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Upcoming Events

Wild About Wildlife

November 13, 2016

Hickory Knolls Discovery Center

1 - 5pm

Annual Dinner Auction

March 18, 2017

Pipers Banquets

5 - 10pm

Baby Shower

April 30, 2017

Critter Classic Golf Outing

June 16, 2017

Settler’s Hill Golf Course

Open House

October 1, 2017

Wild About Wildlife

November 5, 2017

See www.fvwc.org for more information

Inside This Issue

page 1

We Are the Wild

page 2

2016 Summer Interns

Save the Dates

Wild About Wildlife

2017 Dinner Auction

page 3

2017 Wildlife Photo Contest

pages 4

Monster or Misunderstood

pages 5

Our First Wine Tasting Event

A Special Note of Thanks

page 6

Animal Care Internship Essay Winner

page 7

Become a FVWC Member

Memberships

New & Renewed

Release Sites Needed

TRACKS - o n l i n e -

AUTUMN 2016

A heartfelt thank-you

for your continued support.

TRACKS Fox Valley Wildlife Center Newsletter • Volume 16, Issue 4 • Autumn 2016

We Are the Wild by Laura Kirk, FVWC Director

The wild. Mountain ranges that rise to the heavens; lush

green forests that extend as far as the eye can see; crystalline

waters the depths of which are teeming with life; bustling

city streets and manicured suburban lawns.

Wait. What? You read that right. We have

an idyllic, but not entirely accurate, view of

the wild. We have these ideas of where the

wild ends and civilization begins. But the

wild never ends. Like a caged lion, we can

tame the wild, but we can never truly rid it

of its essence.

As a wildlife

rehabilitator, my

purpose is to heal

the wild, not

only in the ani-

mals that I care

for, but in the

humans who have forgotten that it exists at all,

let alone right outside their front doors. A rac-

coon doesn’t know the difference between a

hole in a tree and a hole in an attic; a pere-

grine falcon sees a rocky cliff to nest on, not

the window ledge of a high-rise apartment; a

mother rabbit thinks she found the perfect spot

for a nest in a wide-open backyard, where she

can watch for predators from a distance. These animals be-

long here, just as much as we do. We are the wild.

I’ve lost count of the number of calls I’ve gotten from well-

meaning people who think the healthy raccoon/deer/coyote/

bird in their yard would be better off in a forest preserve or

park. But this is rarely the case. Many of these animals not

only survive, but thrive, in urban and suburban habitats. And

for territorial animals, relocation can be a death sentence.

Even if we were to pack up all the wildlife and ship them off

to the parks and preserves, there simply isn’t enough habitat

left. Instead of trying to find ways to rid our communities of

wildlife, we need to find ways to peacefully coexist with

wildlife.

Sure, coexisting with wildlife sounds just fine

when you’re enjoying watching birds at your

bird feeder, but what about when that raccoon

does think your attic looks like a good place to

nest or your dog won’t stop barking at that tiny

fawn in your flow-

erbed? It is in

these instances

where we need to

learn patience.

Stop for a moment

and put yourself in

the animal’s

situation. These animals are simply doing

what comes naturally to them. It is through

understanding that we are able to come up

with real solutions. When you take the time to

learn that raccoons will relocate their young to

another nest site if the one they’re currently

using doesn’t pan out, you can use exclusion

methods to evict the intruders without harming

them. Once you realize that the fawn was left alone on pur-

pose and that the mother will be back by nightfall, it’s not

such a big deal to keep the dog away from that part of the

yard for a couple hours.

You don’t have to be a tree-hugger or an outdoorsman or

give up your Saturdays to feed baby squirrels at a wildlife

center to appreciate nature. All you have to do is open your

eyes to the beauty that surrounds you. You may be surprised

at what you find.

