My STEP project took place at The Ohio Wildlife Center focusing on animal care, enrichment and property improvement. I assisted with preparing injured wildlife for release through exercise, enrichment and appropriate diets as well as improving the facilities through different projects around the grounds.
Through this work, I learned a great deal about myself and the field of wildlife conservation. I was able to learn or reaffirm certain personal strengths such as my enjoyment of laborious work to be maximally productive. It is in places like the OWC doing similar tasks that make so much hard work feel like it is not work at all, but rather a privilege and fulfilling activity. With that being said, I can also attest to my realization of how much work is put into nonprofit organizations. I was able to see how such a beneficial organization is only possible with the hard-work and good-will of so many dedicated volunteers. I have a much deeper appreciation and somber understanding of the sacrifice that goes into these great missions. This appreciation only strengthens my desire to be a part of that myself and join in the mission. I am motivated to continue on my pursuit of zoological medicine to continue to aid in these efforts. Another thing I learned was how organizations like the OWC are not only dependent on its volunteers but the surrounding community and neighbors to provide support where and when needed. The OWC works closely with many different organizations to provide the best care to its patients. This gave me a greater perspective on the holistic approach to be open-minded and to utilize every resource available for the best outcome.
Several different relationships, activities and events I partook in allowed me to realize these things. First, I had the privilege of working with several different volunteers throughout the different days as well as coordinate closely with my supervisor. I was simply amazed at how joyful these volunteers were to be there (in the cold and at times rain) just to help other people and other animals of the Earth. Every volunteer I interacted with also had a very unique background and with that had a different set of knowledge and skills to share and learn from. Some volunteers I met had recently joined the team like me and were even in similar life stages so we could relate to a lot. Others had been serving there for decades and were a blessing as they shared about their experiences throughout the years. My supervisor was incredible to learn from as I felt she had an endless pool of interesting facts about every animal we encountered. It was inspiring and reminded me of how magnificent each unique creature is. It is humbling and exciting at the same time to learn how much I don’t know. Even the doctor I regularly met and spoke with to receive my rabies vaccine was incredibly kind and personable as we exchanged about our lives and I got to hear his thoughts and advice on wildlife conservation.
I was able to engage in a multitude of different activities from basic animal care to enrichment and grounds improvement/maintenance. Having never worked with wild animals so closely before, I certainly learned a lot about their diets, behaviors and ecological roles. I worked specifically close with a red-tailed hawk who had been burned and was undergoing imping (replacement of feathers), a red fox with mange, songbirds and pigeons. I have also gotten to be around lavender skunks, raccoons and bald eagles there. There are also a number of residential wild animals that call the OWC their home to include the animals previously mentioned as well as owls, coyotes, opossums and others. With the hospitalized animals, I assisted in their daily routines to help in their recovery and preparation to be released back into the wild. I learned a great deal about their different diets as I prepped and recorded various meals. I saw first-hand how wildlife rehabilitation can work while exercising the red-tailed hawk in his enclosure with flight while following him with a tall pool noodle. I got to set up the enclosure for the red-fox while intentionally creating enrichment activities to keep his mind sharp and teach him foraging tactics while in captivity.
The other major portion of this service-learning program involved projects around the grounds. This involved a great deal of hard work in the form of manual labor but was essential to providing the best, quality care possible for the animals. Since December is in a slower season for the OWC, there was lots of work to be done. This meant organization of the barn and supply closets, cleaning of these spaces around the property, wood-working, bug-sorting and other miscellaneous tasks. This work was formative as I don’t often push my physical limits in a work-setting but this was an opportunity I had to give it my all to get stuff done using my physical strength or my creative mind to problem solve where my body wasn’t enough.
These transformational changes, realizations and lessons learned are all very relevant and valuable for my life now and my future career. I have gotten to practice interpersonal skills and apply them directly in animal-related field. As an aspiring pre-vet student, these connections and realizations will greatly benefit my understanding and perspective as I delve further into the field. I now have a better understanding of the abundant work that goes into a mission-oriented, non-business organization like the OWC which is the kind of work I want to be a part of for the rest of my life. I will take these lessons with me in ever area of my life, not just in terms of work or animals. I got to speak with many different people who I would have otherwise never met if not for our shared interest in wildlife conservation. I am very thankful for the impression they have had on me and the way they will continue to serve the people and environment around them. In many conversations I gained invaluable knowledge about the natural world as well as advice concerning my personal path in life. These people, the work they do and the animals cared for have all played a significant role in showing me how I can better care for the world around me, and everything in it.
