Atlantic Wildlife Institute
220 Cookville Road E4L 1Z8

#GivingTuesday is quickly approaching, December 1st! 2020 certainly didn’t go as planned for any of us, and there may not be much more to give. Like most of you, we are exhausted, stressed and at our max of what we can give. But, we are still so THANKFUL! Somehow, because of our amazing supporters and dedicated team, we have been able to keep providing the essential service of caring for our regional wildlife in need. And yes, we are an essential service, AWI is the ONLY lic...ensed wildlife rehabilitation facility in New Brunswick. We need to be there for when a wild animal needs our help. TOGETHER, we can keep answering the call. Any donation, large or small is so appreciated. If you are unable to, or for the amount you normally do, we certainly understand. You can still help by spreading the word about AWI and having more community residents engage in support of our work. To all of our donors and cheerleaders, THANK YOU! #supportlocal www.atlanticwildlife.ca See more

This is one busy Hawk! We see Rough-legged Hawks in our area every winter, they are quite numerous in our neck of the woods in the Tantramar Marshes. Leaving their breeding grounds in the far north, the open marshes and upper Bay of Fundy provides for great winter prey hunting. Always a treat to see one fly over! This map gives you an idea of just how far they travel. The map shows the flight path of just one Rough-legged over a three year period, wow! The strength and resilience of our native wildlife is awe inspiring.

Today's chat with Vanessa from CBC Shift NB about Porcupine parasites and our Fox kits! https://www.cbc.ca//15809498-atlantic-wildlife-institute-p

We received a phone call this morning from a well known local birder, Robert Shortall. He spotted this injured male Common Eider out on the nearby Tantramar Marshes, a popular birding spot due to the diversity of species seen there. Unfortunately it is also an area with a lot of power lines running through it, not particularly good as this is a major migratory route for many species, including seabirds. We have picked up many injured and/or dead Eiders over the years in thi...s location, what we don't get the Eagles and other scavenging birds are quick to. #NBPower has installed some diverters in the heavily affected areas, but time will tell if powerline strikes are kept to a minimum. Robert stayed until we arrived, to keep an eye on the downed duck so we could find him. Thank you Robert, your concern about our wildlife is very much appreciated, as is your endless pursuit to document the many species throughout our region. See more

Wait....what?? Our weekly pot is over $3,000?!!! You have until 7pm on Thursday to play/renew your ticket. Weekly draws every Thursday at 7pm. Who are we going to split the pot with? Help support our work caring for NB's orphaned and injured wildlife! Click on the link to play: https://awi.thelottofactory.com/

Covid-19 Update from Atlantic Wildlife Institute: (Oct 11, 2020) Our facility is located in Region ONE which has now gone back into Orange Alert Level. Because of this, the following changes/updates are in place: We are still accepting wildlife patients, although we will not be asking any volunteers to travel in and out of orange alert levels (Region one-Moncton and Region five - Campbellton) until it deemed safe again. We will be checking with our drop-off locations/network... clinics this week to get their updated protocols, and proceed as needed. The veterinary clinics that work under our rehabilitation permits do so voluntarily, and we will always respect the safety measures they put in place that helps protect their staff and clients. If an animal is being dropped off directly at our Cookville facility, you will be asked to stop at the Wildlife Learning Centre (please do not go inside) and call us when you arrive (Phone # is on the front door.) The rest of our site is closed to the public. A staff member will meet you. We ask that you have a mask on, and the animal being dropped off is in a box or container that you can leave with us. (Animal drop off procedure has been in place since March.) We have postponed ALL Fall weekend wilderness skill events (and hope to re-offer again in January - we will update as needed.) Our AWI Nature School (AWINS) enrichment program is still running through the week, and covid-19 school protocols are in place for the safety of our students and families. Thank you for supporting AWI, it has certainly been a wild ride this year. All of our off site fundraising activities have been cancelled, but we will continue to provide wildlife care and educational programs as best as we can. Your support is making this possible. AWI is a registered charity, we do not receive gov't funding for operating support, and so your donations are what keep our doors open. Stay safe everyone! #InThisTogether #PartnersInWildlifeCare #OutdoorEducation #HealthyLiving #Nature #Donations #WearAMask THANK YOU!! See more

This made the afternoon feedings a much better time.. #rainbows #natureisbeautiful

So excited that the Local 1386 has shown back up to get started on a much needed Bobcat unit!! Our own Grant got things started by leveling out a new pad, and Marc and his crew are quickly going to work getting some framing done before the rain starts.

