HELP SAVE MICHIGAN WILDLIFE - Updated 7-28-2010 at 2:15pm

In efforts to try and help various animals that will be/are affected by this oil leak in Michigan, they are in desperate need of supplies. If you know any businesses or anyone that would be willing to donate that would be great! Circle D Wildlife Refuge is in need of rubber gloves and aprons, dawn dish soap,etc. Cash donations would probably be great also - so they can get food supplies that they will need for the animals.

As I have said in the past, these rehabbers work on their personal time and are not paid and the supplies that we get, these are out-of-pocket expenses or by donations. For more information you can look below for Circle D Wildlife Refuge's information or check with Kalamazoo River Oil Spill Animal/Wildlife Rescue facebook page.

Contact information for Circle D Wildlife refuge:

Circle D Wildlife Refuge
13500 East U Ave.
Vicksburg, MI  49097
Phone #:  Pam Decuypere at (269) 365-5349  Please Do Not call the phone number unless you have wildlife that needs help, they need their only phone line free to field calls about animals.  They would prefer you to contact them by e-mail if you can.
E-mail:  CircleDVolunteers@gmail.com
A message on the Kalamazoo River Oil Spill Animal/Wildlife Rescue facebook page stated:  "If you are willing to answer phones on a regular basis, clean birds, or care for other animals, please send me your contact information at CircleDVolunteers@gmail.com. While I will begin calling folks from the spreadsheet list, this is in no way connected to the large scale cleanup efforts that require training. This is only to help out the small, animal refuge to prepare for the influx of animals, volunteers, media, etc. that will be coming in droves soon. I will contact you soon to get more information on how you can help".

I'll find out if there is a website or donation page for them ASAP!

Items needed by Circle D Wildlife Refuge:
- Rags or towels
- Dawn dish soap
- Rubber aprons
- Rubber gloves
- Buckets
- Vegetable oil
- Respirators
- Cash donations so they can feed the animals they are getting along with getting other supplies! 
They were also looking for volunteers!  It may take a while for them to get back to you by phone as they are very busy right now!

Remember, the best way people can help is by donating at this time.

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Focus Wildlife is currently responding to the "Marshall Leak Incident."  To sign up with wildlife officials or to report oil-covered wildlife, call 800-306-6837.  Focus Wildlife Website:  http://www.focuswildlife.net/

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Here is yet another place you can donate items to (As posted on Facebook):

"Senator Nofs has helped to facilitate a donation collection center to help the wildlife. Donations are being accepted at Crossroads Church and Ministries. Details are available here on specific times and what items are needed: http://www.facebook.com/l/b483dN83QzU4UbadfDdJTjlTCcQ;https://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=18Ff3QTwOUBuz7Sro6nlS4Z37F6hWIlhvtd15dgZBaco&hl=en


Please do not hesitate to call me with any questions, 269-274-3220.

More information on volunteer training will be forthcoming. A volunteer seminar will take place sometime in the afternoon on Friday with authorities.

Steve Sachs
Office of Senator Mike Nofs"

WHAT: Community Animal/Wildlife Rescue Donation Drop Off Site
WHERE: CROSSROADS CHURCH AND MINISTRIES PARKING LOT
LARGE COLLETION TENT LOCATED IN NE CORNER OF PARKING LOT . 717 US Highway 27, Marshall, MI 49068 (1/2 mile S of I-94, exit 110, on west side of road)
WHEN: Today (12:00p.m.-9:00p.m.), then open daily from 9:00a.m.-9:00p.m. until further notice.
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
- LINENS: non-elastic, non-fitted
- Sheets and Large Towels
- Pillow Cases
- Cardboard Boxes (Medium-Large)
- Small Whiteboards
- Duct Tape
- Firewood (Small-Medium)

Items will be transported by officials to the secure animal care center. For more information, please contact Steve Sachs at 269-274-3220.
 
More information to come!

Oil Disaster in Michigan

Dear GreenSpot-On Readers,

I wanted to talk to you about something very important.  As some of you in Michigan or even in the nation may have heard, on late Sunday, July 25, 2010 a pipeline malfunctioned (which is being investigated by the EPA and the National Transportation Safety Board) near the border of Marshall and Fredonia townships in Calhoun County, Michigan. The oil then leaked into Talmadge Creek, which flows northwest into the Kalamazoo River.
According to the Battle Creek Enquirer:  "After the oil leak was detected, the pipeline pumps were shut down and the valves upstream and downstream from the leak were closed, according to a press release from Houston-based Enbridge and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Management."

The spill has already went past booms set up by workers in Marshall township and is now flowing into the Kalamazoo River in Kalamazoo County.  So far it is estimated that about 877,000 gallons (Or according to other news reports around 20,000 barrels) of oil had spilled into the creek leading to the Kalamazoo River according to estimates from Enbridge Energy Partners.  A meterologist speaking with the news agency WZZM 13 from the National Weather Service has also said that the spill could reach Lake Michigan by Sunday, depending on a few variables having to do with the flow rate.

There have been warnings and advisories set against swimming and fishing in the area and there is a worry about Benzine being in the air.  There are also families that have been evacuated (Last I heard it was at least 20 homes) due to the potential health hazard.  According to other sources, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) have told hopeful volunteers to stay away from the area as they are trying to get respirators for workers near the spill.  As for wildlife rescues I had heard from another source that the DNR are looking into having trained and licensed wildlife rescuers help with the wildlife and that it is too dangerous for an untrained and unlicensed person to handle distressed wildlife.  There have alrady been injuries to reported at Wood TV8 in West Michigan by these distressed animals to humans who had hoped to do some good.  Please let the trained professionals and licensed wildlife rescuers do the work, if you want to help ask the Michigan DNRE what you can do.  To sign up with wildlife officials or to report oil-covered wildlife, call 800-306-6837.

I promise that as soon as I find a reputable place that is taking donations I will let you know.  Already, I have talked with a couple licensed rescuers (Including GreenSpot-On's very own JRouse) who are possibly going to be allowed to volunteer for clean-up, so if I hear any news on how people can assist them or the effort I will let you all know!  Though I did find this today: 

"BATTLE CREEK (The Enquirer) -- The Circle D Wildlife Refuge has rescued 12 geese, a muskrat and a swan from the Kalamazoo River, said refuge spokeswoman Pam Decuypere. The Vicksburg group is working to help capture and clean wildlife hurt by the oil spill, she said. The refuge is looking for volunteers today to help clean the birds, monetary donations, and donations of buckets, vegetable oil, dish soap and rags, Decuypere said. If you want to help, show up at 13500 East U Ave. in Vicksburg, or call Decuypere at (269) 365-5349"

Meanwhile I am looking for a couple of photo's to post of this disaster in my home state to show you before and after photo's and what it is doing to the environment and the wildlife.  If anyone from this area has new photo's and will give permission to post them please contact me!

Please see the links and video below for more information and the sources for my information.

MI DNRE Website:  Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment
Huffington Post:  Michigan Oil spill among the Largest in Midwest History: Kalamazoo Spill Soaks Wildlife
The latest story from the Battle Creek Enquirer:  Granholm criticizes company as oil heads west
Battle Creek Enquirer story:  Eager Volunteers told to Wait 
The Battle Creek Enquirer has posted a Map showing the spill.
WZZM 13:  Oil Spill could reach Lake Michigan by Sunday
Wood TV8 Latest story:  Oil Spill Spreading toward Battle Creek 
Wood TV 8 video:  DNRE: Leave animal cleaning to pros

Thanks for thinking of the families, wildlife, environment and our state as we deal with this disaster.

Sincerely,
Khrysania @ GreenSpot-On

Outcome of Rehabbing

So, the 4 squirrels I had are doing well ;) One of my friends has taken in 2 of them to divide up the work between the two of us. This is really late in the year to have as many squirrel calls, as we have been getting. Normally, spring time is squirrel time for us. We are working on figuring out a way to be able to do more rehabbing since there are limited amount of rehabbers in Isabella County.

Hopefully, over time, my two friends and I will be able to open our own rehab facility. It will take some time, some grant writing, and money.

But, with luck we will be able to eventually get something going more full-time.

One issue that we have had is, people who call us for rehab, seem to think that it is a paid position and that we should be able to transport and do anything at a drop of a hat.

Unfortunately, rehabbing has to come 2nd. We have jobs and families, so the rehabbing is done more on a volunteer basis. We put our own personal time into it as well as resources (funds, supplies, etc.)

So, if you ever find an animal and call a rehabber - remember they are doing it for the animals, not the money!

