| OUR VERY DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS |
Our volunteers are especially dedicated to the work here at Sky Harbor. Their devotion, concern and dedication is most valuable to the animals and our cause. Volunteers at Sky Harbor assist with everything from feeding babies, setting up caging for new admissions and emergencies, capture, release and of course, the MOST fun part.....cleaning up those messy cages !! Now, how fun is that? There is always something to keep us busy here at the center...preparing for the arrival of tiny orphaned raccoons found in a box of fruit delivered to a fruit stand; catching a young raccoon inside a large cage for release; working for weeks with tiny squirrels and raccoons, who have been traumatized by some event that brought them to us, just to get them to take a bottle of formula. Volunteers are trained right here, on the job and quickly understand there is more to rehabbing than cuddling sweet fuzzy babies. Patience becomes a necessary virtue, wearing wet clothes with feeding formulas and various other undesirable fluids on them becomes the norm. Hot, tired, we learn so much and go away with great satisfaction and success. Over the years, we have discovered that pretty much, "anything is possible"...! Volunteers are always welcome and encouraged at Sky Harbor. If interested, contact us, set up an initial visit and come see if you are ready to be a part of our volunteer family. Without volunteers our work would be so much more difficult and not nearly as much fun ! Remember, handling and caring for wild animals can be dangerous and is usually more involved than caring for a pet. Please be responsible and kind, call a rehabber who is trained in all aspects of wild animal care. As humans, we already do so much damage with construction and too many roadways, don't do more damage by trying to care for the animal yourself. Our purpose in rehabbing wildlife is to give them a chance to return to their homes in the wild.....and not to live a lonely miserable life as a pet or for our personal entertainment. WILDLIFE BELONGS IN THE WILD, NOT IN YOUR HOME !!! |
| SKY HARBOR WILDLIFE REHABILITATION CENTER |
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| MARY LOU WITH A NEWLY RELEASED SQUIRREL |
| VOLUNTEER MIKE, WORKING HARD TO GET THE DONATED MULCH FROM DAVEY TREE SERVICE SPREAD OUT ON THE DRIVEWAY TO SKY HARBOR! |
| VOLUNTEER, EVA PREPARING TO LOAD AN OSPREY FOR TRANSPORT AND RELEASE BACK TO THE WILD! |
| MARY LOU WORKING HARD TO CLEAN SOME OF THE HOLDING PENS AFTER A WEEK OR TWO OF CONSTANT RAINSTORMS! NOTHING FINER THAN SOGGY STRAW WITH DUCK POO MIXED IN!!! |
| AND "OFF WE GO".....YOUNG COOPERS HAWK RELEASED INTO THE WILD...8/21/10 |
| READY FOR RELEASE....... SKY HARBORS DIRECTOR, LYNDA ABOUT TO OPEN THE CAGE DOOR. |
| SO THIS IS FREEDOM...? |
| THERE IS A TIME FOR EVERYTHING AND IT IS TIME I RETURN TO THE WILD....THANKS FOR THE HELPING HAND............I WILL REMEMBER YOU! |
| LARGE JUVENILE RED TAILED HAWK, RESCUED BY VOLUNTEER PHIL GOODMAN FROM THE LOBBY OF COMMUNITY HOSPITAL, NEW PORT RICHEY. AUG 2010 |
| YOUNG SQUIRRELS NEARING RELEASE TIME |
| VOLUNTEER MARY FEEDING A YOUNG ORPHANED SQUIRREL AND HAND FEEDING A NEONATE PIGEON |
| I HEAR WE ARE GETTING "OUT" ON TUESDAY! |
| Volunteer Mary, in our care center, caring for young orphaned squirrels. |
| .READY......... |
| SET.................. |
| AND WE HAVE LIFT OFF! |
| August 2010 |
| RACCOONS, ORPHANED WHEN THEIR MOTHER WAS HIT BY A CAR. November 2010 Our fantastic Sara and her super husband Russ, have moved on. Both have become permitted as wildlife rehabbers after apprenticeship with Sky Harbor. Sara & Russ purchased 50+ acres, of gorgeous homestead in Vernon, Florida and are rehabbing on their own now in an area that previously lacked rehabbers. Sky Harbor is so very proud of them both and proud to say they started their journey with us here at Sky Harbor! |
| VOLUNTEER RENATE' GETTING READY TO HAND FEED ONE OF THE ORPHANED BABY RACCOONS. |
| ALL THE VOLUNTEERS AT LYNDA'S 60TH BIRTHDAY PARTY! |
| DUCKLING BORN WITH CROOKED, WITHERED FEET, WEARING HIS CORRECTIVE "SHOES"! |