President of Chevron Exploration Technology Company, Melody Meyer worked on the team led by Chevron employee, Tommy Lyle where she helped to build flight cages for the Wildlife Rehab & Education Center’s Education Ambassadors. Not only did these employees get their hands dirty for the love of our wild friends, they also purchased the necessary materials to build the flight cages. 

Chevron’s HumanKind Campaign has encouraged their employees to learn more about charities and how they can lend a helping hand.  “We hope employees who have participated in this program will come back and be a permanent volunteer long after their employee contribution has been made,” says Susie Hebert, Community Engagement Specialist for Chevron.  

The Wildlife Rehab & Education Center is thankful for the generosity and support of the employees of Chevron and the Chevron HumanKind Campaign.  Our animals can now continue to move forward towards a better tomorrow!

Cyndi Bohannon

The Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) is arguably one of the most majestic of all raptors. Solitary in nature, a group would be called a Parliament. Of the order Strigifermes and family Strigidae, the Great Horned owl is considered a “true owl”. The other owl family, Tytonidae include barn owls. Eight sub-species have been recognized. The territories of sub-species rarely overlap.

The largest owl in the United States, it can stand 18 to 27 inches and have a wingspan of 48 to 60 inches! The Great Horned owl is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas, inhabiting all ecosystems except deep desert and Arctic tundra. The overall coloration ranges from near white in the far northern portion of their range to dark chocolate brown in the southern regions.

Size and weight varies geographically with the larger, heavier individuals living in colder climates. The females are larger than the males and weight ranges between two and a half and four pounds. All sub-species share the overall markings: prominent ear-tufts or “horns”, white patch at the throat, narrow bars on the front and a random mottled back.

The Great Horned Owl primarily hunts at night, but sightings at dawn and dusk are not unusual. Perched high above an open area, it silently swoops down upon almost anything that moves. Its diet is extremely diverse, but small to medium mammals, birds and waterfowl are favorites. It is the only known predator of the skunk.

Unlike many raptors, the Great Horned Owl will walk on the ground to gather crawfish, amphibians, reptiles or large insects. It have been known to walk into henhouses and wade into shallow water for a meal. Owls swallow small prey whole or take larger prey to a safe perch.

It is estimated that the Great Horned Owl can lift prey up to twice its weight. Non-digestible portions of dinner such as feathers, hair and bone are compacted by the stomach into a tight pellet which is regurgitated. These pellets yield a fascinating glimpse into the diet of the Great Horned Owl.

The most dramatic feature of the Great Horned Owl’s feet are the talons; needle sharp points pierce prey easily. But several adaptations allow for more efficient hunting. The underside of the owl’s foot is rough and knobby which provides superior grasping. The bones of the foot are much stronger than other birds to survive the impact with prey. Without conscious thought, the talons continue to ratchet closed until the owl decides to open them. Massive thigh muscles give the talons their strength.

Like other birds, the “relaxed” position of the feet is closed. This helps keep the owl on its perch even when it is asleep. Two of the four toes always face forward and one of the four toes always face backward. The fourth toe is uniquely flexible and faces forward during flight and backward when perching. During a strike, the toes fan into an oval shape.

Adaptations in eyesight and hearing make the Great Horned Owl a formidable predator. At a glance, the bright golden yellow eyes mesmerize the observer. Contrary to popular lore, the nocturnal Great Horned Owl has equally excellent vision during the day and the dead of night. The eyes are not spherical like mammals, but instead are oblong and fixed in bony orbs. To compensate, the neck has fourteen neck vertebrae allowing for 270 degrees of rotation.

  Great  Horned Owls have three eyelids. The top eyelid “blinks”, owls frequently blink eyes independently of each other, appearing to wink at the observer. The lower eyelid raises to meet the closed upper lid for sleeping. A third eyelid, a translucent nictitating eyelid functions as a “windshield  wiper” that slides across the eye at a 45 degree angle.

The Great Horned Owl’s extraordinary hearing depends on many adaptations, including a  much larger and more complex area of the brain that processes hearing located in the medulla. The asymmetric placement of ears allows the Great Horned Owl to triangulate the source of a sound without tilting or twisting the head. Facial disks and “ear” tufts can be shaped much like a radar dish to channel sounds even more effectively.

