Wildlife Rehabilitation: From Rescue to Release

“Whatever you think an animal might need, you need too.” – Tiffany Wentz-Root on self-compassion for wildlife rehabilitators.Partners for Wildlife kicks off its fourth season with the second part of our compassion fatigue conversation. Washington state-based mental health therapist Tiffany Wentz-Root joins host Gail Buhl to discuss the impact of trauma, burnout, balance, joy, boundaries, and the power of memes!This episode contains references to restrained eating habits, military service, negative self-talk, elements of depression, and child-care trauma.Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.Links:Part one of this conversationCheck out Lindsay C. Gibson’s book: Adult Children of Emotionally Immature ParentsLearn more about The Raptor CenterFinding a therapist through Psychology Today

Gail Buhl is back with Part 2 of her discussion with Ruby Davis, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Director for the Carolina Wildlife Conservation Center. In Part 1, episode 8, Ruby discusses her origin story and the natural history of the striped skunk, a common skunk species in North America. Here in Part 2, Gail and Ruby do a deep dive into the rehabilitation techniques of young skunks in care. That includes feeding, behavior, husbandry, and even how to avoid getting "sprayed." Ruby includes a spray scrubbing recipe to get the smell out of your skin and clothes in case it does happen. Next episode, Gail welcomes Amanda Nicholson back to the podcast to discuss having "crucial conversations." A lot of tough conversations come up in the course of wildlife rehabilitation, so you won't want to miss episode 9! Back in season 2, episode 13, Amanda talks with Gail about social media best practices in wildlife rehabilitation.  Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

Host Gail Buhl welcomes Ruby Davis, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Director for Carolina Wildlife Conservation Center. There, she oversees the center’s rehabilitation, along with the training and mentoring of staff and volunteers.This was an in-depth conversation, so we've divided it into two parts. In part 1, Gail and Ruby cover Ruby's origin story and how she came to enter a long and fulfilling career at the Carolina Wildlife Conservation Center. From there, the conversation covers some basic natural history of striped skunks, a common skunk species in North America. This episode details the striped skunk's eating habits, seasonal and mating behavior, types of nests they prefer, and times of day they're most active. Ruby also recounts some common reasons skunks are admitted to wildlife rehabilitation and how members of the public encounter them. Be sure to stay tuned for Part 2, in which we do a deep dive into the details of skunk rehabilitation!Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

Host Gail Buhl is back for a Part 2 with guest Tim Jasinski to talk about the wild fostering of the Canada Goose. In Part 2, Tim and Gail get further into topics such as goose behavior, understanding flocks, gender differences, how goslings develop, and techniques in wild fostering of goslings in their journey to independence.  Next episode, Gail welcomes Ruby Davis, wildlife biologist and wildlife rehabilitation director of the Carolina Wildlife Conservation Center in North Carolina.  Ruby will discuss one of her passions and areas of expertise -- skunks! So, don't be a "stinker" and remember to join us for Episode 7 on skunks. It was a really interesting talk, so you won't want to miss it!Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

In episode 5, Gail welcomes back a familiar face --Tim Jasinski, a wildlife rehabilitation specialist at Lake Erie Nature and Science Center in Bay Village, Ohio. Tim originally appeared on the podcast in Season 1, Episode 19 to discuss one of his passions in wildlife rehabilitation, the Timberdoodle. That first interview with Tim and Gail is well worth going back to take a listen! In this episode, Tim brings with him yet another area of expertise -- wild fostering of the Canada Goose. Not all wildlife rehabilitators enjoy taking on these noisy, poop-happy aquatic birds, but Tim loves them! We've divided Gail and Tim's talk into two parts. In Part 1, Tim revisits his path into wildlife rehabilitation, which started as a job at a pet store and a passion for animals. They later get into why the Canada Goose is Tim's favorite bird, the pros and cons of fostering goslings, natural history of the Canada Goose, gender distinctions in geese, a bit on goose eggs, and interpreting goose behaviors. Next episode in Part 2, Tim and Gail talk about the importance of avoiding geese misimprinting on humans and related techniques, some basics on husbandry while fostering goslings, obtaining proper permission for placing fostered geese on private property and public parks, why geese sometimes can't fly, and more!Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).