2019 Year in Review: Katie Attas, Wildlife Rehabilitator

It’s time to look back on 2019! Check our blog between Christmas and New Year’s for a variety of stories and memories of 2019 from the staff and volunteers of the Wildlife Center of Virginia.

What I remember most from 2019 is becoming a full-time wildlife rehabilitator here at the Wildlife Center of Virginia! I have only been here for about a month now, but I already have plenty of great memories, with many more to come.

I recently moved to Waynesboro from Long Island, New York, in my converted school bus with my husband and MANY animals. Currently, we have five rats, four mice, a turtle, a dog, a cat, a millipede, two cockroaches, and a marbled salamander. It’s a lot to fit into a little more than 200 square feet of living space, but thankfully my husband and I are minimalists, except for adopting animals! Since moving here, we LOVE getting to know the area and hiking with our dog in Shenandoah National Park, as well as gaining new friends through work.

The people I work with every day are extremely welcoming and fun to work with. Being able to learn from more experienced people on a daily basis is very exciting for me since I love to learn new things, especially about wildlife and conservation. At the Wildlife Center of Virginia, I have already worked with several new species I had never come across in New York, including a Clapper Rail, Black Bears, and Bobcats. I have learned new techniques and already had the opportunity to perform them – procedures like placing carpal bumpers on a Bald Eagle, coping a Great Horned Owl, and catching a juvenile Black Vulture. As I finish most of my training and start to step into my new role here as wildlife rehabilitator, I am very excited to add to my memories for next year!

-- Katie Attas, Wildlife Rehabilitator

Check out all of our year-in-review posts!

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