Christmas time means bringing in a little bit of the outdoors inside! We love to chop down our Christmas tree in our beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains and love to support small family run businesses like Jim & Vicky's Trees.
Dawn Day in the Wildlife: Saving the Birds at International Bird Rescue
This is a sponsored post by Dawn and the third post of a four-series posts on my experiences with #DawnDayintheWildlife. To read the series posts please click HERE.
My first memories of Dawn were the commercials with the adorable ducklings being washed with Dawn dish soap, and I would be lying if I said I hadn't shed a tear or two watching those commercials! Now thanks to Dawn I met Andrew Harmon, Director of Marketing and Communications of the International Bird Rescue (IBR). Andrew spoke to the group of us #DawnDayintheWildlife bloggers at The Marine Mammal Center about Dawn's partnership with the IBR.
The California Brown Pelican and Gulls
The IBR is in Fairfield, California, only about an hour from our Bay Area home, so I was invited to extend my #DawnDayintheWildlife experience by visiting a great rescue center for birds. I was really excited that I was able to take the rest of my family because my children really love wildlife, and particularly birds, but I explained to my children that we were visiting a "Bird Hospital" and we might see some birds with injuries.
Indeed that is exactly what it looked like a "Bird Hospital"!
The Examination
We quietly observed a Gull being examined, this particular Gull had a wing injury. A fisherman found him with a fishing hook puncturing his wing, so he captured and took it to a local animal shelter. This Gull had already been patched up by the animal shelter but the IBR volunteers had to examine the injury and redress the injury.
Body, Injured Wing and Head Examination
During the examination, the volunteers want to have the least "human interaction" with the bird, since it is a wild bird and they want the bird to stay wild. Andrew explained the reason the bird's head is covered with the towel is to have the least amount of eye contact and only during the head examination is the head uncovered. Some more aggressive birds might even lunge to peck a person's eyes, so the least amount of eye contact the better!
As for my children, I had to explain to them that we had to be VERY quiet so the bird wouldn't get scared. I think because the bird had an "owie" the children were very quiet and concerned for the gull. They understood that the bird "doctors" were making the gull feel better! I am very thankful to the IBR for allowing my children to experience a little bit of #DawnDayintheWildlife.
The Cleaning Process and Facilities
We were able to visit the IBR's cleaning and rehabilitation rooms and of course the donated Dawn dish soap was on display everywhere!
When birds come covered in oils, the volunteers need to clean the birds. The oils are very dangerous to the birds because the unnatural oils allow the birds to get wet as well as possibly chemically burning their skin or eyes. There is a process in how the birds are taken care of which usually follows the routine of washing, rinsing, drying, waterproofing and release. We did not observe the whole process since there were no other birds than the gull being currently attended but below you can experience a "Real Wildlife Release with Dawn" and see the the process from beginning to end!
From the washing rooms bird are transferred to drying cages. The cages are for all sizes of aquatic bird, some even large enough to hold a California Brown Pelican. The IBR works hard to save all these beautiful birds by partnering with volunteers, other organizations and companies including oil companies. These volunteers spend countless hours washing, feeding, constructing drying racks so these birds can have a chance for survival once they are returned to their natural habitats.
On the outside of the IBR facilities, we were able to see the warming tanks (as explained in the video) as well as some birds in the last stage of their "stay" at the IBR. The whole family was excited to get a sneak peak on the birds and we silently cheered when we saw the birds swimming in their pools.
We even saw the resident Egret who was treated at the IBR and release in the nearby marshes but it loved it's stay so much that it returns to visit regularly!
Chasqui Mom's Last Thoughts...
My absolute favorite part of our visit was the aviary cage for more reasons than one. Earlier during our visit I saw a Gull being treated for an injury and to be completely honest, I wasn't too found of gulls. Why? Well because I viewed them as annoying birds who would always try to steal my chips at the beach or attack dumpsters scavenging for food.
Just like many things in life, until I educated myself about the "thing" I didn't like I viewed it as an annoyance. I saw all birds, and in particular the Gull, in a different light after visiting the IBR because they are wild birds. Sadly our human actions have affected their "wildness" and these formerly "annoying" birds are as beautifully wild as the California Brown Pelican.
Now when I'm hiking with my children along the San Francisco Bay, it brings a smile to my face to think that maybe one of the birds flying along was a bird saved by the International Bird Rescue.
Nature applauds the efforts of the International Bird Rescue and Dawn. I applaud them for giving nature a boost so my children can enjoy it for future generations to come.
