an enormous amount —_Look forward to your of year-end paperwork, while searching for land __ participation, and to call FWMA’s new home, and it has been a very _ thanks to each and crazy January! every one of you Our main objective this year is to find property _for all your support that FWMA can relocate to, and while doing that, _ throughout the year. somehow continue running the center so we can maintain the quality animal care that we always strive for. If you can help with this project in any 2016 Membership FWMA would not exist without the generosity of the community and continuing support from our members. Why is your annual membership contribution so important? Because it helps cover many of the expenses of running a 24/7 wildlife rehabilitation center. Your tax deductible donations are vital to daily operations and are used to: * Provide medical and therapeutic care for birds, mammals and reptiles. * Purchase a wide variety of animal feed and specific wildlife formulas for babies. * Clean and maintain the animal habitats and enclosures. * Provide a home for permanently injured animals that are not releasable. In appreciation for your contribution we will send you the 2016 membership decal. [Our gratitude goes to Carole Robertson who created a beautiful new design again this year.] In addition, three newsletter mailings per year will keep you informed about wildlife patients, environmental educational programs, upcoming events, and major initiatives underway at the center. (Be sure to include your email on the donation form if you prefer to receive the newsletter via email.) Most importantly is the satisfaction of knowing that you will help save nearly a thousand sick, injured and orphaned wild animals this year so they can be rehabilitated and released back into their native habitat.2015: THE YEAR IN REVIEW How your donations were used Expense Item ‘Annual Expense Animal Care Expenses 2015 | Animal Care Giving Staff 52,028 Animal Diets 38,507 ‘Animal Care Giving Staff Utilities & Insurance 9,573 Fundraising / Education 4,505 smHabitat Up Keep Costs Licenses, Permits, Rescues & Transports 4,073 Heath & Veterinary Care Costs | Health & Vet Care 3674 sc anmalbiets Administrative Costs 3,060 Habitat Upkeep 2,077 sticences, emits Rescues | Building forthe Future 936 Transport TOTAL $118,443 ‘=Uslites & insurance Notes: i Budiing For The Future (1) Wo oy, ord meter recor ny Bceimcmeratire Coste (2) NO paid professional fundraiser ‘sever used. 55 Fundraising / Education Animal rescue and rehabilitation. FWMA provided care for 953 animals last year. What type were they? What happened to them? 468 Native Mammals 607 Releases 407 Native Birds 30 Transfers 15 Native Reptiles 75 Still in Care 39 Domestic/ Exotics 24 Permanent / Non releasable 28 Adopted Which species were the most common? 203 Squirrels 145 Opossums Where were they from? 51 Carolina Wrens 711 Wakulla County What were most treated for? 45 Mockingbirds 192 Franklin County 594 Orphans (over 62%) 30 Barred Owls peo megay Orgcounty, 107 Attacked by dog or cat 30 Deer ame eon. COUnLY, 88 Hit by car 7 Others Unusual patients ~4 tiny orphaned foxes were misidentified as puppies. Raised and successfully released. ‘~Two brown pelicans with their pouches cruelly slashed. Both successfully recovered after surgery and were released. ~Eight birds treated after being shot. All but 2 survived their injuries. ~A deer bitten by a rattlesnake. Rehabilitate and released.Wildlife Education Did you know? FWMA offers a wide variety of programs through the Youth Education Program which provides employment and volunteer opportunities for young people while they care for the animals undergoing rehabilitation. Onsite Participation last year included: == *9 high school students with disabilities * 12 at-risk individuals earned 400 community service hours * 5 students earned 75 credit hours towards a scholarship * 3 students participated in the OWLS (Outstanding Wild Learning Students) program. kb We also attended 22 community events last year < with educational animals from the center. In pursuit of our mission: At FWMA we believe education is the key to the future of wildlife and their habitat. Animal Care Giving Staff and Volunteers None of this could be accomplished without the passion of our small staff and many dedicated volunteers. We particularly want to thank these passionate individuals who work tirelessly at the center, day in and day out: Many more kind and caring volunteers from our community helped with everything from rescue and transport, fostering young animals, fundraising, supply pickup, media and communications, and so much more...just can’t thank all of you enough! Veterinary care was provided by Dr. Otfried Guhrt at Crawfordville Animal Hospital, and Dr. Hobson Fulmer at Apalachicola Bay Animal Clinic. 2016: THE YEAR AHEAD FWMA is actively seeking a parcel of land to build a new medical building before April 2016. April starts the busiest time of year called “baby season” and without the building at a new site, there are no adequate facilities to house the orphans of 2016. Please help if you can. Details can be found at our website: www.FWMA.org. Want to know still more about FWMA? Catch us on TV...Local Routes is a show produced by WFSU-TV and FWMA is featured in a segment airing from February 10th thru 15th. The program can also be seen online at their website: www.wfsu.org/ local-routes. Look for us in Episode 116 or in the featured video, and thanks for watching!And read all about it too The December 30th issue of Wakulla News carried an article highlighting the urgency behind FWMA's search for land and a new home; check it out at www.TheWakullaNews.com. Thank you reporter Nicole Zema for sharing our story. Second Annual ONLINE Easter Fundraiser for WildLife Mark your calendar: the “egg-citement” starts on Friday March 25th. During the 3 day period through Sunday March 28th (Easter weekend) you can make an online contribution to support the Building for the Future initiative at FWMA. If you choose, your donation can be made in honor or in memory of a friend or loved one. During the Easter weekend that special person will receive an email notification of your thoughtful gift. On Easter Sunday the magnificent Easter Bunny and all her donated eggs will be revealed on our website so everyone can see the names displayed. Last year's event raised over $6700 we are deeply grateful for your kindness and generosity. FWMA also was awarded a matching grant for 2015 and we hope to receive one again this year (fingers crossed!). There will not be time for an updated announcement via newsletter before the event, but details and updates will be posted on our website and Facebook page. So if you want to be kept up to date, be sure to include your correct email address with the enclosed donation form or just send an email to fwma.south@ gmail.com. Please remember we will NEVER share your email address with anyone else and you can unsubscribe anytime. Hope you will join us again this year! woul Our Facebook page has over 2,500 likes - THANK YOU! Find us on clas ble Facebook at: Florida Wild Mammal Association Calendar of Upcoming Events For updates check our website, Facebook, or your email (if available to FWMA). February 28 - FSU Work Day February ~ Project Learning Tree (dates to be determined) March 10 thru 12 - FWMA Spring Yard Sale At Nad’s Storage on Shadeville Hwy, Crawfordville FL. March 25 thru 27 - Easter Fundraiser online April 16 - Wakulla Wildlife Festival Florida Wild Mammal Association BOARD OF DIRECTORS for 2016: S500 and Jeff True, President animals Michael Beatty, Vice President rescued a Gillian C. Hepple, Treasurer Nancy A. Wood, ‘Secretar during zu GUIDESTAR: y y years of Exchange operation. Chris Beatty Executive Director and Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator