Dear Wildwoods Friends and Supporters,
Check out our full fall 2021 newsletter here!
I am excited to share our newsletter with you and tell some tales about what Wildwoods has seen this summer! But first, I wanted to let you know that this is a very special year for us. Wildwoods was incorporated as a non-profit 10 years ago, but the work started in 2006, 15 years ago! However you slice it, 2021 is a big year for Wildwoods! As much as it pains us, we won’t be having a celebration this year due to the impact of the pandemic on our community, but we look forward to celebrating our anniversary with you in 2022.
From the halls of a basement to the halls of our nursery, we have experienced a lot of growth in the past 15 years. Thank you to our community, staff, and volunteers who are the formula to our success. We invite you to read on and see what we’ve accomplished together this year!
What a year we’ve had!
This is our first full summer back, and it has been a busy one. As of the beginning of August, we already admitted 838 animals to Wildwoods and provided services to 1,527 people (animal admits, educational programming, referrals, and phone support). By the time you receive this newsletter, we will have surpassed 1,000 animals and 1,700 people. These numbers demonstrate just how important our work is to the Northland.
What we do… And how to help the animals
Wildwoods is here to provide support to all wildlife that are injured, sick, or orphaned. We do this by caring for the animals we can, providing emergency support and safe and secure transport of animals to another facility for more advanced care when necessary, and sharing referrals to other wildlife rehabilitators if we are unable to provide the requested support.
However, the biggest impact we would like to make on our community is by increasing efforts to ensure that animals do not need to come to Wildwoods in the first place. We currently offer our Keeping Wildlife Wild educational program from October through April, and we plan to expand our programming this fall to include other ways to protect wildlife through safer driving habits, habitat protection, and advocating for wildlife tunnels and bridges so that animals can safely cross highways. The majority of animals that come to Wildwoods do so because of a negative interaction with a human. Since we are the primary (unintended) cause of animal injury and orphaned babies, we should work together to do everything we can to prevent the damage we inadvertently inflict. Education is an important step in this process.
What else can we do? By now, we have all heard of the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. At this point, there is no going back. Rather, we have to be resolute in our efforts to mitigate the damage we have caused, but even more importantly, to change our behaviors and reimagine what our society can be. This is important not only for humanity, but for the flora and fauna that face extinction because of our actions. The argument we usually hear is that extinction of a species, whether it be plant or animal or insect, has a negative impact on humans. A less human-centric approach, however, implies that we should care about their paths to extinction not because of their relationship to humans, but because of the intrinsic value that their life has on its own, separate and apart from humans.
We as a world have some tough times ahead, but we have faced tough times before. We will have, each of us, to make sacrifices. But if we hold onto the majesty of nature, revel in the exact perfection of the baby squirrel, be lifted by the call of the loon, and carried away by the bumble bee, we will have the strength to move forward. The innocents of the forests are relying on us.
Our plans for 2021 and Beyond
We are entering into a strategic planning phase, plotting our next three years of operation (2022-2024). Participants in this process include our Board of Directors and staff, several volunteers, other wildlife rehabilitators, and a couple of our funders. We are embarking on this process to ensure that we are here to respond to the needs of our Northland community, and because we are part of a larger whole in this state. Our location in Duluth allows us to serve as a hub for the North, and a crucial line of transit to larger facilities in the Twin Cities. Engaging other stakeholders in this process will only help to make us an even stronger organization. We are excited to share our plan with you in early 2022!
Your Support
Wildwoods is a community-centered organization and you have been with us every step of the way. Many of you became supporters because of Farzad’s and Peggy’s tireless work on behalf of our animal neighbors, and others joined in after you had your own interaction with an animal. Whatever your reason, we are proud to have you as part of the Wildwoods family.
We need you now more than ever as we build on the 15th anniversary of our work. We are hoping to raise $10,000 with this newsletter to help us through September. Your donation is crucial to providing the animals in our care with a species-appropriate diet and the best housing possible, and making sure that our dedicated staff and volunteers have a safe and healthy working environment.
You can donate here.
Thank you for all you do, and let’s hear it for serving our community for another 15 years!
Kind regards,
Jessica LaBumbard
Executive Director