City Wildlife Inc

CITY WILDLIFE PROTECTS AND ADVOCATES FOR WILDLIFE AND WILDLIFE HABITAT THROUGH REHABILITATION FOR RELEASE, PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

WILDLIFE REHABILITATION CENTER: CITY WILDLIFE'S REHABILITATION CENTER CARED FOR MORE THAN 1,500 SICK, INJURED, AND ORPHANED WILD ANIMALS IN 2022. PATIENTS INCLUDED WILD BIRDS (RAPTORS, WATERFOWL, AND SONGBIRDS), SMALL MAMMALS, AND NATIVE REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS. MANY WERE SPECIES OF GREATEST CONSERVATION NEED IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. CITY WILDLIFE'S GOAL IS TO RELEASE HEALTHY ANIMALS BACK TO THE WILD. THE CENTER, OPEN EVERY DAY 9-5, IS STAFFED BY A FULL-TIME WILDLIFE VETERINARIAN AND FOUR SKILLED REHABILITATION TECHNICIANS.PROTECTING WILDLIFE: THE PRINCIPAL ROLE OF CITY WILDLIFE'S REHABILITATION CENTER IS TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO SICK, INJURED AND ORPHANED NATIVE WILDLIFE. MOST OF OUR PATIENTS' INJURIES ARE CAUSED BY DIRECT OR INDIRECT HUMAN ACTIVITIES. WE WORK TO HEAL THE ANIMALS BUT ALSO TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE IN A WAY THAT ADVANCES UNDERSTANDING AND COMPASSION FOR WILDLIFE. WITH EACH INTAKE AND PHONE CALL, WE SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR WILDLIFE NEIGHBORS, BUILD UNDERSTANDING, PROMOTE COMPASSION AND DISPEL CONCERNS.PROTECTING PEOPLE: OUR WILDLIFE REHABILITATION PROGRAM SERVES MANY PURPOSES, INCLUDING BEING SENTINELS FOR DETECTING ZOONOTIC DISEASE IN WILDLIFE AS WELL AS BY PROVIDING CITIZENS WITH A PLACE TO BRING WILD ANIMALS THAT THEY MIGHT OTHERWISE TRY TO CARE FOR AT HOME, RISKING POSSIBLE DISEASE OR INJURY TO THEMSELVES OR OTHERS.PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT: IN ADDITION TO ITS PRIMARY MISSION, CITY WILDLIFE REVIEWS AND COMMENTS ON LOCAL ACTIONS PROPOSED BY GOVERNMENTS AND PRIVATE DEVELOPERS THAT MIGHT HAVE IMPACTS ON WILDLIFE. OUR COMMENTS SUPPORT THE PROTECTION OF THE DISTRICT'S WILDLIFE AS WELL AS ACTIONS THAT CONSERVE HABITAT.

DUCK WATCH: DUCK WATCH, AN ALL-VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, ASSISTS PEOPLE WITH URBAN WATEFOWL NESTS. VOLUNTEERS MONITOR NESTS, TELL PEOPLE HOW TO PROTECT THE NEST, AND HELP THE WATETFOWL HEN GET HER YOUNG SAFELY TO WATER. DUCK WATCH WORKS TO KEEP WATERFOWL FAMILIES TOGETHER. WATERFOWL TRAPPED ON GREEN ROOFS OR IN COURTYARDS ARE CAPTURED AND ESCORTED TO WATER. IN 2022, VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED 714 HOURS AND HELPED MORE THAN 550 INDIVIDUAL DUCKLINGS WHO WERE TRAPPED IN COURTYARDS, ON ROOFS, OR BY ROADWAYS.

LIGHTS OUT DC: LIGHTS OUT DC, AN ALL-VOLUNTEER CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAM, WORKS WITH THE MANAGERS OF BUILDINGS IN WASHINGTON, DC, TO REDUCE BIRD/GLASS COLLISIONS. DURING MIGRATION, VOLUNTEERS COLLECT DEAD AND INJURED BIRDS--MORE THAN 5,000 SINCE 2010--THAT HAVE HIT GLASS, DOCUMENT THESE COLLISIONS, AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO BUILDING OWNERS ON REDUCING NIGHTTIME LIGHTING AND INSTALLING BIRD-SAFE FEATURES. INJURED BIRDS ARE TAKEN TO THE REHABILITATION CENTER. DEAD BIRDS ARE DONATED FOR RESEARCH.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS: CITY WILDLIFE IS ALWAYS SEEKING TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY AND ENGAGE IT IN OUR MISSION. IN 2022, WE RECEIVED MORE THAN 5,000 CALLS AND EMAILS REQUESTING ADVICE WITH ANIMALS. WE ALSO HELD NUMEROUS ONLINE SEMINARS AND MAINTAINED ACTIVE EDUCATIONAL SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS.