Fun Facts About WRC
Project BirdSafe continues
People from 250 different communities brought us an animal this year. People traveled from the corners of the state
to save a wild animal.
Our volunteers donated more than 36,000 hours caring for
our patients. Interested in learning how you can help? Visit
the Volunteer section of our Web site.
irrel
tiny red squ
More than 350 people celebrated the first wild flight
of our Avian Nursery birds during our annual summer
releases. We hold these public releases every July and
August. Watch our Web site or register for our emails to
learn more.
More than a dozen types of warblers found their way into WRC this year.
Species included a Canada Warbler, Common Yellowthroat and Chestnutsided Warbler.
Speaking of birds, we treated more than 330 robins and 120 goldfinches.
Another flying species that is commonly treated: Bats. More than 60 bats
were brought to us in 2009.
to bring us injured birds found throughout
the downtown areas. A Minnesota Audubon
program, BirdSafe utilizes volunteers to
record the number of birds found on the
sidewalks below office buildings, the result
of window strikes.
Media Coverage of WRC’s
work continues to grow in popularity. In
addition to many local print and cable
outlets, all of the major network news stations featured WRC
stories as did both of our local daily papers, and even the Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel.
One of our favorite stories of the year was the “hitchhiking swan.”
Last winter the DNR wildlife manager in Park Rapids brought a
Trumpeter Swan to us. He had been contacted about a swan in
a field, but wasn’t able to respond right away. When he started
out a couple of hours later he spotted a swan
walking south on Hwy 71. He noted it was there,
in case it was the one he was looking for, but went
to the reported site anyway. Sure enough, he was
able to track the swan from the first site. It had
walked more than FIVE miles, heading straight
south. More media stories can be found on our
Web site.
Our state bird made a showing: we treated 7 Common Loons.
Several groups helped us by donating Squirrel Nestboxes. If you’d like to
help, there are plans on our Web site, under the donations page. We use
more than 70 every year.
Eagle Scouts
donate nestboxes
What does it cost to feed our animals? You’d be suprised!
We spend more than $21,000 on just INSECTS for the animals and birds (crickets, mealworms,
earthworms and grubs).
And those fish-eating birds like cormorants, pelicans, loons and herons? It cost almost $10,000
for us to provide them with fish.
ovenbird f
ound
downtown
Freeing a
swan
from ice.
Cool fact:
Swans typically have more than 25,000 feathers!
Every year, we receive hundreds of thank-you notes and
emails from clients who have brought injured wildlife to
us. Here’s one of our favorites from this year:
“I just received a postcard from you that the 2 baby birds I bought to you that fell
from their nests survived and you released them on August 1st. I can’t tell you how
happy it made me to receive this news. I was wondering if they made it but did not
really want to know if they did not. In today’s world something like this means so much
no matter how small or large the animal is. I want to whole-heartedly thank the staff
who put their time and effort into these 2 little birds and the countless other creatures
you care for. I don’t have a lot of money but you are one organization I will give donations to and I will spread the word.
THANKS AGAIN FOR THE WONDERFUL AND REWARDING WORK YOU DO.
- Karen R.
”
Dear Friends:
One thing I’ve learned during the economic turmoil of the last year is that the bond between animals and humans is powerful, strong and passionate.
Despite the deepest recession in most of our lives, animal lovers have proven to be among the most generous and compassionate people.
Thanks to you, we’re still here while many other rehabilitation centers are closing around the nation. In fact, we’ve experienced one of our busiest years ever;
and throughout this difficult year, you have helped us meet our challenges. Your support has made an impact on animals’ lives.
Of course our patients aren’t worried about the economy, or their investments or retirement plans. They don’t know that times have been tough because they are
wired to a different code.
As Henry Beston famously wrote in “The Outermost House,” “We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals … For the animal shall
not be measured by man … They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners
of the splendor and travail of earth.”
irds
nest of blueb
At WRC we find strength in the lives saved, amazing stories we hear every day, and are inspired by our role in promoting the strong bond between people and
animals. Every animal we release back to the wild carries with it the mystery of its uniqueness and the “splendor and travail of earth.”
