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Kathleen - Shannon Jacobs, author of "Healers of the Wild" , thank you for coming to Teachers.Net for a discussion about a special way of protecting animals. Who/what are the "healers of the wild"?
Shannon - Kathleen, "Healers" of the Wild are wildlife rehabilitators, people who care for our orphaned and injured wildlife.
Kathleen - Shannon, why is it important to save the lives of a few hawks, eagles, raccoons?
Shannon - Kathleen, it's probably not that important, in terms of the big picture, but it is very important in terms of that particular hawk, raccoon, etc. Not to mention the many children that find these animals. How do we say it's not important? Also, humans are responsible for at least 98% of the injuries.
Kathleen - Shannon, are you trained as a wildlife rehabilitator?
Kathleen - What are the most common causes of injury to wildlife?
Shannon - Kathleen, I am trained as a volunteer. I work with licensed wildlife rehabilitators.
Kathleen - Debi, if you have a question, go ahead and post it. :-)
Shannon - Kathleen, the most common injuries are related to collisions (cars, boats, windows), pets (yes, those cats and dogs), poisonings and trappings, pollution, and shootings.
Kathleen - Shannon, how much special schooling or training does it take to become a wildlife rehabilitator?
Kathleen - Shannon, was it your decision to write "Healers of the Wild" or did an advocacy group request it?
Shannon - Kathleen, that depends on the state in which the person is licensed, although more and more states are agreeing on basic requirements. Usually, it takes a basic knowledge of wildlife natural history , access to veterinarians, adequate facilities with good caging, etc. and a reasonable way to support it all (governments don't help out.)
Kathleen - HI, Maggie, just jump right in with any questions you have for Shannon
Shannon - Kathleen (you are very fast!!). This was my idea. I found a few injured birds, didn't know where to take them, then discovered wildlife rehabilitators and was SO grateful. I realized then there was NOTHING on the market about these remarkable people.
Kathleen - Here is a link to the book, Healers of the Wild: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0966107004/teachersnet
maggie - thanks Kathleen,,, Shannow i was wondering if a major part of your program involves bringing some of the wildlife into the classrooms or do the children come to you?
Kathleen - How would we find a wildlife rehabilitator to consult when we find an animal that appears to need one?
Kathleen - (take maggie's question first:-)
Shannon - Maggie, some wildlife rehabilitators have education licenses that enable them to take certain animals into the classroom. Check with your state division of wildlife -- they have lists of who's who. These people are remarkable educators. The best!
Kathleen - How would we find a wildlife rehabilitator to consult when we find an animal that appears to need one?
Shannon - Kathleen, your state division of wildlife also could tell you who is licensed in your area. Also, check with local humane societies, wild bird centers, etc.
maggie - thank you Shannon,, can you tell me if your organization is also here in Canada?
Shannon - Maggie, I also wanted to say that many people give programs in schools (me included) who don't take animals, but we still can share a lot of very important information in classrooms.
Shannon - Maggie, the group I work with is in Longmont, Colorado, but I belong to a wildlife email list, where many people from Canada communicate with us. Several have bought my book.
Kathleen - Visit Shannon's site: http://oneeyedcat.com/Healers_of_the_Wild Shannon, do you have a one-eyed cat?
Kathleen - Shannon, why not tell us about the book, what it covers
Shannon - Kathleen, Ha! The woman who designed by web site does!
Shannon - Kathleen. Okay. This book covers what wildlife rehabilitators do -- the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of orphaned and injured wild animals back to the wild. They are, in essence, wildlife nurses. They are also wildlife experts, knowing more than most vets. The book follows several centers around the US, meanwhile educating young people about the natural history of wild animals.
Shannon - Kathleen, Also, there are several sections meant to help young people learn to NEVER handle wildlife, helps them learn what to do when they find orphaned/injured wildlife, and also what they can do to help wildlife rehabilitators.
maggie - Shannon,, what would be the most unusual or unique animal which you have rescued?
Bette/tx - Shannon- what age group is it best suited for ??
Kathleen - HI, Life, just jump in with questions for Shannon Jacobs, author and wildlife rehab volunteer
Shannon - Maggie, I have personnaly not rescued anything other than a robin, but I interviewed people who rescued four pilot whales; also a couple in southern Colorado who rescued and rehabed mountain lions, badgers, and a woman in Idaho who rehabs black bears.