A few facts about the IBR:
Photo Courtesy of the International Bird Rescue
- There are two centers (bird hospitals) in California: The San Francisco Bay Area and another in the Southern California.
- The IBR saves seabirds and aquatic birds affected by man-made and natural disasters such as oil-spills and marine trash from around the world since 1971.
- From Alaska to Argentina to South Africa, the IBR can send emergency response teams to help when disasters hit these beautiful birds.
- In 1978, IBR founder Alice Berkner discover that Dawn worked best cutting the oil off of birds and since 1988 Dawn began its partnership with IBR.
- The IBR has about 200 volunteers!
I would like to thank Dawn who provided this sponsored trip. As always these are my true and honest opinions.
Related Posts:
Thankful for TWO Years! New Logo and National Parks Pass
TWO years have gone by since I started Chasqui Mom! I'm so thankful and happy for all the opportunities I have had, the great people I have met through social media and subsequently "in real life" because of this blog.
Our favorite adventure, year two of "Chasqui Mom" is one that I haven't even written about yet. During our week long vacation in Sequoia National Park, we had a one-night family backpacking trip to Pear Lake and it was absolutely breathtaking.
If you hadn't noticed, we LOVE National Parks! To celebrate my two years of "Chasqui Mom", I will be giving away one (1) US National Parks Annual Pass (value $80) because I want you and your family to enjoy National Parks as much as we do!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
A few more changes will be occurring over the next few months in regards to the design of the website thanks to Marla of Tipton Designs, who is great graphic designer and a wonderful mother too! Thanks to her, I have my awesome new "Chasqui Mom" logo that I love! So keep your eye out on some upgrades coming to ChasquiMom.com!
Join in on the conversation by leaving a comment here! You can also join in on the conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter that is updated daily with outdoor activities and other wonderful posts and links from #OutdoorFamilies!
I'm so excited for new things to come but first I'd like to share a little something I've been working on with my graphic designer: Tipton Designs...
I finally have a beautiful logo for my blog! It completely encompasses my motto, "Loving nature through hiking, backpacking and anything outdoors as a family." A bit of Peru, family and the outdoors!
Highlights of Chasqui Mom's Year Two
- We started started a year long adventure, "Sleeping Under the Stars" family project, where we have been camping at least one night a month for the year! So far we've been able to keep it up, only two months to go!
- I took on volunteer positions with two GREAT outdoor organizations:
- Regional Coordinator for Latino Outdoors in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Board Member for the American Hiking Society.
- We learned we were expecting Baby Hiker #3 in March 2015 and it's a BOY! My intuition has been right with all three kids.
- Family Milestones ~ My son learned to ride his bike, we hiked our longest distance as a family - 13 miles and spent our children's birthday outdoors!
Our favorite adventure, year two of "Chasqui Mom" is one that I haven't even written about yet. During our week long vacation in Sequoia National Park, we had a one-night family backpacking trip to Pear Lake and it was absolutely breathtaking.
It was very hard, the air was thin, the mountain was steep, and our packs were heavy, but our hearts were happy to be high up in the mountains with our children. Pear Lake holds lots of great memories that I will soon write about. That has been one of my favorite hiking adventures of this year.
If you hadn't noticed, we LOVE National Parks! To celebrate my two years of "Chasqui Mom", I will be giving away one (1) US National Parks Annual Pass (value $80) because I want you and your family to enjoy National Parks as much as we do!
- This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and at least 18 years old.
- Contest starts November 7, 2014 12:00 a.m. PST until November 20, 2014 11:59 p.m. PST.
- Winner will be announced a couple days after the giveaway has finished.
- One (1) US National Parks Annual pass will be awarded after the entry has been validated Details on the pass can be found HERE.
- Please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter the giveaway. Winner will be selected at random by Rafflecopter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
A few more changes will be occurring over the next few months in regards to the design of the website thanks to Marla of Tipton Designs, who is great graphic designer and a wonderful mother too! Thanks to her, I have my awesome new "Chasqui Mom" logo that I love! So keep your eye out on some upgrades coming to ChasquiMom.com!Join in on the conversation by leaving a comment here! You can also join in on the conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter that is updated daily with outdoor activities and other wonderful posts and links from #OutdoorFamilies!
Hiking & Rock Scrambling: Bearfence Mountain ~ Shenandoah National Park
Awesome.
I could finish my post with that picture of the top of Bearfence Mountain. Everyone around me in the East Coast kept saying, "Now remember our mountains are not like California mountains" but I've learned to love all my National Parks. National Parks are like my children, you can't compare them to one another because that would be mean, and each one provides its own uniqueness. Instead, I have learned to enjoy each child, in this case Virginia's Shenandoah National Park, for what it is.