Rehabbing at the Center

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Board of Directors

Andrea Krueger President

Derek Chimenti

William Grabarek

Bryan Kimmell

Faith LaShure

Adrienne Stras

Julianne Testa

Nancy Thornton

Staff

Laura Kirk Director

Rob Schuman Wildlife Spc

Laurie Frandsen-Tiesch Bkpr

Donna Tate, Education Director

Amanda Tate, Sup Wildlife Spc

Advisory Board

Sheri Askew, DVM

Brian Kindle

Pam Otto, St. Charles PD

Rick Otto, DVM

Brian Peters, DVM

Margret Rogers, DVM

Richard Velders, DVM

Newsletter Design

Adrienne Stras

Contact FVWC

630-365-3800

fvwildlife@sbcglobal.net

www.fvwc.org

Stay Connected

F V W C

We want to thank all the summer interns for their dedication and hard work. Their commit-

ment to our wildlife patients was evident everyday. We couldn’t have done it without you!

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Wild about Wildlife SUNDAY . NOVEMBER 1 3 . 2016 1 - 5 PM

Hickory Knolls Discovery Center

3795 Campton Hills Drive . St. Charles IL 60175

TICKETS

PreOrder . . . $10 Adults $5 Children $30 Family

At Event . . . $15 Adults $10 Children $40 Family

TO PURCHASE TICKETS

Call Julie 630-584-3382 or Addie 630-392-3190

On our Website www.fvwc.org

At Event

Save the Dates . . . .

15th Annual Dinner Auction March 18, 2017

Pipers Banquets . Aurora IL

More information to follow.

Aditi Badrinath Alana Sremac Gabby Barnas Jackson DeJure Alyssa Theodor

to Our 2016 Summer Interns A Big

Elyse Bonanno

Kate Discher

Ashley Domeracki

Stephanie Hill

Cale Hoffman

Summer Lara

Kelly Marshall

Jesse Michaelis

Kelsey Paeth

Dipa Patel

Samantha Ponziani

Sarah Porter

Nicholas Ragucci

Sarah St. Peter

Sydney Smith

Grace Swanson

Christine Willett

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from the n i m a l s

A

1. This contest is open to amateur photogra-

phers only (anyone who does not make

more than 25% of their yearly income from

taking and/or selling photographers).

2. Each entry must be accompanied with an

entry form and all submissions must be re-

ceived at the FVWC office address by

Friday, February 17, 2017.

3. Winners will be announced at the Annual

Winter Dinner/Auction, held at Fox Valley

Country Club in North Aurora. All contest

entries will be displayed at the event and the

winning entries will be placed on the FVWC

website at www.fvwc.org on March 20,

2017. Individuals with winning photographs

will be notified prior to the dinner.

4. The subject must be Illinois wildlife

(including mammals, birds, insects amphibi-

ans, reptiles, fish, etc.). No human contact,

please. Domestic (cats, dogs, cows, etc)

and zoo animals are not eligible.

5. Entries may be color or black and white

images, un-mounted and unframed. Print

size should be 8”x10”, but 5”x7” will be ac-

cepted.

6. You must be the sole author and owner of

the copyright in all photos entered.

7. Images must not have been digitally altered

in any way other than necessary burning,

dodging and cropping.

8. Up to 3 photos may be entered.

9. Label all photo submissions with your name,

address, telephone number, email address,

a title for the photo, where the photo was

taken and the equipment used to take it.

10. Photos will not be returned. All photographs

will become the property of FVWC and may

be used for non-profit publications, web

pages, presentations and sales.

11. Judges appointed by the FVWC will choose

the winners. The judges’ decision on all

matters relating to the competition is final.

12. First, second, third, fourth and fifth place

awards will be chosen.

13. Entries that do not adhere to the rules will be

disqualified.

14. FVWC can’t be held responsible for lost or

incomplete entries.

2017 WILDLIFE PHOTO CONTEST ENTRY FORM

Name____________________________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________________

City______________________________________ State_______ Zip_________

Telephone________________________________________________________

Number of Entries (limit 3) _________ Amount Enclosed __________________

I agree to grant the Fox Valley Wildlife Center the rights and privileges detailed

in the official contest rules and I will abide by all contest rules and guidelines.

Signature ___________________________________________Date__________

Complete entry form and return to Wildlife Photo Contest

Fox Valley Wildlife Center

Post Office Box 385

Elburn, IL 60119-0385

FVWC 2017 Wildlife Photo Contest

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Recycle at FVWC Bring your old cell phones, ink jet

cartridges and aluminum cans to Fox

Valley Wildlife Center. Recycling

these items is a source of revenue for

FVWC, enabling us to help more ani-

mals.

