Wildly Good News!

ANIMAL SUCCESS STORIES!

In the past month, we’ve had some triumphant
releases we’d like to share with you. Quite a few
special animals are now living wild and free back
in their natural habitat. The ultimate goal for every
single animal that makes its way to Appalachian
Wildlife Refuge is for its successful reintroduction
back into the wild where it belongs. Great care is
taken to ensure our patients stay as wild as
possible during their rehabilitation, and our
dedicated team of staff and volunteers work
tirelessly towards the best possible outcome for
every single animal that passes through our doors,
big or small.

This Mama Opossum came into the

Appalachian Wild facility with severe
wounds from a vicious dog attack. A
dedicated mother despite her injuries,
she arrived with two babies (pictured
with her here). If at all possible, the
goal is always to keep baby wildlife
with their mothers, and this devoted
Mama cared for her little ones until
they were weaned. Following a
complete recovery, the mother
opossum was released and is now
back living in her mountain home. Her babies, now hearty juveniles, have
recently been transferred to a pre-release enclosure and will soon be headed
back out to live wild and free.

This year, Appalachian

 Wild received 13 orphaned
baby groundhogs. "Hog"
being the operative word,
these wild babies chowed
down on huge amounts of
food as they grew healthy
and strong. They began on
a specialty formula every
three hours and
progressed to eating a ton
of fresh produce and wild
browse throughout the
day. After a brief stint in
Appalachian Wild’s pre-
release enclosures, the
groundhogs dug their way
to freedom and are now
browsing to their heart’s
content out in the wild
where they belong.

If you find orphaned

or injured wildlife in
need of help, contact
the Emergency
Wildlife Hotline at 828-
633-6364 ext 1, or visit
https://www.appalachi
anwild.org/found-an-
animal.html

TRANSPORTERS
NEEDED
Have one day a month or
one day a week to spare to
help transport injured
wildlife? This is a volunteer
opportunity that truly fits
any schedule. Pick up at
the AWR facility just outside
of Asheville, and transport
to specialized care at
partner facilities in Banner
Elk, the Charlotte area, and
other neighboring areas. No
experience required, and
you won't be handling
wildlife, so this is a great chance for anyone to get involved! Transport volunteers
allow Appalachian Wild to increase our capacity, and save even more wild lives. To
learn more, email volunteer@appalachainwild.org
CORPORATE PARTNER
SPOTLIGHT:

It seems an unlikely pairing – a wildlife rescue and a

spa services business – but not in a town like
Asheville, and particularly not if it is Sensibilities Day
Spa. Owner Jen Charlton Locke has long been a
champion of AWR. “I will never forget that first event
where I learned about the dream to create a resource
in our community to help wildlife.” And she
didn’t. Sensibilities has continually supported the mission by donating a portion of its
sales of spa services.

One of AWR's volunteers, Winslow Umberger, fondly

recalls taking advantage of a Sensibilities Cares day in
which Appalachian Wild was the recipient of 20% of
the day's revenue: “I had never had a facial nor could I
imagine what the fuss was all about. Then I had one
and, oh my goodness…it was incredible! I knew my
face would look refreshed and rejuvenated but I had no
idea it was a supreme way to relieve tension. Once robed, I found myself in a
cocoon of bliss as various products were applied to my face, hands, and arms. The
staff was so warm and welcoming, not a snooty one in the bunch!”

With the pandemic forcing business owners to make

hard decisions, Jen has decided to close the spa on
Haywood Street after 20 years in downtown
Asheville. The Biltmore Park location, located in the
Hilton, will continue to operate as it has since
2004. “We were already operating at our industry's
highest standards before Covid-19 but now we are
taking it to the next level of care,” says Jen. “Since reopening in June we have been
meticulous in implementing our COVID policies. In addition to our always stringent
sanitation, our policies include masks for staff and clients, temperature checks, and
COVID screening for all guests and staff members every time they visit. While we
hate to turn away out-of-towners, it makes sense to concentrate on our local
clients at this time to continue our mission of health and wellness.”

If you are looking for a luxurious day at the spa to unwind and want to support a
local business who believes in helping wildlife rehabilitation efforts, visit
Sensibilities Day Spa at their Biltmore Park location.
 ​Supporting Appalachian Wild won't cost you a thing! During the time of Covid-
19 and social distancing, more and more purchases are being made online.
By designating Appalachian Wild as your preferred charity through Amazon
Smile, you can help support wildlife in need without spending any extra
money. Click here to get started!