Sincerely,
JRouse @ GreenSpot-On
Link: http://unhub.com/GreenSpotOn/
Click Here for GreenSpot-On on YouTube

The Right Way to Rescue

Make sure if you ever help take in an orphan animal that you understand what you are doing and if you don't, inquire and find someone that can help you!

This weekend was "squirrel rescue weekend," and I can't emphasize it enough: Make sure that you keep the animal warm and hydrated! 1st of course is getting the animal warm, then hydrating. Another issue is what you feed that animal that you take in.

The squirrels that I got today and last night had been fed kitten replacer milk, while puppy milk (Esbilac) is actually the closest thing to a squirrels milk. So if you, or someone you know takes in a squirrel (or other animal), please get it to an appropriately licensed rehabber who knows how to properly care for them right away. Often what happens, is a person will take in one of these orphaned animals with good intentions and plans to raise them on their own. Then a few days or maybe a week later we will get a call stating that they found a squirrel and that they have had it for a given number of days, and the squirrel seems ill. By the time they they actually seek help for it, it can often be too late!

So, please let anyone that you may know that takes in an animal to properly research and inquire on the care of the animal. In these times we are blessed with the availability of technology and being able to pretty much google any topic that we want to learn about. Here is one link that may help if someone ever gets into this situation:

http://www.squirrelstore.com - Has information for the care of orphaned squirrels and supplies (if needed)

REMEMBER *NEVER TRY AND FEED A COLD/DEHYDRATED ANIMAL*
FOLLOW THE APPROPRIATE PROTOCOL!!!

GreenSpot-On Wildlife Q & A #5

Welcome to the Fifth Issue of the GreenSpot-On Wildlife Q & A! Here is a question I recieved from a student at C. A. Frost Environmental Science Academy in Grand Rapids, MI along with my answers! Please keep the questions coming!

Question: How do you get the owls to eat their natural foods, like mice, instead of pellets and seeds?
Name: Jennah Age: 9 Grade: 4 School: C.A. Frost Environmental Science Academy, Grand Rapids, MI

Answer: Well, for owls we have mice that we get from a company. Those mice are not alive when we get them, and we are able to keep them in the freezer. When we need them, they are thawed out and then we have to do what we need to, to get the owls or other birds of prey to eat them. A lot of the time the owls that we get in have some sort of neurologic problem and they are unable to swallow properly. Therefore, we have to often cut the mice into smaller pieces and remove the skin. Then we have to force feed them the mice. To do this, we usually use hemostats to hold the mouse parts and of course usually we have on leather gloves to protect ourselves.

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That is all the questions I can answer for now. Unfortunately my computer is still on the fritz and have been unable to access the questions that are unanswered. My sister is going to send me those questions and I will try and get them answered for the next issue of the Wildlife Q & A!

Some of these animals are pictured in the slideshow on the main page. If you have children, are a student/adult or wildlife lover and you would like to ask a question about any of these animals, please send an e-mail to JRouse. Include the following information in your e-mail:

Question: (Question for JRouse)

Name: (First Name) Age: (Age)

Grade: (Grade Level of Student) School-City/State: (School Name - Location: City/State)

Up to 3 questions will be answered during each issue of the GreenSpot-On Wildlife Q & A, so it may take time for your question to be answered. Subscribe to GreenSpot-On's feed by Email to get the Issues & other posts straight to your inbox!

New to GreenSpot-On: Videos! You can get to them by scrolling down on our main page and click on the videos or you can go to the following page to see our videos: Click here

Sincerely,

JRouse @ GreenSpot-On

Link: http://unhub.com/GreenSpotOn/17979

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Ode to My Sister, Rescuers and Other Rehabbers!

I just wanted to give everyone a little insight on why this blog was started and give props to all those who rescue, rehabilitate animals.

I love wildlife like my sister and want to give you a little background on what she does and how it started. I am proud of what she does as a rehabber and at her job and how she loves to teach her child and my boys things about animals. When we were little I always knew she would be doing something to help animals. If she saw roadkill she would immediately want to bury the animal (To this day she will pull over on the side of the road to take care of a cat or other small animal if it had been hit by a car, alive or dead).

My Mom sometimes would have to drive with my sister to help her take care of these animals (deer, cats, dogs and more). Usually the only things they didn't go bury for my sister was possums, skunks and raccoons (Due to the temperment and other issues involving those animals when they were hit or hurt). If she found strays she would beg our parents to help her get them to their homes. We had a cat once that was given to us by our aunt and uncle. We lived on a farm at the time and had neighbors that owned a dairy. The cat had wandered onto their property and got attacked by their dogs horribly. Our neighbor brought the cat to us and she wasn't doing. My sister and I, both in tears begged our mom, dad and a friend of theirs to help her. They stayed up all night, trying to keep her alive and help her, make her comfortable. At the time we didn't have alot of money so a visit to the vet wasn't an option. They did everything they could but the cat didn't survive the night, we were devastated.

My sister still has a hard time when an animal doesn't pull through, wild or domesticated. She has compassion for all animals and always has. That is why she is great at what she does. I am so proud of the way she cares for the animals that get brought into the veteranary hospital where she works by clients. Sometimes I will recieve a call about how saddened she was about a clients cat that had to be put down. Usually it is a tear-filled call and I remind her that the clients were lucky to have someone talk to them as compassionate and caring as she about their pet. She has the same hands-on involvement in them as she does with the wildlife she has helped rehab.

I also recieve the same types of calls when she has lost an wild animal that she was rehabbing. Especially the baby animals. She is so invested in their care (Feeding them every hour throughout an entire day for weeks on end, cleaning, keeping them warm) that it is hard for her to see them not make it. These are the types of people that make good rehabbers. Yes, they can take a step back and do the job at hand, but they also care so much about what they are doing that they can be disappointed or heartbroken when an animal doesn't pull through. Yet they keep doing what they do for the sake of these animals that can't speak for themselves and take care of themselves. When there are sucesses, they are overjoyed and are happy to release them back into the wild or if they can't be released they are placed in a sanctuary, nature center or zoo that will take them in.

I respect the vigor and commitment it takes to do the job my sister does, even while going to school, working and raising a child. My sister and other wildlife rehabbers or animal rescuers spend money out of their own pockets, use all of their spare time and resources to save these animals that other people would not or could not. This post is in honor of those people like my sister that love what they do and are committed to saving these animals. Education is key!

I can name a few others that I respect like my sister for doing what they can to save some or all creatures big or small. Please support them in their efforts or check out their sites that I list here. There are many out there, so I will only name a few. They include:

I Love Rescue Animals - One of our sister sites, run by two lovely women who are very dedicated animal lovers. Please support their effort by donating or helping them in their quest to find homes for shelter animals. Link: http://iloverescueanimals.org/

JournOwl - Another wonderful blog that has great insight and into conservation of owls and other wildlife, this blogger also has two other sites that are dedicated to the preservation of habitat and conservation on marine life and endangered species stats (See Thriving Oceans & Bio the Numbers). Link to JournOwl: http://www.journowl.com/
Thriving Oceans - Link: http://www.thrivingoceans.org/
Bio The Numbers - Link: http://www.biothenumbers.com/

NestCams - A site run by Cornell Lab of Orinthology. It is great place to view video of the nesting habits of different birds. Link: http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/nestcams/home/index

ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) - You can donate or become a member to help stop cruelty to animals! Link: http://www.aspca.org/

You can also support our blog by continuing to read our articles, become a guest blogger if you are passionate about the topics we talk about! Subscribe to our feed! We thank you for your support and any support you give to the above blogs and sites that are doing wonderful things!

Sincerely,
Khrys @ GreenSpot-On
Link: http://unhub.com/GreenSpotOn/17979
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GreenSpot-On Wildlife Q & A #4

Welcome to the Fourth Issue of the GreenSpot-On Wildlife Q & A! Here are brand new questions recieved from a student at C. A. Frost Environmental Science Academy in Grand Rapids, MI along with my answers to them!

Question: Does the DNR help you to get the wild animals back into their natural habitat? Are there other places that help you?

Name: Jennah Age: 9

Grade: 4 School-City/State: C. A. Frost Environmental Science Academy – Grand Rapids, MI

JRouse’s Answer: The DNR helps to get the animals back into their natural habitat by bringing us the animals, and of course they monitor the animals that we have over the year period. We have to keep special logs for the animals that we take care of. As far as actually taking the animal after we have rehabbed them, the answer is no. We usually release them ourselves in the county that they were found in. But, for the birds of prey we usually relocate them to another facility where they are put into flight cages to help assist them in strengthening their skills before release. All of these animals though, need to be acclimated to the outdoors and the environment before release. You wouldn't want to have an animal housed indoors and just release it without acclimating it first.