The feathers of the Great Horned Owl are uniquely designed to limit the noise of flight. Compared to other birds, owls have few down feathers, instead the contour feathers have downy barbules and the leading edge has flutings or fimbriare. The wings are relatively large and rounded which allows for slow silent flight. The Great Horned Owl is a perfectly designed stealth hunter. Even the legs and feet are covered in feathers! These tiny feathers provide warmth and act as tactile sensors.

The courtship between owls begin in October and is marked by greatly increased vocalizations as single owls try to locate mates. By December, the mated pairs will begin singing duets. The female may be physically larger, but the male’s voice is much lower. Pairs are monogamous and remain in their territory year round. This territory is aggressively protected while the pair is raising chicks.

Pairs often start with an abandoned raven or squirrel nest and proceed to improve it. Tree hollows are sometimes selected. Either way, mating occurs in the early spring, resulting in a usual clutch of two eggs. Incubation is 30 – 37 days and the hatchlings will be brooded continuously for two weeks.

Hatchlings are bright white puffballs that slowly gain their distinctive plumage.  Nestlings move from the nest to nearby branches at about six weeks and fledge a week or two later. 

Great Horned owlets are one of the first animals that arrive at the Wildlife Center each spring. Great Horned Owls nest much earlier than other birds because survival of their offspring hinge on the babies being old enough to hunt at the peak of summer.

This year saw a dramatic increase in the numbers of Great Horned owlets finding their way to us for care. It is believed that the Ike ravaged squirrel and crow nests did not provide a sufficient base for the Great Horned owls to embellish.

Baywood Country Club, located in Pasadena, TX, hosted this year’s tournament on Monday, March 26th, 2007.  Birdies were flying as the 25 teams swung their way to fabulous prizes.  Sam’s Boat Richmond donated and catered a tasty lunch.

First place Joe Watts, Donnie Anderson, Jeff & Susan Standridge Team Second place Egret Bay Neurology Team Third place Davis International Team 

The proceeds from this tournament alone will greatly benefit many of the thousands of wildlife that have a second chance through the hands of WR&E rehabilitators. None of this would be possible without the contributions of time as well as money from so many.

The support was once again overwhelming and for that we are for ever grateful. WR&E would also like to add a very special thank you to one of its own – EJ Rogers. EJ has been solely responsible for organizing the golf tournament since its inception three years ago.  Through her countless hours of sacrifice, EJ defines the committed spirit of a volunteer’s gift of love – TIME.  As a special touch, one of EJ’s many projects this year was to give each hole sponsor a framed print of the animal which represented that golf hole. The photos EJ took were beautiful.  What a personal touch for WR&E supporters…EJ, thank you for all you do!

Wildlife Rehab & Education’s oldest educational ambassador died peacefully in his sleep during November of 2008.  His mesmerizing golden eyes were photographed by amateur and professional alike. The public usually  responded to the eyes first, talons second then finally to his sheer presence.

WR&E does not name our ambassadors out of respect for their wild nature. WR&E also feels bestowing a human name on a wild animal sends a mixed message to the children and adults attending our educational lectures where they are told that almost all wildlife is protected by state and federal laws.

The beloved “Great Horned Owl” that was entrusted to our care was an educational ambassador for over twenty (20) years.  He came to us after he was shot and part of his wing was amputated.  WR&E obtained the state and federal permits to keep him as an educational ambassador.  He educated over 100,000 schoolchildren, teens and adults about respecting wildlife, respecting the environment, and respecting each other. 

No one could come in contact with this powerful bird of prey without feeling  profound emotions. In the words of his caretaker, Sharon Schmalz, “Great Horned Owl was never my pet. He still belonged to Mother Nature; I was just his caretaker after a human injured him. He gave to me more than I ever gave to him.

