 Safe Haven Welcomes Its First Wildlife Care Intern—September 2007 (updated January 2008)
We are delighted to welcome Catreena McCarthy, an AmeriCorps service learning member who is Safe Haven's first Wildlife Care Intern. Catreena stood out as the ideal applicant from several well-qualified candidates. (Photo courtesy of Judy Mosby.) In addition to everyday wildlife care, Catreena will work on enrichment activities and data collection. She will also coordinate school, Scout, and other youth programs. She is going to develop a presentation on solar power for our educational programs. Finally, in keeping with our commitment to recycling and renewable resources, she and gardener Rick Hull will create a composting area. Safe Haven's partnership with AmeriCorps was a direct result of this summer's Nevada Conservation Corps work day. The program requires us to provide $6,000 in matching funds. We are grateful to the On Shore Foundation of Malibu, CA, which granted us $3,500 for this project (see below). In January 2008, Newmont Mining Corporation made a very generous donation towards our continued participation as an AmeriCorps host site in 2008. We thank Newmont Mining not only for their support of Safe Haven, but also for their positive community involvement in northern Nevada. _________________ On Shore Foundation Grant—September 2007 Safe Haven has been selected as an AmeriCorps host site, giving us the opportunity to hire a full-time Wildlife Care Intern for one year. We have received a grant of $3,500 from the On Shore Foundation of Malibu, CA, to support our participation as an AmeriCorps host site. The AmeriCorps program requires that we provide matching funds of $6,000. With the generous grant from the On Shore Foundation, we are well on our way to fully funding this program. AmeriCorps connects 70,000 members each year with service opportunities in public agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations. Members earn education awards to apply to college tuition or student loans. _________________ Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation Grant—April 2007 Safe Haven is proud to announce that we have been awarded a $6,850 grant by the Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation of Reno, NV. This grant will allow us to enlarge one of our present cougar enclosures, providing Cooper and Montana with more living space as well as room for more landscaping, hardscape and “furnishings.” Monty will also have a new handicap ramp. The Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation is dedicated to programs benefitting northern Nevada. Their many areas of interest include animal assistance, youth programs, and education. We are also seeking funding from other foundations to expand Savannah and Tahoe's enclosure. Safe Haven received two grants in 2006. One, from the Aileen S. Andrew Foundation, enabled us to purchase multimedia equipment for our outreach programs. We also received a grant from the PETCO Foundation, to construct a den and enclosure for our Arctic fox, Juno. _________________ Safe Haven Participates in International Conference on Environmental Enrichment The 7th International Conference on Environmental Enrichment was held at Columbia University New York City from July 31 to August 5, 2005, and Safe Haven Wildlife Refuge Center was there! Safe Haven was represented by our Director of Enrichment, Susan Gardner. In addition to listening to papers presenting the latest information on environmental enrichment research, she presented a poster during the conference poster session. Safe Haven's poster, entitled “Eye of the Beholder: Identifying and Accommodating Individual Preference,” was authored by Susan Gardner, Jamie Hagedorn and Lynda Sugasa. The poster presents case studies of three pairs of cagemates (cougars Tahoe/Savannah and Montana/Cooper, and foxes Serena/Sydney), and discusses how their enrichment preferences differ yet are individually identified and accommodated within Safe Haven's enrichment program. The poster abstract appeared in the Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Environmental Enrichment, published in 2006. For more information, please see our Enrichment page. |