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Question: How did you learn how to take care of animals?

Name: Iain Age: 6

Grade: 1 School-City/State: C. A. Frost Environmental Science Academy – Grand Rapids, MI

JRouse’s Answer: I have always had an interest in animals, since I was small. I lived out in the country for some time and we had a variety of animals from cats to turkeys. As I got older, I dog sat for neighbors and eventually started taking dogs for walks that were at the local shelter. I started volunteering with the local shelter and I eventually landed a job in a veterinary practice. It started as just kennel help (cleaning cages and medicating the animals), during that time I was able to observe how to care for them. After a while I worked my way to assisting the vet in the exam rooms and then eventually started assisting with surgeries. Since we did wildlife on the side, I was able to assist with that and now I am able to do a lot on my own. Although there are still things that only a licensed veterinarian should perform (care-wise) for some animals.

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Question: Do the owls and cats live together when you are taking care of them?

Name: Braeden Age: 5

Grade: 1 School-City/State: C. A. Frost Environmental Science Academy – Grand Rapids, MI

JRouse’s Answer: No, the owls are actually kept at my work in a isolation room. The only cats that roam around the clinic are the 2 cats that we have living there, but they do not have access into that room. To keep an owl you actually have to have a federal permit and I do not have my own federal permit. I am able to care for them through my boss, who has a federal permit. The permit allows owls (or other birds of prey) to be housed at the address that is on that particular permit.

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Some of these animals are pictured in the slideshow on the main page. If you have children, are a student/adult or wildlife lover and you would like to ask a question about any of these animals, please send an e-mail to JRouse. Include the following information in your e-mail:

Question: (Question for JRouse)
Name: (First Name) Age: (Age)
Grade: (Grade Level of Student) School-City/State: (School Name - Location: City/State)

3 questions will be answered during each issue of the GreenSpot-On Wildlife Q & A, so it may take time for your question to be answered. Subscribe to GreenSpot-On's feed by Email to get the Issues & other posts straight to your inbox!

Sincerely,
JRouse @ GreenSpot-On
Link: http://unhub.com/GreenSpotOn/17979
Become a Fan! GreenSpot-On Fan Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/GreenSpot-On/76428392367
Twitter: @GreenSpotOn
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GreenSpot-On Wildlife Q & A #3

Welcome to the Third Issue of the GreenSpot-On Wildlife Q & A! Here are new questions recieved from a student at Beachnau Elementary in Ravenna, MI and a couple more from some of GreenSpot-On's adult readers along with my responses to them...

Question: What kind of things do you do at your job?
Name: Jenna Age: 6
Grade: N/A School-City/State: Beechnau Elementary - Ravenna, MI

JRouse’s Answer: At my job I have a variety of tasks that I do during the workday and sometimes it can be a little overwhelming...

I start off the day cleaning out the cages (kennels) that the cats are kept in and make sure they have clean litter boxes and clean towels to lay on as well as fresh food and water. Throughout the day I answer the phone and wait on customers and take care of the animals that are in the clinic. In our exam room we have mice in a cage to help distract the cats a little (so they aren't focused so much on seeing the doctor - kind of like you with lollipops), and we also have canaries that are in our boarding facility.

The boarding area is where animals stay when their owners are out of town. We try and make the area as homelike as possible; we have a fountain with large goldfish in it, the canaries and an exercise area for them to play around in. I assist the doctor with appointments - this includes; taking the cats temperature, weighing them, trimming their nails, and writing down information for the doctor regarding the cats diet and history.

I also assist the doctor and hold the cats for blood draws and vaccinations. On days that we have surgeries, I help check the cat in for surgery and then set up the treatment area in our hospital for the procedures to take place. Myself as well as a couple other co-workers do this job, and we all help the doctor with various things during these procedures, like shaving the cats that are getting lion cuts (a type of haircut for a cat), giving it a bath, or prepping for the surgeries. But, the doctor is the only one who actually can perform these - we only assist!

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Question: How do you get the supplies you need to rehab an animal? Are rehabbers funded by a group or is it donation based?
Name: Kim Keller-Rouse Age: Over 40
City/State: Mount Pleasant, MI

JRouse’s Answer: The supplies that are used for rehabbing usually are purchased by the rehabber (out of pocket) and that is the case for myself, as well as most rehabbers. Sometimes if you start an organization you are able to get donations, but most rehabbers are independent, therefore, all the expenses are out-of-pocket. This is one thing that people don't understand when you are taking in an animal. You can be picky about what you take in, because you may not be able to afford the animals care it needs (depending on what you have to spend and what you have time for). When an animal is in its nursing phase it can be costly, just in milk, syringes, etc. Then when they are weaned it may be less costly, but that all depends on the type of animal you have and what it eats!

Got a question for JRouse (me) on any animals listed or pictured on the site? E-mail jr.greenspot_on@khrysania.com to ask! Please include the following information in your e-mail:

Question: (Question for JRouse)

Name: (First Name of Child) Age: (Age of Child)

Grade: (Grade Level of Child) School-City/State: (School Name - Location: City/State)

Sincerely,

JRouse

GreenSpot-On

Link: http://unhub.com/GreenSpotOn/17979

Have Questions? Presenting GreenSpot-On's Wildlife Q & A!

Parents/Guardians, Teachers, Wildlife Enthusiasts and GreenSpot-On Readers!

As someone who has done wildlife rehabbing, JRouse has worked with many different types of animals. She would like to give children and adults/wildlife lovers the opportunity to ask her questions about the animals she has helped or even questions about what she does and how!

They include:

Fawns

Osprey

Red Fox

Canadian geese

Domestic geese

Pigeons

Pheasants

Squirrels: Red, Black, Gray Tree, Fox and Flying

Great Blue Heron

Green Heron

Barred Owl

Great Horned Owl

Screech Owl

Red-Tailed Hawk

Domestic Cats

Some of these animals are pictured in the slideshow on the main page. If you have children or students or if you adults would like to ask a question about any of these animals, please send an e-mail to JRouse in the following format:

Question: (Your Question)

Name: (First Name) Age: (Age)

Grade: (Child’s Grade) School/Location: (Child’s School Name and City/State or your location)

JRouse will answer up to 3 of these questions once a week as she receives them. All answers will be posted to GreenSpot-On with the original question in the format above. We at GreenSpot-On hope you will take this opportunity to teach your child something new about the wildlife around us. Thank you for joining us today!

Sincerely,

GreenSpot-On
Link: http://unhub.com/GreenSpotOn/17979

Facebook Fan Page: http://unhub.com/GreenSpotOn/17981

Follow us on Twitter, Networked Blogs, by RSS Feed and other site by going to the mainpage of our blog and linking from there!

GreenSpot-On Wildlife Q & A #2

Welcome to the Second Issue of the GreenSpot-On Wildlife Q & A! Here are new questions recieved from a couple more students from Stocking Elementary in Grand Rapids, MI along with my responses to them...

Question: How big does that bird get? (he was talking about the Great Blue Heron)
Name: Phil Age: 5
Grade: Pre-K School-City/State: Stocking Elementary - Grand Rapids, MI

JRouse's Answer: Great Blue Herons full grown usually stand about 4 feet tall and their wingspan is about 6 feet. Because they are such large birds and they have scissor-like beaks, you have to be very cautious when handing them. They are very fast and they do not like to be bothered. When feeding them or medicating them, we had to take precautions to insure our safety, by wearing goggles to protect our eyes and gloves to protect our hands. But, all in all they are very beautiful large birds (other than the mess you have to clean up after they eat) If you ever see them in their natural habitat, they are truly magnificent looking creatures!

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Question: What does the bird eat? (talking about the Screech Owl)
Name: Liam Age: 4
Grade: Pre-K School-City/State: Stocking Elementary - Grand Rapids, MI


JRouse's Answer: Screech Owls are pretty small as far as owls go, they eat a variety of things, varying from insects to small mammals (bats and mice) and sometimes can eat small birds. While in nature they tend to eat those things, while being rehabbed, they were fed mice. Due to their injuries - we often had to cut up the mice so that they were able to intake them. When they have neurologic damage, it makes it hard for them to swallow properly!

