wildlife rehabilitation funded by government grants

I have been interested in wildlife conservation for years. I have thought about getting involved in different conservation projects, but until recently I hadn’t given it more than just that-thoughts. A friend of mine called and said she was going to help build some cages for birds that had been injured and were being rehabilitated. She knew I liked wildlife and asked if I wanted to help. Well, here was my chance to actually DO something concrete. So I agreed to meet her the next day to see what the project would involve.
I arrived at the “rehab center” which consisted of a long dilapidated shed surrounded by several cages made out of a patchwork of chain link and wood. Some were well covered and others were in dire need of repair.
I walked slowly by each cage, peeking in to see what was inside. There were several species of hawks with different ailments-mostly broken wings or tail feathers. A couple of different owl species were making a lot of noise at one end of the compound, and a raven was chiming in now and again. A raccoon with a cast on her front leg was peeking out from a dark box trying to get a look at me without exposing herself. But the most amazing sight was the two enormous golden eagles roosting at the top of one of the flight pens.
My friend called to me from the shed to let me know that they were going to feed the animals first, then we would get down to the business of building a new cage. Patti, the woman in charge of the project, was smashing chicken necks with a pair of heavy pliers. My friend introduced us, then handed me a hammer so I could help. We were getting the meal ready for the birds. Wow! I hadn’t planned for all this!
“It has to be as close to the real thing as possible” Patti explained “we even have to mix feathers in with it, so they get all the same nutrients and fiber that they would in the wild. Thank goodness the stores around here donate this stuff or we wouldn’t have enough food for them”
I thought that this could be a really fun job. They bring in wounded animals from all over the state, and some from out of state, to be nursed back to health before being released back into the wild. I asked her how much it paid. She laughed and said not much. She went on to tell me that actually she was not paid at all for what she does, it is all volunteer work. The whole wildlife rehabilitation project relies on donations of time, supplies, and money from people like us, scouting groups, dedicated hunters, and most importantly, government grants.
“If it wasn’t for government grants, none of this would be possible.” She said.
I couldn’t believe it. It was almost spring, and she said they would be getting a lot more animals in for rehab. Where were they going to put them? What were they going to feed them?
I realized that I wanted to help them as much as I possibly could. I began contacting people for donations of food and materials. I also started looking around to see what other types of government grants were available. I found a great site http://www.GrantGenerator.com that makes it really easy to find different types of grants.
There are so many animals out there that need our help! Donations of time, materials, or money can help these organizations, so they in turn can help America’s Wildlife.
If you are interested in helping wildlife, go to http://www.GrantGenerator.com to see what you can do.