Life - I am a birder, and appreciate all of the great work your organization does for animals.
TeachN4Life - Shannon, what kind of background education do you need t be a wildlife rescuer?
Shannon - Bette/tx , the book is appropriate for ages 8-12.
Kathleen - The Wildlife Rehabilitation Information Directory http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/devold/twrid/html/index.htm is the most comprehensive site on wildlife rehabilitation, with multiple links to other wildlife sites, including a wildlife rehabilitation email list.
Bette/tx - shannon- great i have an 8yr old i will get it for her birthday
Kathleen - (This transcript will be in the Archives, so don't worry about copying urls now)
Shannon - TeachN4Life, many people have no background in wildife at all. Just a passion to help. They learn mostly by on hands traiining, reading mucho, and learning from others. Several, though are vet techs.
Kathleen - Shannon, forgive me, but I disagree about the ages for the book, I think through adult!
Shannon - Bette/tx: There are over 200 black and white photos of people working with wildife.
Kathleen - Visit the National Wildlife Federation website http://www.nwf.org/ for many classroom resources related to conservation, environmental education, animal rights issues, games for kids
Bette/tx - shannon- would parts be okay for a kindergarten class
Shannon - Kathleen, Actually you are right. Many children know a lot more than adults. This was my sneaky way of getting into the schools and homes. Adults probagbly wouldn't buy it on their own without prodding.
Kathleen - Shannon, did that bobcat costume REALLY fool Bobbie the bobcat into thinking that was his mother??? (page 56, a human dressed in what looks like a Halloween costume to look like a bobcat) I thought that was rather humorous, but I'm assuming it really helps to avoid human imprinting. Would you address the issue of imprinting?
Kathleen - Bette, it is a resource book with lots of examples and real life stories about animal rescues, pointers, etc, good for any teacher to use for developing a unit
Kathleen - uni, just jump in any time with your questions for Shannon
Shannon - Kathleen, Imprinting is a VERY serious problem when orphaned animals, especially raptors, are raised by humans, and you can imagine how serious it is with a predator. So Bobbi, who had been rescued UNNECESSARILY (another point I cover) had to not know she was around humans.Yes, it worked. She was released a very wild and spitting little cat.
Bette/tx - Kathleen- thanks for the websites and info..i will be teaching kindergarten for the first time inthe fall and trying to get resources..this book sounds great
Kathleen - When SHOULD humans "rescue" a wild animal? How do we know when rescue is called for?
Shannon - All of you, I am very interested in creating a teachers guide. Any suggestions?
uni/in - What about for a child (6th grade) doing independent studies?
Shannon - uni/in -- it would be perfect for that age, especially if the child is interested in animals.
Kathleen - bette, the book would equip you to deal with the issues of wildlife rescue and protection
TeachN4Life - Shannon can you incorporate math into your book? How?
Bette/tx - shannon- a teachers guide would be great...
Kathleen - uni, yes, the book would be helpful for that purpose. It really should be in every library
Kathleen - Here's some math: Food for one manatee costs $27,000 a year?? Where does funding come from to support causes like this?
uni/in - I conduct independent studies projects each year in my classroom. This year I have a child studying wildlife rehabilitation - the book resourcs are limited.
Shannon - Kalthleen, humans should not ever rescue an animal unless they know it needs rescuing. Call a rehabilitator first. That's why I suggest people find out who their local rehabbers are and keep their numbers handly. They are delighted to avoid having to take in animals unnecessarilty.
Shannon - TeachN$4ife, I'm not sure. Kathleen ?
Life - My cat brought a chipmunk in the house...my son picked it up to remove it, and it bit him! Children don't realize that even "cute" animals are dangerous!
Kathleen - uni, this session is a timely topic for you, then! :-)
uni/in - Shannon, I apologize for not knowing your book. This cinversation just looked interesting so I jumped in. Are you a rehabilitator.
Shannon - Life, excellent point. And Disney doesn't help. I address that issue endlessly in the book, to protect kids!
uni/in - Sorry my headache is affecting my spelling.
Bette/tx - shannon- good point to bring out about Disney
Shannon - uni/in, I didn't find many books at the begining of my research but there are many now -- and many websites.
Kathleen - Math: in the section about manatees for example I recall figures related to the amount of food, electricity, etc, needed to maintain each manatee or manatee tank, that provides opportunities to compute
Kathleen - uni, it's not necessary to know about the book BEFORE the session :-)
TeachN4Life - Wonderful, thanks. It sounds like a really neat book.
Shannon - Kathleen, excellent point about the math. I could probably come up with several problems.
Kathleen - What are some of the dangers involved with picking up baby or injured wild animals (other than the obvious danger of being bitten or clawed). Here is a good reminder from John Gardner to share with kids: Always be kind to animals, morning, noon, and night, for animals have feelings too, and furthermore, they bite.
uni/in - The Wildlife resources people are excellent, but there are not locally available written materials and kids like to have something they can take back and mull over. Websites are good, too. I try to teach them the web isn't the only resources (some think it is these days!)
Shannon - All of You, What do you suggest I check with about creating a teachers guide? I have no idea where to start.
Kathleen - National Wildlife Week has passed (April) but it's worth a visit to http://www.nwf.org/wildlifeweek/nwwo.html (their logo is beautiful!) for ideas and activities that are appropriate anytime.
uni/in - Have you written a teacher's guide or are you looking for suggestions on how to incorporate.
uni/in - Real teachers!
Shannon - uni/in, where are you? My book has several other books, magazines, and videos listed. Are you in us?
Shannon - uni/in, I have not written a teachers guide but want to. Are there resource books about how to do that?
Kathleen - Shannon, provide a book for each grade level, ask teachers to design their own units, then meet to collect and share and expand upon the info gathered
uni/in - Yes. Just don't teach this area - it was a choice by a student doing an independent project - I am always on the lookout for sources for the kids.
Kathleen - YAHOOLIGANS with links to sites about animals: http://www.yahooligans.com/Science_and_Oddities/Animals/
Shannon - Kathleen, do you mean locally? Where?
Bette/tx - kathleen- that sounds like a great idea..you could list more than ideas that way
uni/in - I would solicit here Shannon. I am reading and editing manuscripts for people I met on line. I have helped write units with multiple people. I am sure that if people got hold of your book they would be glad to make a collaborative effort and provide you with ideas.
Kathleen - Shannon, I'm not aware of a book about writing a teachers' guide, but look around on the 'net
Kathleen - Shannon, with the miracle of the Internet, it wouldn't have to be done locally, could be global
Shannon - uni/in, how would i get a hold of you for further discussion?
Bette/tx - a teachers guide sounds great..the input would be so different dependingon where you lived too
Shannon - Bett/tx -- plus there are different critters in different areas.
Kathleen - The Hugs for Homeless Animals site has links to lots of animal related articles and information http://www.h4ha.org/
Bette/tx - kathleen- all the sites will be great help for me
uni/in - Kathleen you are an amazing link
Kathleen - Shannon, do you want to post your e-mail address for those who would like to get in touch with you?
uni/in - That last site is very good - my student has used it.
Shannon - Kathleen, Sure. It's wildlife_writer@email.msn.com The book website is: www.oneeyedcat.com/Healers_of_the_Wild/
Bette/tx - shannon- children love to learn about animals so a guide would be great for all ages
Shannon - Bette/tx , what do teachers look for in a guide? how detailed should it be?
uni/in - The best teachers guides, in my opinion, are addressed to be adapted to multiple ages and "intelligences"/learning styles - don't limit it to a certain grade level.
Bette/tx - shannon- i only have experienced with pre-k and in the fall kindergarten..but i know it is hard to find interesting ideas and lessons for them
uni/in - I teach most everything as integrated curriculum so I like math, science, writing, social studies, topic ideas all centered around a topic area.
Bette/tx - shannon- i like detailed lesson plans explainning everything
Kathleen - Shannon, so you would want to include activities related to all subject areas: math, science, geography, writing. Lots of possibillities!
Shannon - uni/in, I am teaching middle school kids writing right now, using wildlife as universal images
uni/in - I like very open ended "suggestions" for how to use this book.
Bette/tx - uni- yes include all the basics in a llesson plans
Shannon - Kathleen, Any good guides you'd like to suggest?
Kathleen - Here is a link to a group whose motto is: "Be kind to Animals, Don't Eat Them" (tee shirt available): Vegetarian Resource Group http://www.vrg.org/
uni/in - Yes, have you seen the teachers guides for the book Talking Walls?
Kathleen - Shannon, I can't give an example off the top of my head. Check out any national geographic unit.
uni/in - There are two books and two teachers guides - I think they are excellent.
uni/in - I can't think of the author off the top of my head.
uni/in - My books and guides are at school. I never follow anything exactly - need to adapt it to my particular class which changes each year.
Shannon - uni and Kathleen, Thanks for the suggestions. Right now I visit classrooms, show slides, and use some hands on activities to teach kids about wildlife rehabilitation and What NOT to do when they find orphaned injured naimals. The thing is -- encounters with wildlife is just going to increase, so people at home, schools. communities hsould know what to do.
Kathleen - 20 Simple things you can do to help animals in your community http://www.princetonol.com/groups/oyh/articles/simple
Kathleen - Shannon, which animals are most likely to be mistaken for animals in need? (My own experience makes me think it is baby birds who are picked up by well-meaning people)
uni/in - Also baby raccoons where I live. Some people think they are abandoned when the parent is nearby - and eastern box turtles.
Shannon - kathleen, you are correct. Baby birds (fledglings) who are leaving the nest and just learning to fly; also, fawns that have been left while mothers feed; also seal pups on beaches, also left by poor, exhausted mothers trying to feed. Then there are baby bunnies.
Kathleen - How much work is put into proactive solutions, such as preventing oil spills that harm animals?
Shannon - All: I include at least 4 chapters of "Kids Want to Know" -- questions kids do and have asked. Helps adults, too.
Shannon - Kathleen, I think wildlife rehabilitators are as proactive as they can be. But you're right. It's avoiding the problems in the first place. right now the number one problem is development, and I'm not sure what anyone can do about that.
Bette/tx - shannon- i need to go now..thanks for the info ...
uni/in - I bet shannon - most kids will know more about this if they are interested than adults. besides they don't think it is dumb to ask questions we think we ought to know!
Shannon - uni, yes, true. Kids just seem to care about animals more. They are SO thrilled, however, to learn that there are adults who care as much.
Kathleen - "Poor Tex, first a car ran over the box turtle and crushed his shell, then flies laid eggs in the cracks.... For days rahabilitators picked off the maggots, flushed the infected skin, and gave Tex injections of antibiotics.. A verterinarian used dental acrylic to patch cracks in the turtle's shell..." That's from Healer's of the Wild and is an example of the dedication and determination behind the effort to help injured animals.
uni/in - Development! I now have deer running through my neigborhood - which was built on outskirts of town in 1950s - because so many new subdivisions are going up around here - we are no longer the outskirts.
Shannon - uni, just saw your message about baby raccoons. I liked to tell stories about people who kidnappped baby animals only to find out they were veyr diseased. Actually can be very tragic. I didn't realize that every place in this country is getting wildly developed. What's going on??s
uni/in - I am in a small Indiana town but pretty much of Indiana is rural - the city development is nuts!
Shannon - To All: The most important lesson in this book, I believe, is that of compassion and education.
Shannon - Kathleen, could you pick out maggots?
Kathleen - Shannon, your account of the "fed fox" was very sad :-( (a man fed a fox so regularly that the fox went door to door scratching at the doors of neighbors for food when his "benefactor" went away on vacation. One person thought the fox must be rabid, called animal protection and they shot the fox!! :-(
uni/in - Of course being from the east coast...this is nothing at all.
uni/in - Oh how sad. But people do that with raccoons and squirrels, too and then wonder why they have problems.
Shannon - Kathleen, If we could only teach people NOT NOT NOT to feed wild animals, there would be so many healthier animals.
Shannon - uni, Kathleen, feeding wildlife is just one example of our ignorance about the natural history of wildlife.
uni/in - Shannon would you say the majority of inappropriately treated animals is due to people thinking they are kind and not knowing enough?
Kathleen - (I'd better go out now and pick up that bread I threw out into the woods earlier!)
Shannon - K -- oh oh! Wish I had woods nearby/1
Kathleen - (I thought that since the bread was stale, I shouldn't 'waste' it, so I thought it would be nice to put it out for the animals)
uni/in - Shannon what part of the country (if any?) does your book concentrate on?
Kathleen - But, since I don;t do that regularly, I'm not doing harm, AM I?? (should I go get the bread???)
Shannon - uni, I think a big percentage, yes. I'm not sure about the majority. So dealing with these people delicately is very important, as you don't ever want to discourage compassion. Still, killing with kindness is still killing.
uni/in - Kathleen I do the same thing and then wonder why the squirrel is tapping at my deck door!
Shannon - un, the book covers all regions of the us. That's what took me 5 years to research!
uni/in - So teachers could use it in any region of the country.
Kathleen - Shannon, I like the charts you have in the book, like "I Found a Baby Bird, Now What?" They would be very helpful for class discussion.
Shannon - Kathleen, when the rehab police come banging on your door! Actually, the worst form of feeding is handfeeding and dumping big amounts so lots of animals congregate.
Kathleen - uni, yes, it could be used in any region
Shannon - uni, yes, absolutely. I loved doing the marine mammal research, being landlocked here in Denver.
uni/in - Same here in Indiana
Kathleen - Here is a link to the book, Healers of the Wild: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0966107004/teachersnet You can also click on the title over in the left frame
Shannon - Kathleen, I am now giving copies of those charts for free when someone orders the book. They are very important.
uni/in - Shannon did you get my email address? I would be interested in sending ideas. I teach GT 6th grade so they are working at a high level but have taught from preschool up.
Kathleen - The book lists the State Wildlife Agencies for every state
Kathleen - including the addresses and phone numbers of the state wildlife agencies
Shannon - All, I wonder how many of you have ever dealt with kids bringing orphaned injured animals to school, looking for help?
uni/in - I have - I call the Natural Resources Department locally - just twice it happened - a bird and a snake
Kathleen - Alicat, welcome to a meeting with author Shannon Jacobs, author of Healers of the Wild
Shannon - uni, what kind of help did you get?
Alicat - Thank you. Shannon, this is Cathy
Shannon - Alicat -- the webmaster?
Alicat - Yes
uni/in - The animal person from the state park came for the snake(because it ewas found near there). We were told to put the bird back where it was found that it wasn't injured but a fledgling.
Kathleen - Ah, Shannon, do you know this cat?? ;-)
Shannon - uni: excellent advice!
Shannon - Kathleen, Alicat created my webpages -- very creative young lady with a 6 year old daughter who loves my book.
Kathleen - Since the fledgling had been handled by humans, would that prevent the mother from taking it back?
Kathleen - Alicat, thank you for coming! You made a nice site for Shannon :-)
Alicat - The link on this page only takes you to the main page, it does not show the links to the rest of the pages
Alicat - Thank you Kathleen :)
uni/in - We were told to put it in or as close to the nest (in a box) as we could - that it was a myth the parent bird would not return
uni/in - Was it?
Shannon - Kathleen, that is a wive's tale (why do they call it that??); birds have mostly no sense of smell. so putting it back in its nest is fine. With mammals it is a bit different, but unless you sleep with the animal an dget your smell all over it, it still should be fine. The main thing is -- stay away once you've returned it or the mom won't return.
Kathleen - Just wanted to get that on the record :-)
Shannon - Kathleen, you have asked such good questions. Thank you!
Kathleen - Shannon, thank you for such an interesting session, the transcript will be helpful in furthering your (our) cause!
uni/in - Thank you for sharing so much. Unfortunately it is getting late for me and I have some papers to grade still tonight. I will look for your book tomorrow and recommend it to my student. She might like to send some ideas about what she is learning from a local rehabilitator.
Shannon - How are transcripts used?
Kathleen - Thank you to all who participated. Remember that every day is Be Kind To Animals Day!
Shannon - uni, excellent idea. She may also email me if she wishes.
Alicat - :-)
Kathleen - Transcripts of live sessions become part of our Archives at http://teachers.net/archive
Shannon - thanks so much, kathleen.
Kathleen - Thank YOU, and goodnight :-)
uni/in - How soon can we access transcript fo rthose of use who missed the beginning and possible web links?
Kathleen - "We need the tonic of wildness." Henry David Thoreau
Shannon - Amen
Kathleen - The transcript will be entered 1-3 days from now :-)
uni/in - Thanks all. How did we do this before Internet! I love linking globally.
Kathleen - Goodnight, all. :-)