Hey Everyone!
These are all the questions I recieved before my post deadline this week. Currently, we are in need of questions so please consider writing me soon to be included in the next issue! I will answer these questions once a week (Usually the post will be made on Saturdays).


Got a question for me on any animals listed or pictured on the site?
E-mail JRouse to ask me! I will answer questions from any age group pertaining to animals.

Please include the following information in your e-mail:

Question: (Question for JRouse)
Name: (First Name) Age: (Age)
Grade: (Grade Level of Child) School-City/State: (School Name - Location: City/State)

Sincerely,
JRouse
GreenSpot-On
Link: http://unhub.com/GreenSpotOn/17979

NOTE: Due to her work/school schedule this week JRouse e-mailed me this post so I could post it for her. - Khrysania

GreenSpot-On Wildlife Q & A #1

Welcome to the very first GreenSpot-On Wildlife Q & A! Here are my first questions recieved from some of the students from Stocking Elementary in Grand Rapids, MI along with my responses for them...



Question: How menny times a day did you feed Kirby?
Name: Courtney Age: 9
Grade: 3rd School: Stocking Elementary - Grand Rapids, MI

JRouse's Answer: When I first took him in, I was feeding him every 2 hours at first (yes, even during the night). Then as he got older I was able to space out his feedings more. Eventually it was every 4 hours and until the point where he was able to eat some solid foods (like apples - although he loved grapes), after that he was able to build up to milk and seed.

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Question: What tipe of cats do you have?
Name: Gabby Age: 8
Grade: 2nd School: Stocking Elementary - Grand Rapids, MI

JRouse's Answer: I have two cats, a domestic longhair and a domestic shorthair. I had three total, but my oldest passed away 3 weeks ago. My remaining two are both black cats. They are both rescues (not full bred cats), and my shorthair is actually a kitten that I took in when he was 24 hours old. His name is Talon, he had been abandoned by his mother and was brought in to me from people that had found him. My daughter became very attached to him, so instead of adopting him out, I actually ended up keeping him.

Then.

My little oinker (Talon)!

Now.

He is now 2 years old and 16 1/2 pounds (yes, he eats very well)!!!

Opie

Opie is my long hair and she just turned 11 years old and I have had her since she was 4 weeks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Question: How old is Kirby? What does Kirby eat?

Name: Aidan Age: 7

Grade: 1st School: Stocking Elementary - Grand Rapids, MI

JRouse's Answer: Kirby is about a year now. When I took him in to rehab he was actually only a couple of days old. He had an injury at first where we wanted to make sure he would be releasable. Due to one of his "toes" not being able to retract properly, we actually had to amputate it. If he had been released with his toe in the state that it was, it could catch on something, causing him to have a more serious injury. But, he recovered well from the surgery and was able to be released!!! Hi, Aidan


Kids! Got a question for JRouse on any animals listed or pictured on the site? E-mail jr.greenspot_on@khrysania.com to ask her! Please include the following information in your e-mail:

Question: (Question for JRouse)
Name: (First Name of Child) Age: (Age of Child)
Grade: (Grade Level of Child) School-City/State: (School Name - Location: City/State)

Introducing the GreenSpot-On Wildlife Q & A!

Parents/Guardians, Teachers and GreenSpot-On Readers!

As someone who has done wildlife rehabbing, JRouse has worked with many different types of animals. She would like to give children and adults the opportunity to ask her questions about the animals she has helped. They include:

Fawns
Osprey
Red Fox
Canadian geese
Domestic goose
Pigeons
Pheasants
Squirrels: Red, Black, Gray Tree, Fox and Flying
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Barred Owl
Great Horned Owl
Screech Owl
Red-Tailed Hawk
Domestic Cats

Some of these animals are pictured in the slideshow on the main page.

If you have children or students or if you would like to ask a question about any of these animals, please send an e-mail to jr.greenspot_on@khrysania.com in the following format:

Question: (Child’s Question)
Name: (Child’s First Name) Age: (Child’s Age)
Grade: (Child’s Grade) School/Location: (Child’s School Name and City/State)

JRouse will answer up to 3 of these questions once a week as she receives them. All answers will be posted to GreenSpot-On with the original question in the format above. We at GreenSpot-On hope you will take this opportunity to teach your child something new about the wildlife around us. Thank you for joining us today!

Sincerely,
GreenSpot-On

Link: http://www.greenspoton.blogspot.com/