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Wildlife Wonders
LINDSAY WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE | SPRING 2015
Inside:Lindsay Wildlife
Experience is here—in more ways than one!
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A New Name, a New Day for Lindsay
It’s spring! The second issue of
Wildlife Wonders has arrived,
and nature is delighting us with
fresh green hills (despite the
continuing drought).
Lindsay has a fresh new look
as well—a new visual identity (our logo) and name.
Museum is gone, and experience is the defining word,
encompassing all that Lindsay is and means to our
visitors, members, volunteers and friends. Experi-
ence includes the wildlife in our live collection and
the thousands of animals we treat each year in our
wildlife hospital.
What will experience mean as we nurture the
connections we all yearn to have with nature and its
creatures? Outdoors it will mean up close and per-
sonal experiences with our animal ambassadors in the
Raptor Redwood Grove. We plan to bring this expe-
rience to the public free of charge and look forward
to inspiring even more people to respect and care for
the natural world we share with our magical wildlife.
Experience will mean a new experience inside as
well. What’s Wild, What’s Not will offer new educa-
tional programming and animal activities with our ani-
mal ambassadors to inform visitors of the importance
of keeping wild animals wild. Our staff and volunteers
will face the many challenges of caring for more ani-
mals as we enter a fourth year of drought. Only your
continuing support will make this experience more
successful for the animals brought to our door.
In October, we’ll celebrate our 60th anniversary
with an open house and community festival in Larkey
Park! We invite you to become involved in this new
event, one that could become an annual celebration
of Lindsay Wildlife Experience.
So let’s continue the conversation. Tell us about
your Lindsay Experience and how we can share the
connections we have with the natural world.
Norma BishopExecutive Director | Lindsay Wildlife Experience
Wildlife Hotline925-935-1978 —[email protected] —1931 First AvenueWalnut Creek, CA 94597
Executive DirectorNorma Bishop
Creative StaffElisabeth Nardi, Marketing Project ManagerRachel Simmons, Marketing & PR Manager
Produced by DCPdcpubs.com
Board of DirectorsMarilyn Fowler, PresidentGabe Togneri, Vice PresidentJames A. Pezzaglia, TreasurerJulie Ross, SecretaryCharlie AbramsHolly Armstrong Stewart BaileyMark E. BrownNan HudsonMarc KaplanMatt LawsonKevin SchwartzDavid ShunickRosanne SiinoMichael SteadMartha StrockNan Walz
On the cover: Tyto, one of Lindsay’s resident barn owls.
This is our new logo, an abstract image of our beloved barn owls. Some see the owl’s profile while others see the owl looking straight on. That’s the point: Animals are magical, and there is no
one way to see them.
“ We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”
—Maya Angelou
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New WebsiteLindsay Wildlife
Experience now offers a better, easier-to-navigate
and more beautiful website. In the works
for months, the website focuses on what Lindsay
is known for: the animals! Explore the new site at
lindsaywildlife.org.
PERCENT
This spring is turning out to be a record-
breaking season for Lindsay Wildlife
Rehabilitation Hospital. As of the start of
spring, the hospital had taken in 791 animals
since the beginning of the year. At the same
time last year, the hospital had taken in 425
animals: That’s an increase of 186 percent!
Summer Fun at LindsaySummer means there are plenty of
opportunities for kids to learn about
wildlife at Lindsay! Summer Camps
are available for kids from 4 to 10 years
old. Whether it’s learning to “Bug Out”
and explore insects and arachnids, or
a special girls-only camp where young
women shadow Lindsay’s professional
animal caretakers, there are new expe-
riences for all children. To see what’s
available and register, please visit
lindsaywildlife.org, or call the educa-
tion registrar at 925-627-2913.
Special Traveling Exhibit Makes Stop at Lindsay Felines: Fierce and Friendly! will be on
display at Lindsay Wildlife Experience
June 6 through August 31. A sequel to
2003’s exhibit, which traveled to museums
across the country, Felines: Fierce and
Friendly! offers 50 paintings and sculp-
tures by artists who specialize
in cat subjects. To help
celebrate, ARF will hold
a Cat Adoption Day at
Lindsay on Saturday,
June 20, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
SAVE THE DATE!
Mark your calen-dar for Sunday, September 13, for a delightful evening at Va de Vi Bistro & Wine Bar in Walnut Creek. Enjoy fine food, fine wine and fine company in Va de Vi’s beautifully appointed court-yard, under an ancient oak tree. The evening includes an opportunity to bid on unique items at an auction to benefit Lindsay Wildlife Experience. Proceeds will help fund the rehabilitation and education programs at Lindsay Wildlife. For more information, please visit lindsaywildlife.org.
MEET OUR NEW SQUIRREL!This cute ground squirrel is Lindsay’s newest animal ambassador. Found as a baby, she
was raised by a well-meaning individual, but she needed more care and was brought to
Lindsay in December 2014. Now, this little squirrel needs a name to match her boister-
ous personality. Help name the squirrel by going to lindsaywildlife.org for more details.