AMAZON SMILE FOR MOBILE

AmazonSmile customers can now support Appalachian Wildlife Refuge
in the Amazon shopping app on iOS and Android mobile phones!
Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating
donations through your phone!
1. Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device.
2. Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into
'Settings'.
3. Tap 'AmazonSmile' and follow the on-screen instructions to complete
the process to add Appalachian Wildlife Refuge as your preferred
charity. We'll start getting donations at no extra cost to you every time
you shop through the App!

ALWAYS IMPROVING ON
WHAT WE DO!
Getting better at what we do every day is
AWR’S unstated mantra, but it is evident in the
actions of our caring staff and volunteers and
readily noticeable in the continual improvements
being made to the facility. Facilities lead and
Board member, Bryan Sloan, has been a
whirling dervish this summer despite the heat
and rainstorms. In June and July, he has been
busy: installing a much-needed sink in the
herptile room, improving animal room
ventilation, building outdoor enclosures for
turtles, replacing the animal entrance main
door, building additional storage shelving for the
animals’ rooms, overseeing the installation of a new washer and dryer, replacing the
roof and adding an airlock onto the outdoor pre-release enclosure. The fall promises
to be no less busy, with the planned construction of six new outdoor
enclosures. AWR just keeps getting better!

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT:
Cassie Sweetland
For Cassie Sweetland, volunteering at the
AWR Center is always a great
experience, but most especially when she
has an opportunity to help out in the
treatment room. The 14-year-old, an
Asheville high school SILSA freshman,
says it is a learning experience that she
hopes to put to use someday working
with injured and sick animals. Cassie is spending the summer as an intern working
five days a week, six hours-a-day at the facility.

Covid-19 means her classes will be online this fall, allowing her to continue her
internship without interfering with her studies. Cassie is an honors student, but if
given a choice would rather spend time with animals than books. “I’ve learned so
much,” she says. “But, mostly that when animals are hurt it’s because of humans…
like getting run over by a car. We need to help them.”

Recently, Cassie was in the treatment room

when a Great Blue Heron with a stick
protruding from its wing and missing feathers
was receiving first aid. She was thrilled to
help fetch supplies and watch the staff
work. Cassie calls AWR Executive Director
Savannah Trantham a mentor.

Cassie’s interest in wild animals goes back to

a hedgehog named Pebbles that she helped
nurse back to health. Today, her home menagerie includes two snakes, a bearded
dragon lizard, and fish. “I hope someday to work with animals in the wild,” she
says. “These animals are so cool, so amazing. I love them all.”
 MOUNTAIN CREDIT UNION
EXTENDS SUPPLY DRIVE!
We cannot do what we do without
community support and Mountain Credit
Union (MCU) is certainly doing its part to
help!

Located at 1453 Sand Hill Road in Candler,

MCU has extended its supply drive for AWR
through August. To encourage donations of
cash and wish list items, the staff has pulled
together a raffle basket of summer fun goodies,
including a $20 Tastee Freez gift card. They’ve
even decorated their lobby to build awareness
of the cause. “One of the seven cooperative
principles that credit unions are founded on is concern for the community,” says
branch manager Sarah Steadman. “Being able to contribute to a great nonprofit
organization like Appalachian Wild is an opportunity for us to live up to our
philosophy of ‘people helping people.’” In the time of COVID, we need more of
that. MCU is offering cash incentives for auto loans and credit cards, ranging from
$500 to $100, to help the community as well. Check http://www.mountaincu.org or
email help@mountaincu.org and visit the Sand Hill branch for a chance at that
raffle basket!
 When a Wiki organization, wiki.ezvid.com,
was looking to showcase five organizations
working to improve lives in Appalachia,
Appalachian Wild made their shortlist. Established in 2011, Ezvid Wiki is the largest
and most comprehensive video wiki on the planet, providing useful, unbiased
information to hundreds of millions of people around the world. Check out the
video to see Appalachian Wild and four other great organizations making a
difference in Appalachia.

SEE WHAT WE HAVE "IN STORE" FOR YOU!

Show us some love and pride for our mission by sporting a newly designed
tee with the Appalachian Wild logo! Comes in a variety of colors and style,
and this campaign runs through August 28th.

​Prefer a mug or tote? We have those, too. Visit our store! Every purchase
means you are helping save wild lives!
DONATE WISHLIST

​ ​ ​ ​