Browsin' for Bears
The Wildlife Center of Virginia (WCV) admits thousands of patients each year consisting of a wide range of species.
The Wildlife Center of Virginia (WCV) admits thousands of patients each year consisting of a wide range of species.
If I could describe the Wildlife Center of Virginia in one word, it would be “education”. Everyone who works at the Center is willing to lend their knowledge to teach someone something they didn’t know before walking through the doors. From the tour groups on open-house days that learn about everything that goes into running the Center, to the volunteers, high-school apprentices, community service helpers, interns, and externs who learn the ins and outs of rehabilitation or veterinary medicine – everyone has something to learn and someone to teach them.
How many of you have actually had the opportunity to live out a lifelong dream? Well I finally have, or will have over the next few months. I have always been entranced by the natural world – so many wondrous things to see and experience. Plants, animals, birds, insects … all existing in their own unique way as they travel through their time on this earth. I am passionate about learning all I can and then finding ways to teach others about these wonders in a way that helps to build a deeper appreciation for the natural world. This, of course, lies at the heart of my dream.
I came to the Wildlife Center excited to learn anything and everything about the wildlife of Virginia. I did not have experience working with wildlife, so I was a bit nervous to start.
As a student pursuing Wildlife Biology, I leaped at the opportunity to extern at the Wildlife Center of Virginia.
Some people come to Virginia for the experience of the beautiful landscape; I came for the experience of conserving the wildlife that comes with the beautiful sights. What’s better than to come to the Wildlife Center of Virginia, which is surrounded by the Shenandoah Valley?
Upon entering the wildlife rehabilitation externship program at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, I could only fathom the crazy adventure on which I was about to embark.
I never thought that I’d work hands-on with wildlife the way that I was able to at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, and I am so incredibly grateful that I got to live the dream.
When I was offered this externship opportunity with the Wildlife Center of Virginia, I knew I couldn’t turn it down, even though it was on the other side of the country. WCV is such a renowned institution and one of the best places to learn and get hands-on experience with wildlife, and I have not been disappointed.
Smooth baby fur, eyes still closed, and tiny paws latching onto everything. No bigger than the palm of my hand and reaching out in hunger and curiosity.