Have you ever thought about how one choice can have either a negative or positive effect? The choices we make in life, good or bad, shape us and our community. Milan Goyal is a person who made the right choice for himself and our community.
Milan approached me last year inquiring about a project he could do to help wildlife in our community. He was seeking a project he could coordinate with his scout troop #199. It was not difficult to come up with a rewarding project plan for Milan, one that I and others in our organization feel very passionate about. Our urban wildlife need habitats to live, thrive, and raise their young. As appropriate wildlife habitat in the Tri-City area disappears, our urban wildlife is running out of options for suitable shelter. One animal that once thrived in the Tri-Cities is the Barn Owl. Unfortunately, over the last 30 years, their habitats have dwindled due to community growth and expansion. Barn Owls depend on, you guessed it, barn structures to nest and raise their young.
Milan had his mission! Milan, with his troop #199 team, contacted people in the Tri-Cities who would benefit by having Barn Owl boxes installed on their property. Barn Owls would reduce or remove the need for rodent pesticides. A family of Barn Owls with six nestlings will consume fifty plus rodents per day... free and natural pesticide control.
The next step was to build and install eight custom Barn Owl boxes. Over the summer, Milan and his team built and installed Barn Owl boxes at Calaveras Nursery, Arriba Vista Ranch, Lake Elizabeth, Sycamore Grove Regional Park, and one at the Ohlone Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. The Barn Owl box installed at the Ohlone Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Center will be used to conduct "soft releases." We rehabilitate many orphaned Barn Owls at our facility each year and once they reach the juvenile stage, we can place them in our Barn Owl box which provides shelter as they learn to be on their own in the wild.
I want to recognize Milan and Troop #199 for their outstanding work. The effect of their efforts and completed project will aid hundreds of Barn Owls for generations to come.
If you would like to learn more about how you can make a difference in your community for urban wildlife, send me an email at ohswildlife@yahoo.com. We offer advice and humane solutions for dealing with wildlife if they become a challenge on your property. We also offer guidance on what to do if you find an injured, ill, or orphaned wild animal. Our wildlife center is open every day and we can be reached at (510) 797-9449.
The Ohlone Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Center takes in over 700 orphaned and injured wild animals every year and rehabilitates them back to health. We are a non-profit organization that depends on donations and volunteers to continue our day-to-day operations and efforts. If you would like to make a donation to our organization, please contact us. Our wildlife center is always in need of wild bird seed, pigeon and dove seed, unscented laundry soap, bleach, paper towels, toilet paper, canned cat and dog food.
Call us at (510) 797-9449 if you want to bring any of these donated items to our wildlife center. Email us at ohswildlife@yahoo.com for information on how to become a volunteer. Web: www.ohlonehumanesociety.org
If you find an injured or orphaned wild animal, do not feed it. All wildlife has special diets. DO NOT SEND AN EMAIL to report an injured or orphaned wild animal, call (510) 797-9449. Before you bring it to the wildlife center place the animal in a box with a paper towel on the bottom. Put the box in a quiet, stress free area away from noise, pets, and children.
Angela M. Hartman, Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator and Wildlife Care Supervisor
Ohlone Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
37175 Hickory St., Newark
(510) 797-9449
Tri-City Voice article by Angela M. Hartman, Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator and Wildlife Care Supervisor, Ohlone Humane Society.
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