Who do we help when we save an animal? Obviously, the animal’s life is prolonged. But so, too, is ours immeasurably enriched. People who help animals help all
of us. The ripple effect of their good deeds spreads to all around them.
Every person who rescues an animal in distress carries the memory of that experience forever. I know that we’ve made an indelible impact, especially on the many
children who participate in the saving grace of rescuing an injured animal.
We need your help again in order to balance our budget at year’s end. We can finish this year in a manner worthy of our values, of our belief in the unique bond we
share with animals. Supporting WRC connects us to something larger than ourselves; it connects us to the timeless and mystical world of our fellow creatures.
Baby Bluebird
Thank you for your continued commitment and support, for the lives you impact, and for all that you do to make our world better.
Warm holiday wishes,
Philip M. Jenni
Executive Director, WRC
curious a
nd adorab
le
releasing a turtle
Looking for a unique gift that
also benefits a non-profit?
Visit Twice The Gift in the
Cyrstal Court at the IDS
Building. We have notecards
and other items perfect for
holiday giving. And, there are
more than 40 other non-profits sharing the space as well.
Impacting Lives:
Wild and Human
Give a Gift and Help
an Animal
Sponsor an Animal’s Care
Education continues to be a focal point at the WRC. This year we welcomed more
With our new Web site, you can learn about some of our
current patients; you can even directly sponsor their
care. Visit the “Our Patients” page to learn about the
birds, turtles and other animals who are currently at the
Center. You can even sponsor an animal in someone’s
name. What a great gift!
than 35 interns during our busy summer season. Interns represent a wide range of students from
undergrad college majors to 1st and 4th year vet school students to final year vet tech students.
Everyone gains hands-on practice working with orphaned wildlife. As one of the nation’s leading
medical centers for wildlife, we make the time to educate students in this highly specialized field
so that animals elsewhere will benefit from having experienced caregivers.
Our New Web Site was launched this summer. Years of fund raising and hard
work have paid off with a great new Web site that’s easy to maintain. We’ve created a section
where people can follow an animal’s rehabilitation (Our Patients), and launched an FAQ section.
We’ve rolled out a new email support program as well, keeping people informed of new patients, special events and other
issues that we see at the Center. One of the best improvements? Much easier online giving.
Swans inundated WRC for months this winter. These
...
our swans
Some of
large birds often fall prey to lead poisoning during high
stress times and this year was no exception. At one point
we had more than a dozen of these beautiful birds in our
facility. Considering each swan costs as much as $50/
day and their stay with us is typically at least a month, it
was a very expensive year. The impact we had on saving
so many of this protected species is immeasurable.
Chimney Swifts
raised in our Avian
Nursery took flight during a celebrated release with Minnesota Audubon and Bird Conservation Minnesota . These
incredible fliers are insectivores and very difficult to raise.
In the wild, their populations are decreasing due to loss of
habitat. We’re so happy to have been instrumental in releasing these healthy birds.
Leslie Reed
, a recent graduate of Iowa State,
joined us as our newest vet. Leslie’s been with us before,
having completed two internships at the Center, and we’re
thrilled to have her on board as a staff member.
New Vet Leslie
Want to keep up on more WRC news?
Send an email to [email protected] saying “subscribe” or
register on our Web site.
Appreciated Assets
While cash is the simplest and most convenient way to make a gift, there are actually other
ways to help an organization – and help achieve your financial goals. As the stock market
recovers, you might again have some appreciated assets. These gifts often provide important tax
advantages. The full market value is deductible as a charitable contribution and, if you do have
appreciated value, you do not have to pay tax on the appreciated portion of the gift.
Planned Giving
Evaluate your own financial and charitable goals every fall. You can give yourself a wonderful
year-end gift by thinking about your estate planning. “Estate” planning does not mean you
have lots of money, or that such gifts need to be large; it simply describes any property, money
or belongings that you wish to leave to an organization. Thinking about your estate plan today
ensures that your wishes will be honored. Doing so might even provide important benefits today
while helping support an organization in the future.
The Minnesota Planned Giving Council has a program called Leave a Legacy Minnesota that can
connect you to recommended advisors. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Phil
Jenni at 651-486-9410, #115 or email him at [email protected]
Contribute in Increments
Why not spread your giving out over the entire year? If a lump sum sounds like too much now,
pledge a monthly amount. You might be able to actually increase your gift, feel it less and help
more wildlife.
If you are interested in more information or
setting up a plan, please contact Lynnette
Scott at 651-486-9410, ext 113.
For a fast and convenient way to donate
visit www.wrcmn.org and click on donate.
We accept donations by all major credit
cards. You can also specify your online
donation in honor of someone or as a
memorial.
Many of you have donated
to WRC already this year.
Thank you. If you decide not to
contribute at year-end, we urge
you to pass this on to a friend,
family member or colleague.
You can help us spread the word
to even more people. Thank you!
Our Patients
American Bittern
American Crow
American Goldfinch
American Green-winged Teal
American Robin
American Toad
American Tree Sparrow
American White Pelican
American Woodcock
Baltimore Oriole
Barn Swallow
Beaver
Belted Kingfisher
Big Brown Bat
Black-capped Chickadee
Blanding’s Turtle
Blue Jay
Brown Creeper
Brown Thrasher
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullsnake
Canada Goose
Canada Warbler
Carolina Wren
Caspian Tern
Cedar Waxwing
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chimney Swift
Chipping Sparrow
Cliff Swallow
Common Grackle
Common Loon
Common Nighthawk
Common Raven
Common
Redpoll
\
nighthawk
Common Sandpiper
Common Snapping Turtle
Common Snipe
Common Yellowthroat
Cooper’s Hawk
Coyote
Dark-eyed Junco
Deer Mouse
Double-crested Cormorant
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Chipmunk
Eastern Cottontail
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Eastern Garter Snake
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Mole
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Spiny Softshell
Eastern Tiger Salamander
European starling
False Map Turtle
Fox Sparrow
Franklin’s Gull
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Gray Catbird
Gray Fox
Gray Tree Frog
Great Blue Heron
Great Crested Flycatcher
Great Egret
Great Horned Owl
Green Heron
Hairy Woodpecker
Hermit Thrush
Herring Gull
Hooded Merganser
Horned Lark
House Finch
House Mouse
House Sparrow
House Wren
Indigo Bunting
Killdeer
young fox kit
Least Flycatcher
s
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Little Brown Myotis
Magnolia Warbler
Mallard
Meadow Vole
Mink
Mourning Dove
Mourning Warbler
Muskrat
Nashville Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Northern Flicker
Northern Leopard Frog
Northern Rough-winged
Swallow
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Ovenbird
Palm Warbler
Peregrine Falcon
Pied-billed Grebe
Pileated Woodpecker
Pine Siskin
Pine Warbler
Plains Pocket Gopher
Purple Finch
Purple Martin
Raccoon
Red Bat
ll
he
Red Squirrel
spiny softs
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Redbelly Snake
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-eyed Vireo
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-winged Blackbird
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-necked Pheasant
River Otter
Cute Mink!
Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel
Tree Swallow
Trumpeter Swan
Virginia Opossum
Virginia Rail
Warbling Vireo
Western Painted Turtle
White-breasted Nuthatch
White-footed Mouse
Whitetail Deer
White-throated Sparrow
White-winged Crossbill
Wild Turkey
Wilson’s Warbler
Winter Wren
Wood Duck
Wood Frog
Woodchuck
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-bellied
Flycatcher
Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker
Yellow-rumped
Warbler
Rock Pigeon
Rose-breasted
Grosbeak
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-throated
Hummingbird
Ruffed Grouse
Sandhill Crane
Scarlet Tanager
Shorttail Shrew
Silver-haired Bat
Snowy Egret
Song Sparrow
Sora
Southern Flying
Squirrel
Swainson’s Thrush
Swamp Sparrow
Tennessee Warbler
That’s why they’re
called Yellow Rumps