My favorite times were watching the expression on the faces of children and adults when they saw him majestically emerge from the carrying case. I knew how the audience felt because I felt it too…every time. The perfect colors of his feathers, the strong wing beats, the huge talons and the large golden eyes made me respect him and all his fellow wild creatures. A picture could never capture his magnificence. I always felt so lucky to be able to care for this Great Horned Owl but sad that he would never soar again on this earth. He is soaring now above us all and watching how each of those human hearts that he once touched can make a difference for his fellow wild animals and for their fellow human beings.”

On January 29th, WR&E held its rescheduled Open House.  The event was originally scheduled for September 13, 2008, but as many Houstonians remember that was the eve of Hurricane Ike. WR&E was excited to share our second anniversary with everyone that has supported the Wildlife Center.

Our volunteers allow us to provide care for thousands of animals. Without their time, energy and empathy we couldn’t provide such excellent care for this underserved population. Our volunteer veterinarians provide unmatched medical care by volunteering at the Wildlife Center or accepting patients at their own practices.

Several of our supporters are graphically talented and have donated their time and creativity to enhance the Wildlife Center’s lobby, newsletter, Website (new and improved coming soon) and our educational lectures. Last but not least are the thousands of supporters who’s donations purchase the formula, food, medicine, first aid and other supplies.

WR&E was pleased to honor the Texas General Land Office Oil Spill Prevention and Response Division for providing ten years of Oiled Wildlife Response workshops; Aramco Services Company, Chevron and ConocoPhillips for fifteen continuous years of support; BP and Data Display AV Company for the monitors, cameras and educational display for the Wildlife Center lobby, Limb Design for designing the mural for the lobby, Bechtel for printing the WR&E newsletter and Marathon Oil Company for providing presentation banners. 

Greg Pollock, Deputy Commissioner Texas General Land Office Oil Spill Prevention and Response Division accepts WR&E’s recognition for sponsoring ten years of Oiled Wildlife Response workshops.

WR&E also thanks our musicians from Houston Community College music department for providing entertainment, Banfi for the wine, Chevron, Webster Veterinarian Supply, IDEXX Laboratories and Schering Plough Animal for providing the food for the celebration.

Wildlife Rehab and Education

Benefit Golf Tournament

 The WR&E annual golf tournament is the single largest fundraiser hosted by WR&E. Proceeds from this tournament help provide food and medications necessary to care for the thousands of injured and/or orphaned wildlife which will enter our doors throughout 2009. During 2008 we cared for almost 7000 injured and orphaned native Texas wildlife.

We extend our deep appreciation for all who participated! Thanks to Sprint Logistics LP and Seabreeze Environmental Landfill for providing drinks to keep participants from getting thirsty and Mario’s Flying Pizza for the wonderful lasagna and spaghetti luncheon. Our sponsors helped to provide golfers with snacks, tees, balls, golf shirts and everyone received a door prize.

For the second year in a row, street-wise crows stole “goodie bags” from golf carts. These “goodie bags” contained candy, crackers, golf balls and worse yet – door prize tickets. It was rather humorous to watch grown men attempting to catch a crow flying away with his goodies.

WR&E Educational Ambassadors, Screech Owl and Red-tailed Hawk took center stage during check-in and trophy presentation. An educational conservation message was presented to all at the luncheon.

WR&E would also like to add a very special thank you to EJ Rogers. EJ has been solely responsible for organizing this golf tournament since its inception five years ago. Despite health challenges of her own, EJ not only rose to the challenge, but planned an event that far surpassed her previous fundraisers. Through her countless hours of dedication, EJ defines the committed spirit of a volunteer’s gift of love – TIME. EJ, thank you for all you do! None of this would be possible, year after year, without the unwavering support and commitment from the WR&E volunteers. THANK YOU!!

  Thank you to our Hole Sponsors

 Akzo Nobel

Alpha Technical Services

Carl Gullick, DDS

Clean Gulf Associates

CITGO – Lake Charles

Marathon Oil Corporation

Max and Kim Bush Oil Mop, LLC

Southside Place Animal Hospital

The Response Group

Thank you to Mario’s Flying Pizza - Seabrook & Webster For the wonderful lunch  

Thank you to Sprint Logistics LP and Seabreeze Environmental Landfill For the drinks  

Thank you to Carr Environmental Group For supplying the golf balls

Thank you to Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. For the men’s and women’s watches Awarded at the Putting Contest

First Place - Shell Pipeline

 

 

Second Place - Bealine Environmental

Third Place - Oil Mop, LLC

 Sharon Schmalz, Executive Director

The devastation that Ike wreaked is difficult to comprehend. Many animals and birds were displaced and injured, but because Ike struck at the beginning of the squirrel’s second litter of the year, that population has been hit the hardest. Hurricane Ike brought us over 1500 squirrels! During the three week period post-Ike, several hundred other wild animals were also brought to us for care.