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A group of kindergartners, eyes wide with wonder and appre-
hension, gathers around a California mountain kingsnake.
Who will be brave enough to touch it? The Lindsay Wildlife
volunteer invites them closer to meet Jake.
The reptile’s scales are brilliantly contrasted in glossy bands of
red, black and cream. Who knew a snake could be this beautiful? The
first little girl to glide her fingers across it gets an even bigger surprise:
This snake is soft. She giggles, and laughter soon infects the rest of the
children, now eager for their turn to touch.
Chances are the kids will remember this experience for years.
They have just made a special connection with wildlife that they
couldn’t get from a book or a video, or an exhibit behind glass in a
typical museum.
And that’s the reason Lindsay Wildlife Museum, now celebrat-
ing its 60th anniversary, is changing its name to Lindsay Wildlife
Experience.
“The word museum does not fully explain the type of experi-
ence people can expect when they come here,” says Executive
Director Norma Bishop. “Even museums today are interactive.
Many are on the cutting edge of technology. But Lindsay is so much
more than a museum.
“This word experience really captures what our animal ambassa-
dors provide for people,” adds Bishop. “When you look into the eyes
of a great horned owl, you’re connecting with a sentient being that
knows things—a creature that knows the magical world of nature that
we’re all too often out of touch with.”
SPIRIT OF LINDSAY WILDLIFE CAPTURED IN NEW NAME
An audience in Larkey Park,
outside of Lindsay Wildlife, watches
Houston, a barred owl, in the Raptor Redwood Grove.
The Lindsay Experience
Animal keeper Brittany Buenvenida in the Raptor Redwood Grove with Fire, a red-tailed hawk.
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For the past several years, the Lindsay
staff and board have contemplated the need
for a name change. They reflected on the
60-year history of the nationally renowned
institution that receives 100,000 visitors per
year, showcases nearly 60 animal ambassa-
dors and treats 5,000 injured wild animals
in the nation’s oldest (and one of the largest)
wildlife rehabilitation hospitals.
But what struck staff most were the
countless stories and memories that Lind-
say has shared with people. It turns out that
a Lindsay “wildlife experience” is something
distinct and special.
For starters, it’s up close and personal.
Where else can you come within two feet
of magnificent raptors perched on the
gloves of their handlers? At this distance,
you notice the intricately patterned wings
of Red, the red-shouldered hawk. You’re
mesmerized by the deep black eyes of Hous-
ton, the barred owl, “who will stare at you for
minutes at a time, like she’s gazing into your
soul,” says Dawn Manley, curator of the live
collection at Lindsay.
At its best, a Lindsay wildlife experi-
ence imparts not just respect and awe for
California native wildlife, but stewardship.
Recently, a worried
6-year-old boy walked into the rehabilitation
hospital with his sister and father, clutch-
ing a shoebox that held a tiny sparrow, yet
another songbird wounded by a house cat. It
is animals like these—injured to a point that
they can’t go back into the wild—that find a
permanent sanctuary at Lindsay as animal
ambassadors.
These rescues awaken children’s com-
passion and connection to the world around
them. Families learn how their own choices
can help protect local wildlife—keeping
cats indoors, supporting regional habitat
preservation, ceasing the use of pesticides
in their gardens.
“Lindsay Wildlife Experience empha-
sizes the importance of passing on this
knowledge, appreciation and respect to our
next generation,” says Melissa Strongman,
director of education.
After 60 years of success in this en-
deavor, the next step for Lindsay is to think
outside the box and deliver Lindsay wildlife
experiences in new ways, beyond the build-
ing’s walls.
That vision becomes a reality in the
Raptor Redwood Grove, a clearing near
Lindsay’s front entrance. Here, Lindsay
animal ambassadors enjoy sunshine on a
daily basis: Snakes slither through a slalom
course, hawks perch on logs or take swiftly
to the air, and turtles burrow into piles of
leaves. Guests and park passersby are invit-
ed to participate.
Odin, a female Swainson’s hawk, leaps
from Dawn Manley’s glove to a nearby log in
the clearing, and three little girls run up to
watch. The smallest girl, dressed in a pink
hoodie, grabs her mother’s iPhone to snap
a picture. She’s just saved her first Lindsay
wildlife experience.
Share Your Lindsay Experience on FacebookShare your favorite Lindsay experience on our Facebook page! Each week in the month of June, we’ll randomly select one person who posts to receive a $20 gift certificate at our store!
“Lindsay Wildlife Experience emphasizes the importance of passing on this knowledge, appreciation and respect to our next generation.”
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Marcia Meltzer, a technician who has been with
the Lindsay Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital for
some 20 years, goes to great lengths to feed the
tiny baby animals in her care.
