Thank You MDA Insurance & Nichole Crouser
Nichole referred a friend to MDA Insurance resulting in her name being entered in a monthly drawing. She won the drawing and was given a $10 Starbucks gift card and the opportunity to choose her favorite local nonprofit (of four that MDA Insurance had previously identified). Nichole chose Blue Mountain Wildlife! Mike Arbogast presented a $100 donation to BMW in Nichole’s name. What a wonderful way for MDA Insurance to give back to the community.
Thank You Autzen Foundation & Blue Mountain Community Foundation
Thank You to the Autzen Foundation and to Blue Mountain Community Foundation for awarding Blue Mountain Wildlife grants of $2,500 and $10,500, respectively. The funds, along with the $56,000 BMW supporters raised in response to Linda Wolcott’s $25,000 challenge this past spring and an additional pledge of $20,000 from a generous BMW member, will be used to build new display pens for some of BMW’s education birds who are on static display. The new pens will free up needed flight pen space for rehab birds, and are part of BMW’s Soar Higher Campaign to build a wildlife hospital and environmental education center.
Now the Unsettling News
In 2001, BMW admitted the first migratory bird from Washington state, a Western Screech Owl from Walla Walla. Since then, as several Washington rehabbers have retired, well over 50% of the birds admitted to the Pendleton Center come from Washington, 264 out of 490 admissions to date in 2019.
The Oregon Administrative Rules specifically allow wildlife rehabilitators to import migratory birds for the purpose of wildlife rehabilitation, with the condition that the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) import regulations are met. In 2014 ODA made the decision to abolish the migratory bird import process with respect to wildlife rehabilitation as it duplicated Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) accounting procedures.
Recently, the ODFW State Veterinarian has determined that the risk of importing diseased birds into Oregon is too great to allow rehabilitators to import migratory birds. Initially, I was hopeful that we could address ODFW’s concerns of disease transmission across state lines, and maintain the integrity of BMW’s wildlife rehab program. I am not sure that is going to be the case.
In order to be a sustainable organization into the future, BMW must build a more adequate facility, the purpose of the Soar Higher Campaign. If our funding stream is reduced by more than half, that becomes a much less viable option, and will require some very difficult decisions regarding future operations.
Western Grebe 19-490
Grebes are interesting birds who are excellent divers and very good at catching fish. In order to get air born, however, the need to be able to run across the water. Sometimes grebes mistakenly land on wet pavement or icy roads, thinking they are landing in water. That is apparently what happened to Western Grebe 19-490. It was found along a highway in Wallowa County. It appears to be uninjured. If it passes its swimming test Monday morning, it will be released in a suitable body of water. Western Grebes have an amazing beak. And what about those red eyes!
Save the Date: October 19, 2019, 1-4 pm BMW Open House
Fun for the entire family!