WR&E wants to send a huge THANK YOU to the Houston SPCA, NWRA members, IWRC members and the hundreds of individuals and organizations who have contacted us with encouraging words, offers of supplies, financial donations and hands to feed babies. Knowing that people from every walk of life, from one coast to the other, were sending their hope and concern buoyed us.

WR&E is uniquely positioned to respond to disasters such as Ike. We are no stranger to disaster, our oiled wildlife response team responds to oil and chemical spills along the entire Gulf Coast and our affiliation with the Houston SPCA has provided even more expertise and response capability. 

WR&E prepared written procedures and contingency plans, placed rescue and response supplies in containers that could be airlifted in response to a wildlife disaster and trained our personnel and volunteers. Then we waited and prayed we were ready. 

I’ve been impressed and touched by the people who love wildlife and those that care for the orphaned and injured. Hundreds of caring people left their damaged homes, used precious gasoline and drove to the Wildlife Center to bring the orphaned and injured to us for help.

Volunteers donated thousands of hours of time, individual wildlife rehabbers accepted the smallest and those ready for an outdoor cage and our network of rehab organizations rallied to transfer some of the load. What a wonderful group of people you are!

Our affiliation with the Houston SPCA was key to the overwhelming success of  WR&E’s response to Hurricane Ike. A centralized permanent facility gave the public a single point of contact for the orphaned and injured or to donate the gift of time, money or supplies.  The HSPCA opened their arms and their generator powered facility to us after we lost power and shared volunteers and veterinary professionals.

I send my deepest gratitude on the behalf of native Texas wildlife to each and every one that pulled together during this devastating crisis to save so many lives.  Thank you.

 4th Annual Wildlife Rehab and Education Benefit Golf Tournament

The WR&E annual golf tournament is the single largest fundraiser hosted by WR&E. Proceeds from this tournament help provide food and medications necessary to care for the thousands of injured and/or orphaned wildlife which will enter our doors throughout 2008.

We extend our deep appreciation for all who participated! Thanks to Republic Waste Services and Rustin Transportation for providing drinks to keep participants from getting thirsty. The weather stayed overcast, but there were breaks of sun and the wind laid down shortly after dawn.

The azeleas were at peak bloom and the wildlife plentiful. Whistling ducks, herons, cranes, comorants, turtles, fox squirrel and a pair of BALD EAGLES were sighted. A  sun bathing alligator near a lake kept golfers at bay. Errant balls finding their way to the waters’ edge were gladly left as tribute. Street-wise crows stole “goodie bags” from golf carts.

These “goodie bags” contained candy, crackers, golf balls and worse yet – door prize tickets. It was rather humorous to watch grown men attempting to catch a crow flying away with his goodies. The crows were smart enough to target the snacks, but none showed up to claim door prizes.

WR&E Educational Ambassadors took center stage during check-in and  trophy presentation igniting the imagination and opening hearts. An educational conservation message was presented to all at the luncheon, which included a special educational ambassador. The Red-tailed Hawk came to WR&E emaciated with an injured wing and potential head injury. When it was determined that he would be non-releasable WR&E was left in a quandary – how could we euthanize such a beautiful and surprisingly docile hawk? Luckily for him and us, WR&E had “room at the inn”. No words can equal the impact of seeing him in person knowing mankind is responsible for his tragic but in this case, redemptive journey.

Once the ‘swinging’ festivities were complete, we followed our noses to a delicious BBQ lunch. Kudos to Intergulf Corporation for providing memorable meal. An educational presentation with the red-tailed hawk was a crowd pleaser prior to door prizes (at least for those who had survived the baggie thieves).

