ALL ABOUT US AND WHAT WE DO
Who is Sky Harbor?
Sky Harbor was founded in 1998, by Lynda Barhorst
at her home in Tarpon Springs.  Lynda is the director,
a Certified Avian Specialist and a state and federally
licensed wildlife rehabber.
In early 2005, Sky Harbor was relocated to the two
acre,  Hudson property to expand care & caging for
larger animals and to provide a center large enough
to create educational programs and on site tours for
the public.
How we operate:
Sky Harbor is a total volunteer center, we have
absolutely no paid employees.  No executives
getting big money, not even the director!

We are non profit and 501 C 3, which means we
are supported by public donations & your donation
is tax deductible.

Although we do most of our own medical care
here at the center, we have veterinarians on our
team who assist us with donated care for
surgeries and medical supplies at a greatly
reduced rate.

We accept all sorts of items that we can recycle for
use as caging, shelter, etc., see our wish list.
If you have found injured wildlife, please give our
rehab center, or one near you a call for guidance and
directions to the nearest center handling the species
you have found.  Do not attempt to give food or water.  
Many species have very different nutritional needs
and feeding the WRONG thing can be fatal.  Baby
birds get their water metabolically and putting water
into their mouths, even tiny amounts with a small
dropper could easily  get into the lungs & aspirate,
causing pneumonia and death.

Information on the internet is not always correct, and
sometimes can turn out to be the very worst
information available!!  Call a permitted rehabber!
DID YOU KNOW.............

baby birds in the nest are
called "nestlings".  Once they
are on the ground they are
called "fledglings" (ready to fly
or grow feathers for flying).
They stay on the ground for
several days, with mom close by
teaching "foraging & flying
101....!
The tiny birds will hop, flop,
flutter and jump, testing those
tiny wings until they achieve
flight.
RACCOONS CAUGHT IN  
DUMPSTERS

Place a long board or branch in
the dumpster....this allows the
trapped raccoons to simply
"walk the plank" to freedom and
safety
HOT NEW ARTICLE

SEE HOW WE ARE GOING    
GREEN AND ORGANIC!!

With the economy these days,
donations to charitable
organizations have nearly
ceased.  Not wanting to close
the center, or limit our
admissions, we got creative.

The price of foods,
medications and formulas
required to maintain the care
to all the wildlife admitted has
all doubled or tripled in cost
and our main exspenditure is
food.

Sky Harbor is making some
changes in an effort to
continue the care of wildlife in
our area.  We are growing our
own vegetables and foods and
switching to more natural
foods.  Milk replacers like KMR
and Esbilac, are far too
expensive. We are working
with local mini farmers to
secure animal milk instead.
Scroll down to the bottom of
this page, to read more and
see pictures of  our
greenhouse and garden
project !
SKY HARBOR, WILDLIFE REHABILITATION
HATCHLING OWLETTE
A GROUP OF OWLS IS
CALLED A "PARLIAMENT"
BLUE JAY...RAISED &   
RELEASED AT SKY
HARBOR.
"I'm not so sure this
"release deal" is such a
good idea!"
INFANT FLYING  
SQUIRREL
NESTLING WOODPECKER
HOURS OLD, NEWBORN
BIRDS..YES, WE GET
FOOD IN THEM...REALLY!
RED HEADED WOODPECKER
Our greenhouse under construction.
SKY HARBOR GOES GREEN!!!!!!

MOST REHABBERS HAVE LONG USED MILK REPLACER PRODUCTS LIKE KMR, ESBILAC,
& PRO-NURSE.  A POWDERED SUBSTANCE TO WHICH WATER IS ADDED TO MAKE A
MILK LIKE FORMULA.  ALTHOUGH DONATIONS ARE VERY MUCH DOWN, THE PRICES OF
THESE PRODUCTS HAS GONE UP CONSIDERABLY.  THE SAME, $30.00, FIVE POUND
PAIL OF ESBILAC HAS RISEN TO $55.00.  

THE FORMULAS HAVE BEEN "IMPROVED", CHANGED TO THE EXTENT OF CAUSING
PROBLEMS WHEN FED TO OUR WILDLIFE.  IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, MANY REHABBERS
HAVE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTIES IN DIGESTION AND NUTRITIONAL ABSORPTION
WHEN USING THESE PRODUCTS FOR INFANT MAMMALS.

SKY HARBOR HAS DECIDED TO GO "GREEN" IN THIS AREA ALSO.  WE NOW  RECEIVE
DONATIONS OF RAW ANIMALS MILK.  THIS CHOICE HAS PROVIDED US WITH A SAFE,
HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE TO THE MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS THAT INCLUDE MANY
ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS, TOO HIGH FAT CONTENT, OR NOT ENOUGH NUTRITIONAL
VALUE TO SUSTAIN NEWBORN MAMMALS.

WE HAVE HAD GREAT SUCCESS WITH THIS NEW PROCESS.  OUR SUCCESS RATE IN
MAMMALS HAVE RISEN FROM 40-50% IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS,  TO ABOUT 95%
THIS LAST SEASON.  WE ARE SEEING MUCH HEALTHIER GROWTH AND IMMUNE
SYSTEMS.

SO RATHER THAN SUPPORT THE COMPANIES WHO PRODUCE PRODUCTS WITH
ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS, WE ARE SPENDING  LESS MONEY AND HAVING MUCH
GREATER RESULTS. WE HAVE SPOKEN WITH NUMEROUS REHABBERS IN SEVERAL
STATES WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN REHAB FOR 20+ YEARS AND HAVE  USED
NATURAL PRODUCTS, MEDICINES AND FEEDING FORMULAS WITH TREMENDOUS
SUCCESS.  REHABBERS HAVE EVEN INVESTED IN GOATS AND ARE USING GOATS MILK
FOR THE MAMMALS.

AT SKY HARBOR, WE FEEL THESE NEW NATURAL CHOICES WILL ALLOW US TO BE
BETTER STEWARDS OF OUR PRECIOUS WILDLIFE, WILL CUT BACK ON THE COSTS OF
EXPENSIVE FORMULAS.  WE ARE THRILLED TO FIND THESE ANSWERS TO OUR
PRESENT DILEMMA AND  PLAN TO CONTINUE THE PATTERN EVEN ONCE THE
ECONOMY IMPROVES.  THE SAVINGS WE INCUR WILL ALLOW US MORE
CONSTRUCTION OF MUCH NEEDED CAGING AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CENTER.