l have been a part of a few successful wildlife rescues and educate people on wildlife and environmental issues. We have helped in issues to save wetlands, woodlands etc.to save the precious life within. It is well worth the effort. We can all learn to live and work together. Education is the key. In 2011 I won an education award from Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority for the work and photography I do. Habitat is fast disappearing and with it, many species are also declining in numbers. So many species can actually tell us the health of our environment and alert us to problems we need to know about. They all need to be protected.

Jen's Creative Photography

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Thursday, October 16, 2014

Summer bears


A friend Cori & I did a few trips up north this summer. Starting in Haliburton at a dump we heard we could see bears. Oh boy we saw bears. Big bears.Probably a dozen.5 that we could see and more that we heard over the hill. Saw the garbage flying and the dust with it. Quite the experience. Then we were so lucky to see many mom's and babes in Algonquin Park area. It just seems the bugs were so bad this year and blueberries so plentiful. A lot of people were lucky to get a glimpse.In the 20 years I have done this . I have seen 4 bears. On the run or way in a distance. No photos. It was totally amazing this summer. 17 bears at least and great photos. But safety and respect #1.
















Thursday, October 9, 2014

Another type of rescue


Meet Myrtle the turtle. She is a snapper who is approximately 70 years old give or take. Myrtle is a female who was on route to lay her eggs. Crossing the road she was hit by a car. It has been proven that some people actually hit turtles and snakes purposely. The hate of snappers can be great in some. They have a very bad rap. But in actual fact. Snapping turtles will not chase you in the water or bite your toes off. They live on mostly vegetation on the bottom of were they live. Yes they can take a tiny duckling for example. Or a leg off a gull. Which by the way survive fine. However. Also do pike or other large fish. It is a world of the survival to live. And not all make it. Taking away goslings for example. Is taking away food for another species. That's why so many are born. Mother nature keeps itself in balance if humans would let her. So Myrtle after being hit made her way to the tall grasses of Tiny Marsh were we are conducting a biological survey. Focusing this year on turtles. While looking for dragonflies a couple members of the group came across this injured snapper. Lying there were she could go no further,hurt,in pain and scared. Yes they get scared too. We sprung into action . Called Kawartha Turtle Trauma Center and started the task of getting this turtle to help. Another turtle was awaiting a ride to the hospital as well. So a turtle taxi was set up.And we were under way. It is quite the system that works. KTTC is located in Peterborough. Turtles are given a number as seen here in a photo below. This one was #244 to be admitted,a snapper,and the year 2014. When she arrived at the center she was given pain medication,assessed,wounds flushed and since this wound was open for a while it had bot flies lay their eggs in the wound. Those had to be carefully picked out one at a time by the volunteer staff there. All bandaged up and checked and bandages changed daily. After stable. x-rayed to find her to be a female with 19 eggs. Coaxed to lay some eggs on her own then the rest induced. She successfully laid her 19 eggs which are still in incubation at the hospital. 2 months later she was ready to come home. A turtle has nothing to do with her young. After many hours of hard work and labor,the turtle lays her eggs from 4 to 42 depending on the size and type of turtle it is. So Myrtle will never see her young.And if a female turtle gets killed it will take 100 years to replace that life lost. They are 12 - 20 years old again depending on type of turtle before they are old enough to breed. So helping a turtle across the road for instance the way it is going carefully. YOUR SAFETY FIRST. Is absolutely crucial to their survival. So Myrtle came home 2 months later and was greeted by a news crew from CTV to film her exiting journey back home. And she knew right were to go. She was a star that day and knew nothing about all that. Just that she was home. And she will lay more precious eggs next year. And hopefully many years to come. Doing this turtle survey has been so rewarding. When you see that first little head coming out of an exit hole. All the hours and hard work are all worth while.


                                                            Injured female snapper

  The white in this wound are eggs laid by flies.Had to picked out one by one by staff at KTTC
                                            Putting her into a container for safe transport.
                                              Her arrival back home after 2 months of rehab.
                             Am I really home!!! Myrtle blinks her eyes in the bright sunshine.
                                   Look at that pretty face. Almost looks like she is smiling.
                            Information that each turtle gets upon arrival at the turtle hospital.
 CTV camera woman getting right down to Myrtles level to get the release. Myrtle is heading for the marsh.

                                                                    Wound healed.
  
                                                       Last look before the release.
                                                                    The release.

Mange can be treated

Same fox family as fox below. Another kit only this one in need. With the help of wildlife rescuer Andrew from Toronto Wildlife Center. And a lot of man hours I spent walking and asking questions. Watching and getting her routine down pact.We got her and she is now rehabilitating at TWC. Mange IS treatable. No it;s not rabies. Rabies is actually quite rare now a days thanks to the baiting programs MNR have done. Not sure if they still do it. But when you see a fox that looks like this. Call your local wildlife center. Look them up on google. They can be cured as long as there are no underlying issues.This little one has a mild case. They get much worse. They cant hardly see and get sores as you can see here in one photo. All they need is some caring person to make the call. Also please note that these centers are non profit. Every little bit helps. If you can. It is our donations that allow the doors to stay open and to help our wildlife friends. They get tender loving care,if need be ,surgery just like us, and days sometimes months of rehab care before they are ready to be released.Just like us. Toronto Wildlife Center have been  absolutely amazing for me. We have lost 3 wildlife rehab centers around me in the last few years that I know of. We cant afford to loose even 1. They are maxed to capacity a lot of times and cant take in any more. We need more opened and government funding would be great. But not likely to ever happen. A life is a life. These are living ,breathing beings like ourselves. They feel pain,fright and confusion just like we do.They are being forced to living in our world. Give a helping hand. You will be rewarded in more than one way I assure you.!!








Red Fox Kit

I am blessed with the wildlife that surrounds me. However more and more habitat is disappearing. This young kit is surviving amongst people now. Some accept it and some not so much. And some even go after them after dark with intend to harm or worse. Thanks to our local police we seem to have that under control. For now. Its called neighborhood watch.And more police presence. How anyone could hurt any living thing is beyond me. I was raised around wildlife. Learned to appreciate it and respect it early in life. Best thing my parents ever did for me. And I did for my kids. Unfortunately with more and more people and less habitat for us all. This fox's life is now a challenge to survive. It really is heartbreaking.And as long as I am here,I will continue to educate people on how to live with wildlife in hopes we can all make a difference. I have reached a lot of people. Unfortunately there are some out there that you never will. Tis a cruel world.







Thursday, October 2, 2014

Fall colors attract everyone. On or way to Algonquin we went through Haliburton. This area stopped many people to pull over and take photos. Just breathtaking.






Our arrival into Algonquin was fantastic. Our first nights sunset was spectacular. And it just kept getting better.