Entry Fee

$10.00

per photo

Make checks payable

to - Fox Valley

Wildlife Center

Photo Entry

Deadline

February 17, 2017

Prizes will be given

for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th

& 5th place

Dr. Sheri Askew

Blue Goose Market, St. Charles

Hal and Karen Broten

CBCM - Chicago Bird Collision

Monitors

Custom Printing, Addison

Fresh Market, Geneva

Beth Graham

Jewel-Osco, Elburn

Jewel-Osco, Sugar Grove

Jewel-Osco, Yorkville

Kathy Kerekes

Bryan Kimmell, Alfa Energy LLC

Midwest Appliance, Geneva

Sue Mroch

MS/Astro Tool & Engineering, Inc

Northern Illinois Food Bank

Dr. Erin O’Connor

Dr. Richard Otto

Dr. Brian Peters

Pets at Peace Crematory

Dr. Margret Rogers

Liz Smith

Dominick & Julie Testa

Dr. Christine Wilmes

Bonnie Zagoren

Also . . . .

Bristol Grade School &

Yorkville School District 115

Golden Guernsey of Illinois

Kane County Landscape Material

and Supply, Inc.

Meijer

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Education Programs

Monster or Misunderstood by Donna Tate

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FVWC education programs are fun and informative. You and your group will

learn about conservation, ecology, wildlife rehabilitation and the importance of

coexisting with our wild neighbors. We have program options for scouts,

schools, libraries, senior centers, birthday parties and more.

For more information - email us at fvwceducation@sbcglobal.net,

call 630-365-3800, or visit www.fvwc.org.

Coyotes are a fact of life in most subur-

ban landscapes. They generally prefer open spaces,

but in urban areas they have adapted to places that conceal

them from humans. This is most generally shrubbery and

wooded areas. The Urban Coyote Research organization

has found that coyotes will avoid residential, commercial,

and industrial areas but will use any remaining habitat frag-

ments, such as parks and golf courses. In the wild they usu-

ally do not live beyond the age of three, the most frequent

cause of death being vehicle collisions. This is not surpris-

ing due to their large ranges which, in those studied, in-

cluded thoroughfares with a vehicle volume of 100,000

every twenty-four hours, in a 5 mile radius.

Coyotes live in packs as well as travel alone. Packs

usually consist of an alpha male and female, as well as a

few other adults and pups born that year. Although living in

family groups, hunting and traveling is most often in loose

pairs or a solitary endeavor. Territories are maintained as

groups with very little overlap. Between one-third and one-

half of the coyotes studied were loners, male and female.

These animals were generally six months to two years old,

but sometimes an older adult who had departed from a

pack. It is impossible to ascertain if a lone animal sighted is

solitary or part of a pack.

While many of us make our homes as welcoming

as possible for our wild neighbors, we may unwittingly be

inviting coyotes as well. Once they associate human dwell-

ings with food, they may increase daytime appearances and

be seen by more people. Never feed a coyote. Animals that

are branded as “nuisances” have become habituated, lost

their fear of humans, most often because of food such as cat

or dog food left outside.

Contrary to popular belief, coyotes do not regularly

prey on domestic pets. Although they are opportunistic and

their diet will fluctuate depending on what is available,

studies show the most common food items to be rodents,

fruit, deer, rabbit and Canada geese. They are an integral

part of a healthy ecosystem in keeping populations of these

animals under control. That is not to say that attacks do not

occur. Dogs and cats can fall victim. The cat occurrences

are harder to substantiate because many times these animals

are allowed to roam outdoors unsupervised. When the pet

then goes missing, it is automatically attributed to a coyote.

With dogs, smaller breeds are attacked more often than me-

dium or larger breeds. Small canine encounters were

frequently fatal and involved a single coyote. Two or more,

often alpha pairs, instigated larger breed attacks. More re-

ports are generated in the winter months coinciding with

breeding season.

Knowledge is key to cohabitating with

any wildlife. It bears repeating to never feed a coyote no

matter the age or circumstances. Refrain from leaving dog

or cat food outside as this could attract coyotes and invite

potential pet attacks. Supervise pets outdoors. While fenc-

ing may help, coyotes have been known to climb 6 ft. en-

closures. Keep your pet on a leash during walks and con-

sider a walking stick or some kind of noise maker in the

event of an encounter. Leave cats indoors at all times, coyo-

tes are not the only risk to a free roaming animal. Lastly,

remember that loose domestic dogs pose a greater threat of

attack than a coyote. Monster or misunderstood, we all

share the same backyard. For further information, please

visit urbancoyoteresearch.com.