I recently read "Wilderness Society's "15 National Parks for Fall Color" and Shenandoah was No.2 on their list, so I was very excited to visit during fall peak period. We don't have as many "Fall Colors" in the San Francisco Bay Area as the East Coast does, so it was a nice change in weather and scenery for our family.
Appalachian Trail and Bearfence Mountain
As a family of hikers at heart, we were very excited to hike on the Appalachian Trail even if it was a tiny section of it. Jennifer Chambers of Hiking Along also recommended Bearfence Mountain because it would give us 360 degree view of Shenandoah, its beautiful fall colors, and her recommendation did not disappoint. She also knew that my toddlers would love rock scrambling at the top of Bearfence Mountain which they certainly did!
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| Our first steps on the Appalachian Trail near Bearfence Moutain. |
For more detailed trail information please visit: Lewis Mountain Area Road and Trail Map (National Park Service)
The trail starts off with wooden steps which always motivates my son to hike more than an uphill trail with no steps. I don't know why but he loves going uphill on stairs but he loves to race to the top...I'm just happy he's not complaining about going uphill!
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| My boy on the crossroads of the AT and Bearfence Mountain Trail |
We went south on the Appalachian Trail, to the 180 degree Bearfence Mountain view point. It was a very slight up hill with a partial stone trail, easy enough for my 3 and 4 year old children and I, a 5 month pregnant lady! The overall elevation change is about 300 ft, which is like going up a small hill but it still was a good little workout for us.
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| 180 degree Bearfence Mountain View Point. Oh beautiful fall! |
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| Time to Family Rock Scramble! |
The New Outdoor Experiences.....
We experienced two new outdoor "aspects" on our hike to Bearfence Mountain:
- Rock Scrambling: It'ts kind of a hybrid of hiking and rock climbing, with no ropes or climbing gear and not really on a traditional trail. For a more detailed description of rock scrambling please visit "Basic Rock Scrambling". The difficulty of Bearfence Mountain rock scramble climb was easy enough for my four year old son and a five month pregnant Chasqui Mom to complete. Granted we were still very cautious and hand guided our son down certain sections of the way. Note: There is both an uphill and downhill rock scrambling on Bearfence Mountain.
- Trail Blazing: This isn't very common in California, or at least in the San Francisco Bay Area. What is it? It's a painted mark on rocks, posts or trees to designate the way or trail. I can see how someone can easily get lost with all the foliage/snow covering the ground or in this case the trail on the rocks (see middle picture in collage). It also provided a "game" for our children to find the next blaze on the trail, kind of like hide-and-seek for toddlers.
But the best new outdoor experience was seeing Shenandoah National Park in its most beautiful time of the year and enjoying the 360 degree view of this awesome park from the top of Bearfence Mountain!
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| View of the west 1st picture, view of the east |
I would highly recommend this hike if visiting Shenandoah National Park, especially during Fall. It's a great short hike with a kick that families with little ones can enjoy, not to mention amazing views of the park and the great feeling a "conquering" a mountain with toddlers.
Thanks again to Jennifer Chambers of Hiking Along who recommended Bearfence Mountain for our adventurous family. That is the great thing about being a blogger is that I get to meet like-minded people who instinctively know where we can enjoy the outdoors to the fullest!
Also if you are in the Washington DC greater area. Chambers newest book "Best Hikes with Kids: Washington, DC, The Beltway and Beyond" would be a great resource to find family friendly hikes. Bearfence Mountain is listed as a "difficult family hike" in the book due to the rock scrambling, but it is highly recommended by Chambers.
Hike Date: October 20, 2014
Join in on the conversation by leaving a comment here! You can also join in on the conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter that is updated daily with outdoor activities and other wonderful posts and links from #OutdoorFamilies!
Dawn Day in the Wildlife: The Marine Mammal Center Volunteers & Family Outdoor Education
This is a sponsored post by Dawn and the second post of a four-series posts on my experiences with #DawnDayintheWildlife. To read the first post on the series please click HERE.
As part of our "Day Day in the Wildlife" at The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC), I had the opportunity to shadow a volunteer cleaning the center and possibly making fish milkshakes! Unfortunately, due to infectious diseases that can be passed from mammals to humans during pregnancy, it was highly recommended to not participate in the "active volunteering" part of the event.
Photo Courtesy of Susan Goldman
I was a little disappointed but being early in my pregnancy I didn't want to take any risks. That just meant I spent more time getting to know the wonderful Kathy Crawford, Education Volunteer.
