Wawota School's grade nine Outdoor Education class was recently discussing different wildlife rescue organizations and developed an idea to raise funds for local wildlife centre operated by Cheryl Winkler, Moose Mountain Recoup and Release Wildlife Rehabilitation.
"We got talking in the class about different organizations that help wildlife, so then we started talking about the local one near us behind the Red Barn," Shelby Adams, teacher, explained. "So, we went on their website and checked it out then saw the how you can help and the supplies there and got the idea to raise moneys for this organization..."
With the intent to raise money for supplies and food for the wildlife rehab, the 14 students in Outdoor Ed. went forward with plans of a fundraiser. In the end a dog walk was organized with 12 students taking part in the activity as two youth were away on Friday, June 6.
"[The dog walk] was my idea actually, if you're doing a wildlife fundraiser it'd be kind of cool to have some wildlife, sort of," Adams laughed. "And I just thought it'd be good to get the kids outside, walking around in the sunshine... lots of people stopped because we had the dogs asking what we were doing and then they could donate to us, so it was just kind of cool."
The students were out for approximately an hour and a half, taking in about three kilometres. This walk took them by Deer View Lodge where some of the seniors came out to meet the dogs and speak with the students. The youth then continued through town stopping at businesses and eventually made their way back to the school where the elementary kids came out to play with the dogs as well.
The group ended up taking 11 dogs with them on a walk, while raising $425 with a final tally to be completed.
Moose Mountain Recoup and Release Wildlife Rehabilitation takes in injured or abandoned wild animals. Winkler gives her time and efforts to ensure the animals are given an opportunity in this world.
Opportunities like that of a recent addition to her rehab, Mercy, a moose that entered her care on Wednesday, May 28.
On Monday, May 26, Winkler received a call about a moose on the loose. Someone had spotted the new born on the side of the road, east of Wapella, next to its mother which lay dead on the side of the road. Off Winkler and a friend, Roxanne Apple, went to find the poor animal, but they were unsuccessful. Winkler gave as much time as she could to the search before having to go home as she was and still is bottle feeding baby raccoons every three to four hours.
A search party continued that night though and into the next morning. Searchers found it, quickly calling Winkler whose husband built a box stall for the young bull moose. That night it escaped, but was luckily found again in the morning. Though covered in ticks, dehydrated, and weak, Mercy was still alive.
Mercy was picked up by veterinarian Rebecca Gervin of Moosomin and taken straight to Winkler's.
"He's been, after all of that trauma, flourishing," Winkler smiled. "He was tough to take the bottle, but now there's no stopping him."
That first week the young moose went through three and a half pounds of powdered milk, and now having been there for two weeks has gotten up to 14 pounds in a week. The powder comes in a 20 pound pail, which means at $120 (U.S.) plus shipping means he will quickly be drinking a couple hundred dollars worth each week in addition to the daily cut willows, aspen, and birch trees for his diet which requires this fiber.
Winkler is now researching pellets for food and is dedicating much time to Mercy, while also taking care of a dozen young raccoons, two of which are still so young they do not have their eyes open. She also has four fox, a fox squirrel, and a few animals she had wintered and is now planning to release as she will not release those who wintered with her without green trees and food for them to eat.
"It's been a learning experience," Winkler explained. "It's cool to get in a new species it gets your inspiration passioned up again."
Winkler is federally licenced and takes in various animals including fox, raccoons, deer, moose, various birds, and more. The federal licencing she acquired two years ago after having numerous people drop off migratory birds, hawks, eagles, and ducks. Often she would be on a strict feeding schedule with other animals and have difficulty leaving to take the birds to another rehabilitator. Together though the network of rehabilitators all help animals succeed.
For example a Canada goose gosling was dropped off with Winkler, who discovered the rehabilitator in Moose Jaw had two others. Since goslings need others around them to succeed, Winkler passed the gosling on to give it a better chance of survival.
Her work is very rewarding, but can be costly and she often raises funds through selling painted feathers, canvas, and her recent creation of painted jewelry, which she sells at the Red Market Barn
Thus, the help of the Wawota School grade nine Outdoor Ed. class is appreciated.
The animals all have various needs including blankets, food, baby bottles, and more, which with Mercy means bringing in the expensive moose milk, which Winkler would find a way to do, but that the grade nine's contribution helped and as Winkler explained in more than just a monetary sense.
"It's incredible what those kids did," Winkler stated. "It gives you hope for the future of wildlife"
"Sometimes I feel all alone in this until somebody like that group of children just reaches out and lifts you up."
More information on Moose Mountain Recoup and Release Wildlife Rehabilitation can be found on Winkler's website moosemountainrnr.org or through her Facebook page "Moose Mountain R n R Wildlife Rehabilitation." She can also be found at the Red Market Barn on Sunday's selling her artwork and happily telling people about what it is she does.