Coyotes rehabbing at the center before release.

Support FVWC by :

* Donating

* Volunteering

* Hosting a Wildlife Release Site

* Donating Items from our Wish List

* Attending Fundraiser Events

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Cash Donations

Live or Dried Mealworms **

Unscented Laundry Detergent

Bleach

Nitrile Exam Gloves (med & lrg)

Paper Towels

The items included in these lists are

important to our mission and very

much appreciated.

** Can be purchased by going to

www.amazon.com >> Wishlist >> Fox

Valley Wildife Center

For a list of all items needed, visit

www.fvwc.org >> Help Us Help Wildlife >>

Wishlist

Memorials

Claire Dassey from Ryan & Krista Flanagan, Gregory & Andrea

Schmidlin, Susan Stillinger, Phil & Sandy Webster

Linus Heine from Patricia Heine

Deborah Herr from Juanita Radcliffe

Max Herwig from D. Fisher

MaryAnne P. LaShure from Julianne Testa

Cindy, Kathy Keener’s sister from Kathy Keener

Adeline Koscinski from Georgia Fessler

Donna Lenciotti from Elaine Roquet, Nate Scarpelli, Sheila Woodward

Donations

Chest Freezer from Janet Spriet

Donation made for Hawk killed by farmer in Quincy from Anonymous

Melissa Fiere-Fetrow’s birthday, for new brooder boxes from Dianne Fieri

Sue Bronston’s birthday from Shane Bronston

Sue Bronston, Mother’s Day from Stacey Bronston

Jeanine Hilfman’s birthday from the Hilfman Family

Addie Stras from Julie Manion

Mick Zoller’s birthday from Carolyn Shaffer

Urgently Needed Items

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As always we want to thank all our

volunteers and supporters.

Those who support us with our

many events ~ Dinner Auction,

Baby Shower, Garage Sale and Wine

Tasting. Your support, whether

monetary or volunteering, is a big

part of who we are and how we are

able to carry on our mission.

And thank you to those who re-

spond so quickly when we send out

our distress emails needing produce

or mealworms or a new freezer for

our barn.

Thank you also to our release site

people, who look after our babies

once they are on their own.

Every spoke of our wheel is neces-

sary for us to run smoothly and we

Thank You ALL!

Thanks to the efforts of George

and Cheryl Schreck our first annual

Wine Tasting was a huge success.

The event was at Hickory Knolls

Discovery Center, set beside their

wonderful exhibit of reptile life.

There were ten wines for tasting and

tables of delicious appetizers.

This was all done to support the

injured and orphaned wildlife which

come into our care each year. Thank

you to everyone who supported us,

whether volunteering or attending.

Watch for this event next year!

A SPECIAL NOTE OF thanks

Our First Wine Tasting Event

For

The

Wildlife

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Animal Care Internship Essay Winner

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When I first applied to be an intern at the Fox Val-

ley Wildlife Center, I imagined that this opportunity would

provide me with animal handling skills that I would be able

to use in my future career. I am currently attending the Uni-

versity of Minnesota-Twin Cities in pursuit of a bachelor’s

degree in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, and

though I have had brief handling experiences with wildlife

in Minnesota, I have not yet had the opportunity to advance

my animal handling techniques.

What has surprised me most about

my internship at FVWC is that I have

learned so much more that I had

initially imagined.

In addition to animal handling, I have also been able

to increase my overall practical knowledge of wildlife and

understand how I can play a role in the conservation of a

variety of wildlife species, whether on a local or broader

level. Each staff member at FVWC has such a vast knowl-

edge of wildlife and has been able to answer all of my ques-

tions that have come up throughout my internship. This has

made me realize how much I have overlooked some of the

more common species that I see on a regular basis. Even

though I see robins, rock pigeons, and squirrels almost daily,

I learned so much more about the diets, reproduction, behav-

ior, etc. of these species and so many others through the

close interactions that I have had with them during my in-

ternship. Thus, moving forward, I will take away from this

experience that I should focus asking questions about all

kinds of animals, including the seemingly common ones, to

broaden my knowledge about wildlife.