WR&E expressed their appreciation to hole sponsors with beautiful  framed wildlife prints. Many in attendance won great door prizes. WR&E would also like to add a very special thank you to EJ Rogers. EJ has been solely responsible for organizing this golf tournament since its inception four  years ago. Despite health challenges of her own, EJ not only rose to the challenge, but planned an event that far surpassed her previous fundraisers. Through her countless hours of dedication, EJ defines the committed spirit of a volunteer’s gift of love – TIME. EJ, thank you for all you do! None of this would be possible, year after year, without the unwavering support and commitment from the WR&E volunteers. THANK YOU!!

First Place - The O'Brien Group

Second Place - Egret Bay Neurology

Third Place - Praxair

  Thank you to our wonderful donors!

Lunch – Intergulf Corporation

Drinks – Republic Waste Services and Rustin Transportation

$1000 and up Intergulf Corporation Hess Corporation

$500 – $999 Alpha Technical Services Corp. A&B Environmental Service, Inc. CITGO Petroleum Corporation Oil Mop, LLC Akzo Nobel Polymer Chemicals The Response Group ConocoPhillips Company Mavis Fujii, M.D. Egret Bay Neurology Western Summit Constructors, Inc. Carl Gullick, D.D.S. Praxair Ken Stearns

$100 – $499 Andrews Kurth LLP Craig Pogue Charlie Scott Mike Vaughters Byron Caufman Carolyn Ecton Mike Berman William Mullis Jeff Nuss De’Cara Freund Douglas Clarke Carr Environmental Group, Inc, Odfjell Terminals, Inc. The O’Brien’s Group Roger Scheuermann Sandridge Operating Company Houston Texans Football Team Peter Janes James Cooksey Carl Hennagir William Goff Shell Pipeline Company Shell Exploration Diamond Offshore United Salt Univar USA Inc. Patrick Hodskins Naegeli Transportation Jesse Grimaldo

Sharon Schmalz, Executive Director

Winter is normally a time for rehabilitators to regroup and prepare for the upcoming cycle of Spring. While the absolute number of animals was down compared to spring months we remained quite busy. In order to give our readers a perspective, please note the shortlist of activities…

•Volunteers wishing to actively participate in the Wildlife Center’s mission of mercy grew. Numerous orientation and training sessions were held to prepare them for the 2008 season.

•An additional fledgling enclosure was constructed (inside the center) to expand the home for those feathered teens who think they are ready to find freedom. Although they are not ready for prolonged flight, the cage allows the caretakers a controlled environment to catch them after a successful escape.

•Efforts in equipping the surgery suite are ongoing. Items such as a surgery light, anesthesia unit, surgery table, autoclave, x-ray light box, microscope among others have been graciously donated to enhance our triage and surgery area.

•Three additional flight cages were added to our existing trio in order to meet the growing demand for outdoor space. Each provides one hundred square feet of floor space; built to meet and exceed federal standards. What a noteworthy addition to the facility!

•A new phased addition is underway to accommodate waterfowl. Comprised of both enclosure and pool, it will provide a ‘splash’ park for visiting waterfowl. The framework of Phase I is complete and WR&E is looking forward to raising funds to fulfill the remaining two phases in the near future. Phase II includes siding and Phase III incorporates a pool filtration system. Completion of this project is anticipated in time for our next Pelican and Northern Gannet residents.

•Education remained an integral part of WR&E’s efforts with the continued sessions with both boy and girl scout troops and school classes. Through these endeavors boys and girls of all ages as well as adults experienced benefits of sharing space with wildlife through the use of our Peaceful Coexistence teaching house visuals in conjunction with several of our wildlife ambassadors.

•Developed and instituted ‘hands-on’ training on our wildlife retrieval kit. The kit consists of nets, gloves, catch and dart poles. Through gifts of caring contributors, we attained the first of several. Plans are to acquire two additional kits for our center.

•Two Oiled Wildlife Response workshops were conducted. The first in Lake Charles, Louisiana sponsored by CITGO and the second in Brownsville, Texas sponsored by Texas General Land Office.