Why Support Wildlife Education?

Nebraskans care about the lives of animals; we see this plainly in the outpouring of phone calls, emails, and texts we receive from you on a daily basis. We know that you will give of your time, talent, and treasure to make a difference for the animals living in this great state and in the Great Plains at large. And we appreciate you. Without your generosity, the animals we receive wouldn’t get their chance to return to the wild where they belong.

It's an unfortunate truth that most wild animals in rehabilitation come to us because of the actions of people, accidental or intentional – not because of nature.  We don’t steal rabbits from the mouths of coyotes - we work with animals that have been shot, hit by cars, stolen from their mothers, and abused in countless other ways.  Our work makes an attempt to balance out the impact of people, with the ultimate goal of “leveling the playing field” for wildlife.

You're already aware and engaged. So why support wildlife education too? 

At NWRI, we strive to educate people on the right way to interact with wildlife, so we can reduce the need for rehabilitation and help leave animals in the wild – where they belong.  Educating students about wildlife early helps to develop respect for animals and the environment, and even other people and themselves.  That's why we love to create programs and projects with so many educational partners in the Omaha community.

  

People are more forthcoming in protecting that which they understand.  When students learn early about wildlife, habitats, and human-nature interactions, they develop a passion and deeper understanding of the world around them.  This understanding will spur them to become our next generation of scientists and conservationists.

 

As the biodiversity of the prairie diminishes, so does the possibility for the next generation to truly connect with these spaces. NWRI believes that the education and engagement of youth and the public at large is essential in creating a society that values habitat protection. NWRI recognizes diversity as fundamental to healthy communities, whether that be on the prairies or in our cities.   All of our rehab efforts also contribute to our educational outreach, and provide a platform for NWRI to reach Great Plains inhabitants with this conservation message.

 

Please help us reach out to not only physically help animals, but help others learn how to do so, too! This Wednesday, May 22, remember NWRI during Omaha Gives!, an amazing 24-hour give-a-thon that would vastly benefit the animals that share this space with all of us. We are but a small organization and it's easy for us to get lost in the crowd of all those other big, loud, brightly-colored non-profit organizations. Please remember us! If we got even one matching donation or prize, it would be HUGE for us.

 

Thanks for reading! And once again....thanks for all you do. 

    

Bats Over Omaha a beautiful success!

Hello, you.

And you....

and you...

you....

and YOU-- 

Thanks for coming! 

Over 700 people came to our fourth annual public bat release event on Sunday, and the evening was an absolutely great time. The temperature was ideal, the breeze was mild, the bats were hungry. 

As promised, we had tables of educational activities for children, including coloring their own bat masks and talking about bat facts. When asked what we could improve upon for next year, seven-year-old Aderyn said she wished she could have touched a bat. (Which unfortunately, isn't an option for liability reasons. Our bats are generally docile and sweet in our hands, but we don't want to scare them!) 

A similar question was posed to siblings Morgan and Jack, who simply squealed in bat-speak and flapped their wings. 

(Note stealth photo-bomber Eli flapping his own wings in the background!)

It was wonderful to see families enjoying themselves everywhere...

  and fun to hear the crowd break into applause whenever a bat found his wings. That was a bat release first!

 

Thanks for sharing one of our favorite nights of the year. We hope to see you all again many times before next year's bat release!

NWRI is working to raise $150,000 before June 30th through our 50 States for Great Plains Wildlife initiative. Click here to learn more and to donate to help wildlife like these bats today!