Find the Good

Find the Good
We began the New Year (some say the next decade, but that is a debate for another day) by facing a looming global pandemic.  Panic set in and hoarding of cleaning supplies and groceries ensued.  During the final weeks of winter and the start of the season often characterized as a time of rebirth and renewal, our economy nearly collapsed, unemployment skyrocketed, the country went on lockdown, and a staggering number of human lives were...

Cheyenne, North America’s oldest known captive Harris’s Hawk

Cheyenne, North America’s oldest known captive Harris’s Hawk
Freedom Center for Wildlife, Inc. (FCW) is the proud home of North America’s oldest known captive Harris’s Hawk at the current age of 34 years. Her name is Cheyenne and she serves as an animal ambassador for not only her species, but for all wildlife, and this is her story. Cheyenne hatched in the spring of 1985 at the World Bird Sanctuary in Missouri. She traveled across the United States with several falconers over the years. There is no paper trail ...

Why Cut Down on Single Use Plastics?

Why Cut Down on Single Use Plastics?
This discussion draws heavily on “Plastic Pollution” by Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser, published September 2015 by “Our World in Data.” In their opening paragraph, Ritchie and Roser note that, “The first synthetic plastic - Bakelite - was produced in 1907;” and that formed the beginning of the plastics boom in the 1950’s, through 2015, “annual production … increased nearly 200-fold.” About 42% of plastics go into packaging and 19% into building construction...

Can you Prevent Bird Deaths from Window Strikes?

Can you Prevent Bird Deaths from Window Strikes?
According to the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), a federal study in 2014 found that “up to one billion birds die each year in the United States when they hit glass windows, walls, and other structures, making this threat one of the most costly to bird populations.” The study authors, Scott R. Loss, Sara S. Loss, and Peter P. Marra of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, and Tom Will of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, reviewed twenty-three p...

Oktoberfest 2019

Oktoberfest 2019
Join us at the 2019 Freedom Center for Wildlife Oktoberfest fundraiser! Support a great cause while having fun, enjoying catering from Best of the Wurst, and meeting our animal ambassadors and team of volunteers! Where:Flying Fish Brewing Company900 Kennedy Blvd.Somerdale, NJ 08083 When:October 11, 20196:00 to 9:00 p.m. We will have FCW merchandise available for purchase and a silent auction. We will also be taking monetary donations and wish...

FCW 2018 Overview

FCW 2018 Overview
The Center Freedom Center for Wildlife, Inc. is a 501(c)(3)  non-profit organization incorporated in April of 2006 to fill a need in the  wildlife rehabilitation community. Our mission is to increase public knowledge and appreciation towards the conservation, protection and preservation of native New Jersey habitats and animals through rehabilitation, education, and research programs. Working out of a home-based garage, close to 100 animals were...

Season’s Greetings!

Season’s Greetings!
As another holiday season begins, we at Freedom Center wish to thank all of our supporters who have made a difference in the lives of animals across southern New Jersey. Without you, we would not be able to fulfill our mission and accomplish the work needed here in our area. A robin with a broken leg, a crow with a broken wing, a baby beaver separated from her parents in a flood-these are just a few of the challenges we faced this year. Their care and even...

Out in the Dark: Why Should We Look After Our Local Bat Fauna?

Out in the Dark: Why Should We Look After Our Local Bat Fauna?
The first day of summer is about a week away. While many of us are looking forward to picnics in the park, beach trips, and vacations, a few are scrambling around with slightly different plans for the beginning of the season. Ever since the discovery of white nose syndrome (WNS) and the fungus that causes it (Pseudogymnoascus destructans [a.k.a. Pd]), scientists have taken the task of documenting, surveying, and exploring ways to find and hopefully eradica

It’s Almost Summer!

It’s Almost Summer!
It has been a strange spring for us here, and for the animals. One day it’s hot, the next cold. The rain has seemed relentless, and with all the rain comes an increase in mosquitoes. Bad for us, but good for the bats! In between caring for our orphaned and injured patients, we have been trying to keep up with repairs to several enclosures that have been damaged from the weather this year. Rotting wood, washed-out gravel floors, leaking roofs, rusted locks ...

Sharing the Road with Deer in New Jersey

Sharing the Road with Deer in New Jersey
One in 250 New Jersey vehicles would collide with a deer in 2016. This prediction came from a study by State Farm Insurance. One early evening last October, I came upon an injured doe on a suburban road in south Jersey. I pulled over to see what I could do. I called 911. Several others stopped as well. The police arrived. I wish I could say we were able to save that deer, but we could not. I learned a lot that day. And I’d like to share what I discovered. ...