Before I dive into all the work volunteers do a TMMC, thanks to Dawn and their camera crew you can hear exactly what the center provides for families looking for outdoor education and adventure from Kathy herself!
Getting to Know Kathy Crawford, Education Volunteer
Dawn had paired me up with an Education Volunteer like Kathy because she is also a mom and they knew how much I love wildlife and the outdoors! Thanks to people like Kathy many children can learn about marine mammals and what they can do to protect animals from getting injured.
It was very inspiring to listen and learn about Kathy's path that led her to volunteer at TMMC. Being a single mother of three children in Michigan, she didn't have time to volunteer, or any ocean nearby. She wanted to be a marine biologist in college but life ended up taking her on another path.
A couple of years ago, Kathy visited TMMC and decided that if she ever moved to the San Francisco Bay Area that she would definitely wanted to become a volunteer. Last year, Kathy moved to the area and she was able to live out her dream and work with marine mammals primarily in Education but also volunteers in the "Stranding and Releases" areas.
As a youth worker myself, an icebreaker question I love to ask to get conversations rolling is "What is your favorite animal?" and Kathy immediately answered: "Harbor Seals," which led to one of Kathy's favorite volunteer experience which is so touching....
"The one that really touched me was when we had a very premature harbor seal name Myclovial. She was very weak and still covered with fur. She was unable to keep down formula, so we knew she wouldn't have any chance of getting better without nutrition. Normally we do not hold the animals very long, but she was so close to death that my supervisor said I could hold her after we tube-fed her to keep her head up and hopefully keep her meal down. It worked.
But by the third meal, she was really limp and I knew that she probably wasn't going to make it. When I was holding her, she grabbed my finger with her flipper. I felt like she was saying goodbye to me. She died a couple days later, but I just felt we did everything we could and that felt very good." ~ Kathy Crawford, Education Volunteer
With that touching story, the Harbor Seal is now my favorite marine mammal. Kathy spent the rest of the morning teaching me the differences between harbor seals and sea lions and what to do in case we find a injured or stranded marine mammal.
Photo (Left and Right) Courtesy of Susan Goldman.
FYI, Sea lions have little ears and large flippers and harbor seals don't.
Seals & Slippers: Sleep Under the Stars and Summer Camps
Another great program Kathy talked about was the "Seals & Slippers" family program! Families can register to camp at TMMC courtyard and fall asleep under the beautiful night sky with the sounds of the Pacific Ocean and sea lions!
Photo Courtesy of The Marine Mammal Center
This great program allows children participate in fish dissections, observe sea lion feedings, go on a guided hike and most importantly spend quality time with their families! My family will probably join in on the fun once my children are old enough. For more information about this program please visit The Marine Mammal Center website.
Sea Quest is 5-day education summer day camp where children from elementary grades 1st-6th, can explore marine science and ocean conservation! For more information on Sea Quest please visit The Marine Mammal Center website.
A few more amazing facts about TMMC Volunteers:
- TMMC has 1100 volunteers annually! With only 45 paid staff members this organization is primarily run by volunteers.
- All volunteers must be trained depending in the area training can last two days to ongoing "on the job" training.
- Volunteers can be as young as 15 years old and can be part of the "Youth Crew".
- TMMC also provide externships, which provides veterinary students in their final/clinical year to gain experiences under the guidance of veterinary staff/volunteers.
- Volunteers are located in three different locations in Northern California and in Kona, Hawaii!
Chasqui Mom Last Thoughts...
I was truly blown away by how TMMC is run by so many volunteers! These are people who give their time to saving these animal whether its actually working with animals or volunteering for an administrative position in the office. Volunteers are vital to TMMC completing their mission...
"Our mission is to expand knowledge about marine mammals - their health and that of their ocean environment - and to inspire their global conservation." -- The Marine Mammal Center
Thanks to the volunteers like Kathy Crawford and partnerships like TMMC and Dawn, these beautiful animals have a great chance in surviving.
I would like to thank Dawn who provided this sponsored trip. As always these are my true and honest opinions.
Join in on the conversation by leaving a comment here! You can also join in on the conversations on Chasqui Mom's Facebook, Instagram and Twitter that is updated daily with outdoor activities and other wonderful posts and links from #OutdoorFamilies!
On this upcoming Earth Day, April 22, 2017, I encourage your family to participate and learn how to give a little love to Pachamama a.k.a Mother Earth. Here are five ways your family can enjoy and particpate in Earth Day.