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!

Bats Over Omaha 2013

The long-awaited, long-anticipated bat release is coming up this weekend! It looks like winds will be favorable and temperatures will be warm enough, so it's time to let our over-wintered little guys take flight.

WHEN?
This coming Sunday, April 28th, 2013. The event opens to the public at 6:30 PM.

WHERE?
Meet us on the lawn of the Joslyn Art Museum. Picnic suppers are welcome! Please leave your pets at home, though.

WHAT'S HAPPENING?
At 6:30 we'll begin with tables of fun, educational activities for kids, including some opportunities to meet some sweet bats face-to-face! (They will be kept in enclosures until the release begins.) 

At 8, our Executive Director, Laura Stastny, will give a very short presentation and make some remarks. The bats will take wing directly after! You'll be able to see them hop into the air from our volunteers' practiced hands right in front of you.

COMMON CONCERNS:

Why downtown Omaha? I live right near there. Are the bats going to come live in my house?
We release our bats at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha each year. This is a fabulous venue for several reasons — First, it allows you to come out and see the release and to learn more about bats. Second, it is close to home for many of the bats. Most of our bats come from eastern Omaha and there is good evidence to support that the bats "go home" when released. This means when we release downtown, we're giving most of the bats the shortest trip home. If you live in the neighborhood, don't worry — the bats aren't going to make a new roost in your house if you don't have bats there already. They are going to go back to their home roost as soon as they can.

Don't all bats have rabies? 

No! In fact, less than 1/2 of 1% of all bats carry rabies. Additionally, one of the great benefits to keeping these bats all winter is that our experienced wildlife rehabilitators can assure the bats we release are healthy and don't have any problems that would prevent their release. 

 

Although very few bats carry rabies, it is always critical that if you or someone you know is bit by any wild animal, that you report it to your doctor and the county health department immediately.  In Omaha and surrounding areas, the Nebraska Humane Society is also available to help, and Nebraska Wildlife Rehab staff is willing to answer your questions as well.  For reasonable information about bats and rabies, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/bats/

Will the bats land on me or my child? 
These big brown bats have ONE desire, and that is to get into the air and eat some bugs! During the release we ask the crowd to stand back and volunteers help keep a perimeter so the bats have room to fly.  If you are at the release and asked to step back, it is so the bats have room and to minimize the chance that one lands on you. 

Sometimes they do struggle with taking flight after not flying all winter, however. In the unlikely event a bat lands on you or your child, we ask that you stay calm, raise your hand, and stand still, and a volunteer will come over and get it. Do not touch it. Volunteers will be in the immediate vicinity to help, as we are all keeping an eye out for bats having difficulty taking wing.




We believe this event is the only one of its kind in the United States-- an unusual event where the public is invited to watch such a large number of bats released back into the wild. We at Nebraska Wildlife Rehab are extremely proud to share this wonderful learning opportunity with you, and to serve as ambassadors to these unique and beneficial mammals.     

Bat release is free and open to the public.  Please invite your friends! Hope to see you Sunday night!


Think the bat release is awesome? So do we! We want to keep bringing this to you every year, so Nebraska Wildlife Rehab is trying to raise $150,000.00 to help Great Plains wildlife, including bats, right here in the Heartland. Please help us! Visit our fundraising page and donate now!

NWRI's recent educational events

Nebraska Wildlife Rehab has been busy!

Over two weekends in February and March, we hosted three classes given by the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC). Many people came from within and without Nebraska to attend, with the farthest person coming all the way from Arkansas.

We hosted the Basic Wildlife Rehab (BWR) training for the third time, as well as two other advanced classes: Feeding and Nutrition, and Pain and Wound Management. This was the first time the advanced classes have ever been offered in Nebraska, and we were very proud to be able to accommodate IWRC. Attendance was brisk-- BRW boasted 22 students, Feeding and Nutrition had 16, and Pain and Wound had 19.

In March, one of our fantastic volunteers, Amy Campagna (educator, rehabilitator, and board member), met and talked with Girl Scout Troop 45111 at Maplewood United Methodist Church.

The scouts were studying about caring for animals, so Amy brought several of NWRI's current fosters and engaged the scouts in discussion. They were enthusiastic and attentive, asked many questions, and were thoroughly delighted with the animals and the whole presentation. Educating the public and especially young people is one of NWRI's main functions, a responsibility we take seriously and love to do, so this was a welcome opportunity. Not to mention, a real treat for Amy to spend quality time with some of the smartest students around.

   

The scouts bid a very generous goodbye to Amy and the animals with a much-appreciated car-load of donations! Troop 45111, thank you so much for hosting us!

 If you would like to schedule a NWRI speaker for your event or group, give us a call at 402-234-2473. You can find possible topics and other scheduling information on our website.


For the 2012/2013 school year, NWRI received a generous grant to work with Collective for Youth in offering environmental and wildlife education programs to students in four OPS middle schools, after school hours. Our volunteers Laura Stastny Amy Campagna, and Matt Cronin have been engaging with students at Marrs, Lewis and Clark, Monroe, and King Science Center for this six-week session on nocturnal animals, entitled Creatures of the Night. In the pictures below, you can see students at King Science dissecting pellets from that mysterious caller in the night, the owl.

Owl pellets are fun to dissect since they are comprised of all the indigestible parts of prey consumed by the owl-- beaks, bones, claws, fur. Pick enough pellets apart and you may be able to reconstruct an entire skeleton...every young scientist's dream.

These are exciting times for NWRI! So many educational opportunities, spring baby season, fundraisers....stay tuned!