The challenges that I have faced during my intern-

ship have been incredibly varied, from the more humorous

struggle of trying to get my hair braid unstuck from the

grabbing hands of the curious raccoons to the more serious

challenge of keeping up with the demanding feeding sched-

ules during the busiest time of the summer when cages were

full and bellies were empty. Before the summer started, I

challenged myself to broaden my knowledge beyond mam-

mals, which are typically my preferred taxonomic group of

animals with which to work. In doing so, I had to work

through some nerves associated with handling new or larger

animals that made me a little uncomfortable at the beginning

of the summer. Finally, one of the bigger challenges that I

faced at FVWC is the realization that we cannot always help

every animal that comes through the door, whether we had

to euthanize an animal shortly after its arrival or an animal

died after weeks at the center despite our best efforts to help

them.

However, despite these challenges, I have found

many rewards at FVWC. In regard to the challenge of know-

ing that some animals will not survive during their time at

the center, it is a huge reward to see all the animals that do

survive and that do overcome great trauma or illness to be

ready for release later on. On my first day at FVWC, I

helped clean epoxy off of the feet of some very small gos-

lings that had come in with their goose parents. These same

goslings are much bigger now and have just been released

back into the wild with their goose family. Having wit-

nessed the progress this goose family has made throughout

the summer has shown me how much we can help wildlife

in certain situations and how we can work to counteract

some of the harm that we cause as humans. Additionally, I

have been able to use the knowledge I have learned during

my internship to educate friends and family about how they

can help injured or orphaned wildlife they have found and

how they can help prevent harming wildlife in the first

place.

Thank you for considering me

for this intern incentive, and thank you

to the incredible staff who have made

this experience so enjoyable for me!

1st Place

This year we held an Animal Care Internship Essay Contest. We asked all our interns to write about

their experiences working at the Fox Valley Wildlife Center. We are showcasing the winning essay

written by Gabriella Barnas. 2nd & 3rd place winners will be featured in upcoming newsletters.

FVWC Animal Care Internship 2016

by Gabriella Barnas

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Fox Valley Wildlife Center admitted over 2,400 animals last year.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation at the membership level

and help us give wildlife a second chance..

Yes! I would like to give a donation to Fox Valley Wildlife Center at the membership level I circled below.

COTTONTAIL - $35 MALLARD - $100 Track newsletter and Photo Tote Bag

RACCOON - $250 CARDINAL - $500 Great Blue Heron T-Shirt* Ball Cap

FAWN - $750 GREAT BLUE HERON - $1000 Sweatshirt* Hooded Sweatshirt* & Invite to 3 Summer Releases

OTHER $

Name

Address

City State Zip

Phone

Email * Shirt size: S M L XL

Please make checks payable to Fox Valley Wildlife Center or pay online at fvwc.org.

Please clip out form and return to: Fox Valley Wildlife Center

PO Box 385, Elburn IL 60119

Help Us Continue Our Mission - Become a FVWC Member

All FVWC sponsors receive a subscription to Tracks, our quarterly newsletter, a photo of the animal at their membership level, in addition to the thank-you gifts listed below.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Cottontail Marilyn Bauer

J.R. Carson

Michele Machowicz

Lynn Quiroz

Juanita Radcliffe

John White

Mallard Jennifer Benson

Jane Gondek

Evelyn Grom

Elvira Kirch

Jamie Rothstein

Janet Schor

Clifford Sisko

Marty Zack

Raccoon

Harlo Krieger

Michael Tillmans

Cardinal

Lambertz Family

Great Blue Heron

Sherrie Robotham

Thank you for your support.

Memberships

New & Renewed

Each species has different needs in its habitat. Therefore, the release sites need to

be appropriate for these needs, but not overcrowded with others of the same species.

If you know of any potential release sites, please email Andrea Krueger at

a-krueger@sbcglobal.net with the owner’s name, address, phone number, total

acreage, and what species they are willing to accept. Residential areas are not

considered. FVWC must have permission from the landowner to release

rehabilitated animals back into the wild on their land.

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WE NEED

RELEASE

SITES