Note to self: don't use a dog bed again for Red Foxes. It looked like a blizzard while they were ripping it to shreds. We'll file this one under "enrichment."

A shout out to another one of the fabulous RVT's that do so much for our wildlife in need! Courtney has quite the passion for wildlife, very skilled at what she does, and always willing to help out, even on her days off! Douglas Animal Hospital is another awesome veterinary partner of AWI, and we keep them all busy! #NationalVeterinaryTechnicianWeek

No, there is nothing wrong with your screen. That is how dark it was when one of our 1st Responders reached a Gadwall Duck tonight that was reported tangled in the nearby Tantramar Wetlands Centre in Sackville. A local birder notified us that he saw a female Gadwall in distress just before sunset. When volunteer Brenna arrived, she could see the duck struggling, very evident that the bird was trying to fly away but couldn't. The duck was out of reach by land, but obviously e...ntangled in fishing line with no way of escaping. She grabbed a paddleboard she had in her car (doesn't everyone have one handy? lol!), knowing she was losing daylight quickly and went after the duck. This is not something we would ask anyone to attempt by themselves, but Brenna was familiar with this body of water so off she went. Working quickly, she reached the Gadwall, grabbed on to her and cut the fishing line off the wing that was completely entangled. The duck flew off shortly after. PLEASE do not leave fishing line behind! Clean up your gear and make the best effort you can of retrieving your tangled fishing line/hooks/sinkers. All wildlife is vulnerable to accidental entanglement. #rescueandrelease See more

Not a good week here for some of our Owl admissions. Although our Barred Owl patients have done well, we could not say the same for some others. With the daylight diminishing and the time change, it must have an effect on our nocturnal and crepuscular predators. Traffic patterns change, prey hunting times change and some of these birds don't know how to adapt. Pictured here is a beautiful Short-eared Owl. Although he may appear bright and healthy, he suffered a devastating co...mpound fracture to his wing. While waiting for additional consultation on options to repair his wing, he succumbed to the trauma of the impact event. He made the decision for us that he wasn't strong enough to continue. The same fate for our first Snowy Owl admission of the fall, and a Saw-whet Owl. Those two owls, along with the Short-eared both had horrific impact injuries, and we could not save any of them. It hurts. See more

We love these Techs too!! A huge shout out to Kim, Amy, Melissa, Heidi, Ellen and Natalie (welcome aboard!) The "A" team at Maritime Animal Hospital that have come to our rescue more times then we can count over the past 20+ years! Every single one of these talented professionals have helped us put wild animals back together, helped us figure out the mystery of what was ailing an animal in need, and would always have the most gentle and humane touch when we had to end the suffering of a wild patient we could not help. They are truly amazing, and we thank them, as we do all the techs that work with us from our partnering veterinary clinics. Heroes do exist among us! <3 #vettech #partnersinwildlifecare #nationalveterinarytechnicianweek

The AWI Nature School....and this is just our indoor space! Wait till you see our outdoor learning environment! Do you need enrichment programs to enhance your homeschooling approach to your child's learning experience? Maybe our Wilderness Skills, Music and Creative Arts program is the answer. Spaces still available for 7-14 years old program, in progress now through June 2021. We also have a wait list for our full-time/5 day micro school. Contact us at [email protected] to learn more.

These little guys are on the move! And yes, this is full size! This juvenile Saw-whet Owl is one of a couple that have had to receive care recently. Another Saw-whet was found in Saint John. Vehicle and window impacts cause a lot of damage to these small, nocturnal raptors, and we so appreciate the veterinary care team at Douglas Animal Hospital that are always there for our wildlife in need!

