It’s time to appear again on 2023! Take a look at our weblog between Christmas and New Yr’s for a number of tales and recollections of 2023 from the personnel and volunteers of the Natural world Middle of Virginia.
My maximum fond recollections of 2023 got here after I shadowed our rehabilitation and veterinary groups and watched them paintings with our sufferers. Coming from an unbiased college and meals banking background, I had by no means skilled a majority of these “days at paintings”. For the primary time, I used to be head to head with Bald Eagles and hawks. I additionally held snakes, which is one thing that I’m typically reluctant to do. In reality, this revel in made me extra keen on snakes, and not more frightened of them typically … one thing I by no means idea that I’d say. At the present time have been very early on in my time on the Natural world Middle, and I right away spotted how our personnel took nice care to notice the development of our sufferers and have been happy to peer that the birds that we have been operating with regarded more potent.
I spent a part of one morning making ready meals for a number of of our raptors and reptiles, and I loved seeing the element that went into weighing the right kind meals for his or her diets. I take note being so satisfied when the birds that I fed right away began consuming.
Those reviews confirmed me temporarily how a lot paintings is going into taking good care of EACH affected person. Their meals and workout have been two small facets in their total care, however our personnel participants have been diligent of their paintings. Gazing the “toes and feathers” inspection and depend for raptor sufferers, which may be very time-consuming however very important, confirmed how team-oriented, knowledgeable, and passionate each and every individual is set being part of this group. The direct remedy and rehabilitation of sufferers is a facet of the Natural world Middle that I do not get to peer on a daily basis, however I’m delighted that I had those reviews to have a heightened figuring out of the care that is going into each and every animal.
– Chris Aycock, Director of Building