Because it’s crucial that they don’t associate food with
humans—which would compromise their ability to sur-
vive in the wild—Meltzer camouflages herself at feeding
time. “I wear a shrub costume when I feed the babies,” she
says. “It’s like a big poncho that covers my hands, arms
and legs. I look like a big bush!” When she has to drop food
into birds’ mouths, she disguises her hand with a bird
puppet. “We try to expose them to the kinds of things they
will see in the wild before we release them.”
Many of these are tiny birds that have fallen from their
nests, been harmed by a cat or caught in a trap. Some are
no bigger than jelly beans when they arrive at Lindsay,
dehydrated and cold. The number of these vulnerable,
newborn creatures delivered to Lindsay spikes in spring-
time, when the majority of animal births occur. Upon the
animals’ arrival, the veterinary team and volunteers make
sure the little orphans are calmed down, warmed and
rehydrated. Then, the hospital team of vets, technicians
and volunteers diagnose each animal for wounds, broken
bones and illnesses.
“They need to be mollycoddled a bit, especially
the ones who are altricial [unable to feed and care for
themselves],” says veterinarian Guthrum Purdin, who
sees anywhere from 30 to 130 animals a day in the spring.
“But we are very careful how we do it. They are wild ani-
mals, so it would be stressful for them if we held them or
talked to them. We are careful to keep our distance.”
Under Dr. Purdin’s leadership, the staff and volunteers
assist with surgical procedures and splinting, administer
medications, and help to feed the youngsters. Because
many of the creatures did not get enough time in the nest
to observe adult behavior, members of the same species
are kept together so they can learn from their own kind.
When the time does come for release, Lindsay follows
strict protocols to increase an animal’s chance for sur-
vival. Flocking birds are released together. If possible,
mammals are returned to the same habitat where they
were found. Some birds are even returned to their own
nest—what hospital staffers calls a “reunite”—and the ani-
mals’ parents resume their care and feeding.
For a veteran like Meltzer, wildlife rehabilitation is more
than a job: It’s a calling. “So many of these animals are here
because of things we humans have done, whether it’s due
to gunshots, traps, letting our cats outdoors or tree trim-
ming, which can destroy nests,” she says. “So it’s satisfying
to know we help get them back where they belong.”
The Littlest PatientsThe Lindsay Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital team cares for injured and orphaned baby animals with expertise, compassion—and a healthy distance
Associate Veterinarian Lana Krol holds a baby great horned owl.
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Far right: Company C Contemporary Ballet dancers entertain guests at the gala.
Right: Scott Smith bids on a “quick-draw” portrait.
Left: Board member Nan Walz (center) and friends.
Far left: Guests look on as talented artists work on their “quick-draw” portraits of Lindsay’s barn owl Tyto.
Below: Gala Committee member Connie Loosli is recognized for her service to the cause.
Below right: Guests of Michael Stead Porsche applaud for a bidder who raises his paddle for wildlife.
Right: Executive Director Norma Bishop, Rick Fowler and Lindsay Board of Directors President Marilyn Fowler.
An Affair to RememberTHE FACES OF WILDLIFE GALA MARKED A MAJOR MILESTONE FOR LINDSAY
On February 28, more than
240 guests mixed and mingled at
Diablo Country Club to celebrate
60 years of Lindsay Wildlife.
Highlights included a special
performance from Company C
Contemporary Ballet; live music
from Locust & Main; and live
“quick-draw” animal portraits by
artists Guy Combes, Andrew
Denman, Joel Kratter, Linda
Darsow Sutton, Kathryn Wills
and Joan Yao. Special thanks to
the evening’s premier sponsor,
Michael Stead Porsche, for mak-
ing the event a smashing success.
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Lindsay Wildlife Museum
1931 First Avenue
Walnut Creek, CA 94597-2540
NONPROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE
PAIDWALNUT CREEK CA
PERMIT NO. 525
MAY16: Members-only breakfast with
the animals
18: Mini Monday: Wings, Wings and More
25: Exhibit Hall open 10 a.m.– 5 p.m.
JUNE6: Felines: Fierce and Friendly!
exhibit opens
17: Exhibit Hall summer hours begin:
10 a.m.–5 p.m., Wednesday–Sunday
22: Mini Monday: Digging Dinosaurs
26: Family Night at Lindsay!
JULY4: Exhibit Hall closed
20: Mini Monday: Bug Bonanza
AUGUST 15–16: Bee Bop at Lindsay
24: Mini Monday: Caring for Critters
Event Calendar
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF UPCOMING EVENTS,
VISIT LINDSAYWILDLIFE.ORG.
Follow us!
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On March 5, Lindsay Wildlife’s rehabilitation team released a female bobcat in the hills of Brentwood. She was brought to Lindsay in October 2014 after being snarled in a barbed wire fence in nearby Oakley. Veterinarian Guthrum Purdin provided lifesaving treatment for a wound on the bobcat’s neck, allowing this fierce feline to have a second chance at life.