AWI is a featured article in Saltscapes Magazine!!! The October/November 2020 issue is on newsstands now, or available as a digital subscription (saltscapes.com) This 4 page spread documents our work, this is Part 1 of a 2-part series! Thank you to NB author Deborah Carr, Author/Freelance Writer for reaching out to us!

How beautiful is this?? Among the many dozens of orphaned ducklings we cared for this year, the Wood Ducks we helped had to be among the most stunning! We had the privilege of raising a dozen Wood Ducks this year. They are cute as can be, quite vocal and social and watching them develop over the months that we cared for them was an awesome experience. These stunning, dabbler ducks forage on both land and water for insect and plant matter. They are quick flyers, and are one o...f our species that instead of nesting on the ground - prefer to next in tree cavities. Hence the word "wood" in their name. The little ones, a day after they hatch will jump out of tree nest cavity and make their way to the local water source. Help us help them.. please consider a donation today to allow us to continue providing care for wildlife in need. AWI is the only licensed wildlife care facility in New Brunswick. www.atlanticwildlife.ca See more

Full load!! THANK YOU to Tracy from Oromocto and Area SPCA for donating a load of dog food for our wildlife patients!! And THANK YOU to Gabriela, Kathy, Sandra (and Eric - not pictured) for figuring out the logistics in getting it all to us!! Woohoo!!! #partners #donations #yummiesfortummies

Way to go Jaden! This brilliant, young Birder knows his birds! Jaden has participated in some of our youth wilderness skills programs, and when he told us he watched a Sharp-shinned Hawk on one of our trails this summer, we certainly believed him! You can never be too young or too old to learn about the fascinating creatures we share our world with. Get out there and start exploring! Yay!!

Our Youth Wilderness Skills Program is starting soon!! We have openings for youth, ages 10-15 years old that want to get outside and learn some awesome wild skills!! One weekend per month, contact us for more information or to register! [email protected] or 506-364-1902 The Town of Sackville, New Brunswick Town of Riverview City of Moncton / Ville de Moncton Ville de Dieppe N.-B./ City of Dieppe NB Ville de Shediac / Town of Shediac Village de Memramcook Village of Dorchester Town of Amherst, NS tantramar outdoor club Moncton Fish & Game Association NBEN RENB Sustainability Education Alliance_NB_Alliance Éducation à la Viabilité

Caught!! The injured Canada Goose that has been at Centennial Park in Moncton is finally in our care! We had been receiving numerous calls from concerned citizens about this poor girl for quite a while. The goose was quite weary of our volunteers who would show up with nets, so she was always close to the water's edge for a quick escape. A huge THANK YOU to the Collins (pictured here) who were finally able, with a whole lot of patience (!), able to get close enough to the goose to capture her. She has a fracture left wing, in the wrist area. Although there is movement in the wing, she doesn't have enough control of it to gain any flight. We will give some anti-inflammatory meds to reduce swelling and give support to the wing to see if that will help with the soft tissue damage also occurring.

Here at AWI we know we are at the end of the "baby season" intakes when we start releasing these pretty birds. (Except for Pigeons, they don't seem to get the memo) This is a Cedar Waxwing fledgling, one of six that were released a couple of weeks ago after being raised here at our facility. They are a couple of the later breeding birds in our region, timing their love and abundance of berries with their growing and newly fledged young. More available food for their young hel...ps with success rates for survival. Cedar Waxwings are stunning. Although their adult plumage overall is brownish beige, they have black masks that are easily identifiable as well as waxy yellow tipped tails. You may even see some red tips on the secondary wing feathers. Those are colored by a carotenoid pigment called astaxanthin. Not all birds will have them, as the colored tips seem to be a status symbol earned with age. Those with less than five red tips are immatures and apparently not as attractive to prospective mates. Go figure! Thank you for your support, with your help we are able to give these young birds the second chance they so deserve. www.atlanticwildlife.ca See more

Reminder that this new youth program is starting this weekend! For ages 9-13 yrs old, PRE-REGISTRATION is required (by Friday Oct 2nd), please contact us for more info or to register. 506-364-1902, [email protected] $100 for each weekend, once per month Oct-May