Education & Outreach Abstracts
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Therapeutic Wildlife
Education for High-risk Juveniles Michelle Camara Southern Wildlife Rehab, Inc., TX Full Abstract
Public wildlife education is very important to assist individuals to appreciate and respect their environment. In the juvenile justice system, utilization of animal interaction with livestock and domestic animals is used with positive results. Offenders may develop desensitization to animals with which they would normally interact. Presenting them with animals they have seen in the wild but have no knowledge of can stimulate a unique interest in children who come from drug-addicted and dysfunctional families and must navigate the justice system. Unique wildlife education and interactions can assist the high-risk juvenile to cope. |
Mapping Circumstances of Admission to Guide Outreach
Nicole Harmon Humane Indiana Wildlife, IN Full Abstract
Education outreach stands as a pillar for wildlife rehabilitation organizations. Providing not only moving but impactful programming, throughout one’s community, can result in increased willingness to assist with animals in need as well as helping to divert animals from coming into care that do not truly need rescuing. Using rescue location data derived from intake paperwork, maps were created using ARCGIS to show “hotspots” of circumstances of patient admissions. These hotspots are used to guide additional education outreach efforts and program topics within a community to further the mission of the wildlife rehabilitation facility. |
Dealing with
Unfulfilled Expectations Emily Meredith & Nicki Rosenhagen PAWS Wildlife Center, WA Full Abstract
The PAWS Wildlife Center maintains a policy of open and honest communication, including sharing patient outcomes with finders via email. In cases of euthanasia, we created a set of standard responses to better explain some of the common issues and injuries that lead to the decision to euthanize, and the results have been encouraging. This presentation discusses the benefits of open communication and how to handle negative reviews. We share some of the standard responses we created and talk about common problems associated with breaking the bad news to members of the public. |