South Australian Wildlife Rescue and Advice 24/7 Hotline: (08) 7120 6610 - www.save-our-wildlife.org.au/ |
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Featured photos: Collage of some of our favourite memories from 2023/24. |
Save Our Wildlife Foundation Inc. Summer Newsletter 2024 |
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Hi <<First Name>>,
Welcome to Summer! My name is Sophie Porter and as the newly appointed Chair of the SOWFI board I would like to take a moment to introduce myself. I am an educator and academic in the field of nutrition and dietary medicine and public health. As Head of Department at Endeavour College, I get satisfaction from aiming to improve human wellbeing through evidence-based medicine.
As a resident of the Adelaide Hills, I am passionate about the local wildlife and am thrilled to encourage this interest in my two young children who love the great outdoors. My love of wildlife was sparked in my own childhood by a wildlife carer who was also my best friend’s dad. I have fond memories of being at my best friend’s house and seeing bearded dragons pop up from behind the sofa. I can also recall putting one of the ringtail possums in a pram and taking it for a stroll around the house. I don’t know what our SOWFI carers would make of that!
I have management and leadership experience across many sectors, and after seeing the devastation that is caused to wildlife through vehicle accidents as I travel home through the Hills, I wanted to become involved with a science-based wildlife organisation such as SOWFI.
My aspirations as Chair are to use my leadership experience to continue to promote the services offered by SOWFI and build on the successful high-quality training programs to attract more volunteers and carers, while supporting and retaining the wonderful work and knowledge of our current members. In addition, the Board of SOWFI will continue to lobby, to local, state, and federal government for funding to support the sustainable rescue and rehabilitation of native wildlife in South Australia.
I wish everyone, and our wildlife a safe and happy summer season.
Warm regards,
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Summer Action 24/7
Since the start of the summer season on December 1, the SOWFI advice and rescue hotline has taken between 20-30 calls from the community and veterinarians every 24-hour period through the day and night.
We’ve helped a huge array of species, from the tiniest of birds like the silvereye and the pardalote to the larger animal species such as the kangaroo. Over the last few months, we’ve had an unusually high number of calls about kangaroos in the city area.
For several reasons including urban sprawl and their search for food, kangaroos have been entering the city via the linear trail and sightings were reported across the North, South, East and West of Adelaide. Keeping green areas, restoring habitat, and learning to live with wildlife is something our population needs to accept as we build on more of their land. |
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Bushfire Preparedness
While it has been, a cooler, wetter start to the summer season we’ve been working on being bushfire ready following warnings from across the emergency sector of the likelihood of a bad bushfire season. Several of our members came to SOWFI after their involvement with wildlife rescue in the aftermath of the devastating 2019/20 fires.
After witnessing first-hand, the distress fire brings to communities and our wildlife, members were keen to attend the Treatment of Burnt Wildlife course presented by Dr. Anne Fowler of Adelaide Bird and Exotics Vet Clinic (ABEVC). Attendees also included vets, vet nurses and wildlife rehabilitators from other organisations, and together the participants learnt how to treat wounds, administer pain medication, and bandage wounds.
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Photo credit: Marian MacLucas
SOWFI knows being physically prepared is key to a safe summer season. Being mentally prepared for bushfire sights and smells is also fundamental for the resilience of our volunteers, the public and our wildlife.
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SOWFI Conservation Plantings
SOWFI have several wildlife food plantings across the city that assist our carers in accessing the variety of native leaf needed to feed the creatures in their care. Plantings also have the bonus of increasing the biodiversity of council areas. The large lawn areas of council parks and ovals are enjoyed by many bird species, but this has led to an overabundance of some species.
Increasing the native plants in an area increases the variety of wildlife that can live there. The smaller birds need and understory to hide from predators, while our larger birds and arboreal animals need the old trees and tree hollows for housing and nesting sites. Where there are not enough old trees and tree hollows, we rely on our box making and box installation teams to put up boxes for our rescued possums to live in.
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Photo Credit: Google Maps
Our next planting is in conjunction with the Onkaparinga Council on 23rd June 2024 at Dawson Avenue Reserve. Mark this date in your diary if you would like to come and help with more information in our next newsletter.
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Five Star Wildlife Ambulance Service
The wildlife ambulance continues to make a significant impact on response times. It has been a winner for the public which can be seen in some of these fantastic reviews below.
Currently we have volunteers to run the ambulance Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm but we are looking to expand those hours as we recruit more people. If you know someone who might be interested in putting some time into the Wildlife Ambulance, please contact our membership team via the website.
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Meet Our Volunteers Helen Goodhew, Wildlife Carer, Rescuer and Phone Operator
Helen loves Ibis. Helen fits her roles as a carer, rescuer, and phone team member around her full-time occupation with the Treasury. Her introduction to wildlife rescue and rehabilitation was born during the bushfires of 2019/2020 when she felt compelled to help in any way she could. With a likeminded friend, the two volunteered with a koala group to cart water around the fireground for thirsty and exhausted animals. Inspired by volunteering with the koala group, Helen joined SOWFI in 2021 and she now holds permits to care for possums and six bird species. The first bird she cared for was a juvenile raven named Clawed. Helen chopped up mice to feed Clawed and was mentored by Bonny Honen, an experienced bird carer. Having experienced carers to both mentor and take advice from helps to pick up the less obvious reasons of why a bird or animal appears unwell or fails to thrive. Clawed had a successful release, as did her first possums the brushtails Harper, Hush and Harley, under the mentorship of SOWFI species specialist Natalie Logan.
A successful release day is the highlight of wildlife care for Helen, while taking advice from others, being aware of the limits of her knowledge and realising that there is always something new to learn about wildlife and their care inspires her. Why does she like Ibis? She finds them an interesting bird and recently learnt that they roost in eucalypt trees. |
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Photo credit: Helen Goodhew
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Wildlife Training Introduction to Possum Care Field Practical and Webinar We are excited to offer this brand new course for 2024 which includes a field practical followed by and online live webinar by our team of trainers and species specialists. Course cost includes annual membership.
Introduction to Duckling Care presented by Leonie Weaver
Leonie has had many years of experience and is extremely knowledgeable in the rescue and rehabilitation of ducklings. Rehabilitating ducklings is a great way to start as a wildlife carer. Course cost includes annual membership.
04 MAY 2024
Introduction to Bird Care presented by Rena Robinson
This practical course by Wildlife Welfare Organisation Inc. (WWO) Goolwa followed by an online live webinar is ideal for new wildlife carers interested in rehabilitating birds. Course cost includes annual membership.
Wildlife Rescue 101 Practical
Another great place to start is as a wildlife rescuer, particularly if you cannot commit to daily care. This course is also for people interested in volunteering in the wildlife ambulance. Course cost includes annual membership.
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Swan Lake RescueWe had an interesting learning experience through the help we received with a swan from Mawson Lakes. The swan was swimming around with a hook in its bill and a long length of fishing line trailing behind. The SOWFI phone team took several calls from residents concerned about this bird and a SOWFI rescuer was a first responder. This bird proved difficult to catch so we called on our friends at WIldlife Welfare Organisation Inc. (WWO) in Goolwa whose expertise with water birds led to the capture of the swan. It was a two-person job with one grabbing the bird while it was feeding and the other wrapping the body and wings. Very quickly. The hook was removed from the bill and the bird was given a health check. The feet were looked at for signs of bumblefoot which is a foot condition birds with webbed feet can pick up from walking on hard surfaces like concrete. There is always something new to learn in wildlife care and sharing knowledge with other organisations can only improve wildlife rehabilitation and rescue. SOWFI continues to collaborate with other wildlife organisations, to ensure quick response times and the most appropriate care for our wildlife.
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Video credit: Marian MacLucas
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Seeking Corporate Partnerships!Funding for our rescue and rehabilitation of native species is dependent on membership, donations, and fundraising activity. Our major fundraiser was the Walk4Wildlife (W4W) in October. In 2023 participants raised a total of $12,000. This was a fantastic effort during a cost-of-living crisis that has hit not for profits hard. In 2024 we will be moving the W4W to August when there are less events on and before the hectic spring season. SOWFI is seeking sponsors for this event and if you or someone you know has any contact with a business sponsor whose ethics align with SOWFI, please encourage them to contact the SOWFI team. Our other fundraising events included a Bunnings sausage sizzle at Bunnings Mile End where $2000 was raised on a very cold and blustery December morning. Thankyou also to former carers Lisa De Palo and Robbie Jones whose Fright Night Event for Halloween raised $250. Don’t forget we also offer Gift Cards on our website (linked below) – a wonderful thing to give to the Wildlife Warrior in your life – with funds directly helping wildlife in rehabilitation.
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Advocating for Wildlife
Following the removal of a tree with an active nest of rosellas by developers in the Mount Barker Council area we have had discussions with the council to advocate for different outcomes following fauna inspection of trees, including potential delays in removal and having a wildlife carer on site during tree removals with high likelihood of fauna present.
SOWFI supports many initiatives to improve the welfare of wildlife, and we continue to work with the five other wildlife rescue organisations, collectively known as WUSA (Wildlife United South Australia), engaging regularly with the state government to improve wildlife outcomes in SA.
We asked the public a question on our social media:
Should a wildlife organisation be on site when significant trees are scheduled for removal?
We received a positive response, from our followers that reassures us that the public is behind us when we advocate to have licensed wildlife carers on site for significant tree removals.
Our story from 22 November involved a tree that had been approved by State Government for clearance. When the tree came down a nest of near fledging rosellas was found and taken to the local vet by the contractors. It was luck that these young birds were found and removed safely, but despite SOWFI’s efforts to reunite the babies with their parents, the young birds needed to go into care before they were released. We hope that developers will be required to do a thorough Fauna Assessment in the future with delays required for active nests and that licensed Wildlife Carers will be on site for significant tree removals, to prevent injury to animals and birds.
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Picture credit: Marian MacLucas
For 2024 we hope that the relationship humans have with the natural environment improves and that we increase the numbers of people willing to support and care for native species. Hopefully, it doesn’t take another devastating fire to make people realise what they’ve lost.
Thank you for supporting SOWFI throughout 2023 and the SOWFI team wish you a happy and safe summer season.
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Wildlife Rescue 24/7 Phone Service (08) 7120 6610Follow us on your favourite social media:
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Have you contacted SOWFI? Click on the link below and tell others about your experience. Thank you for your time.
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