TRACKS FROM
TURTLE RIDGE A nonprofit 501(c)(3) dedicated to the preservation of the environment and peaceful coexistence
with nature.
Wildlife Am·bas·sa·dor noun
A high ranking official representative of the
animal kingdom.
Sometimes even our best efforts aren’t enough
and an injury is so severe the animal can never be
released. These beautiful creatures are allowed to
live out their lives with us at Turtle Ridge as a
wildlife ambassador. Join us for Wildlife Warrior
Weekend (details on page 7) to meet our special
friends!
Turtle Ridge Wildlife
Center provides
injured and
orphaned, native
wild animals a
second chance at life.
Veterinary Advisors
Erica Lipanovich, DVM
Janette Ackermann, DVM
Richard Hillmer, DVM
Don Howard, DVM
‘The Wildlife and Its
Habitat Cannot
Speak…So We Must
and We will…
Theodore Roosevelt
Board of Directors
Debbie Sasser-President
Robyn Baty-Vice President
Stephen Goins-Secretary
Genevieve Sheridan-
Member
Francesca Morrison-
Member
Staff Directors
Jessy Gill-Animal Care
Director, Development
Director, Center Manager
Mary Bliss-Volunteer
Executive Director
Charles Harmansky-
Johnson-Executive Assistant
& Assistant Animal Care
Director
Advisory Board
Brian Bliss
Vickie Stiteler
Fall – Winter 2016
Aztec, golden eagle,
has only one wing
Cawner, American crow Our Mascot, Optimus,
Sulcata Tortoise
Cheyenne, American
Kestrel
Griffin, Turkey Vulture,
enjoying the rain
COMMENTS FROM MARY BLISS, VOLUNTEER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Listening to an interview
recently on NPR, I heard a
statement that really made an
impact. The interviewee
referenced a line from the film
“The Untouchables“ and Sean
Connery’s character responded
to another who was
complaining about the state of
affairs in his community,
“What are you prepared to do
about it?”
Turtle Ridge Wildlife Center
was started in 2005 to fill a gap
in our community – taking care
of wild animals that are
displaced, injured, sick or
orphaned. We are 1 of only 2
Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers
in Western Oregon that take all
species. One is in Corvallis and
we, in Salem, serve Marion,
Polk, Yamhill and all the
counties in and surrounding
Portland. We are permitted for
Birds (including Raptors &
Waterfowl) as well as
Mammals. We saw the
problem in our community –
there was no one for these
animals. So we prepared – with
volunteers, training and a
vision. This year we will finish
with intake of 1,300 individual
animals and suspect this will
continue to steeply grow. Our
mission is very passionate for
us. Simply, we want to end the
suffering. We provide medical
care to those injured or sick and
we raise orphans to healthy
juveniles ready to be on their
own and released back to a safe
and natural environment.
Oregon was the number 1
relocation state for people in
2015. Every year about 35,000
people are moving to
Western/Central Oregon and
this is putting extreme pressure
on our wildlife. Since 2000,
Oregon has lost over 500,000
acres of pristine forest and
600,000 acres of agricultural
land. Much of this is in the
Willamette Valley
(Oregonwild.org). This loss of
habitat has a direct impact on
our beautiful wild animals.
All of us get weary. But never
do we lose our passion. All it
takes is one look in the eyes of a
cold and starving baby or feel
the pain of a broken wing and
we know we can keep doing it
and keep doing it. We are their
only hope.
We are a business like any
other business with utilities and
insurance bills and
maintenance on our equipment,
buildings and grounds. We are
frugal and creative in saving
every dollar we can. Our
budget of $150,000 is low for
what we do – very low. But
you can imagine how hard it is
to raise that every single year
when we don’t charge for our
services. It surprises many to
hear that we receive not a dime
in funding from any federal,
state, county or city sources.
We rely SOLELY on private
donations and a few small
grants.
If you love the beautiful flora
and fauna of our state, can you
help us do our part? Are you
prepared to do something
about it by helping us? We
need you!
“We are their only hope…We need you!”
Newborn Raccoon
Baby Barn Owlets
Chipmunk
Baby Skunks
4 of 10 American
Kestrel hatchlings Cedar Waxwings &
American Robins
Great Horned Owlet
American
Bushtit
Fledgling
Raccoon
Fitness
Circuit!
Green Heron
hatchling
Scrub Jay
fledgling
showing off
his new
feathers
Northern Flying Squirrel
BABY BEAVERS TEAM UP FOR RELEASE
Two of our cutest orphans this
season were a pair of baby
beavers. Justin (as in Bieber) was
found abandoned in the Detroit
Lake area. The rescuer watched
for three hours but no adult
beaver came for the kit, which
quickly became cold and weak.
Because it was becoming
hypothermic, the rescuer
brought him to us. Justin
responded well to treatment and
regular bottle feedings. Once his
immediate medical needs were
met, the next challenge was
making plans for the long term.
Young beavers need a lot of time
to mature and grow strong
enough to survive in the wild.
However, it is difficult to raise a
single orphan in captivity, which
is stressful for them.
We were very fortunate when the
Portland Audubon Society
partnered with us to raise an
orphaned beaver, MoMo, that
came into their care. Both Justin
and MoMo were only a couple
weeks old and still nursing so it
was a perfect match. It was a
challenge to keep baby bottle
nipples on hand, though. We lost
at least one during each feeding
because of their very sharp teeth!
While Justin and MoMo didn’t
bond immediately, they soon
became a force to be reckoned
with! They teamed up well,
practiced swimming together, and
were eventually weaned onto
solid food. A critical release
condition for beavers is the ability
to a build a den and it was with
joy and relief that we watched
them work cooperatively on their
first home.
Justin
the
Bieber
Justin and MoMo
Avoiding Conflict –
We Can Help! Beaver and human
interactions have
increased as we expand
into their habitat. Many
adult beavers are
brought to us with
severe injuries, often
human inflicted. There
are solutions for
humans and beavers to
co-exist without
harming each other.
Please contact us for
more information at
503-540-8664.
Importance of Beavers in Our Ecosystem 85 percent of all native North American fauna rely on wetlands.
Beavers create ponds and wetlands that:
Provide winter habitat for cutthroat trout & Coho salmon
Provide habitat for plants and animals and critical nesting and
foraging areas for game and songbirds
Improve water quality by removing toxins and sediment
Control downstream flooding, and provide buffer zones for
wildfires
Promote vegetative growth to stabilize stream banks
Two streams near Elko, NV: Trout Creek on left and
Cottonwood Ranch on right where beaver live. Ranch owner
planned to kill the beavers until he noticed that they diverted
water into the region. (Photo: courtesy of Sarah Koenigsberg)
WILDLIFE WARRIORS SAVING A LIFE
By Jean Daugherty It was my first time alone at the
center and quite frankly, I was
a little nervous. The phone
rang; Aaron needed directions
as he had an unconscious red
tail hawk in the cab of his truck.
I gave him directions hoping I
was right since I was new to
Salem and could barely find the
place myself. He said he saw
the hawk get hit by a semi on I-
5 by Wilsonville. He pulled
over, braved traffic and secured
the bird in his coat. He had
called several other centers but
no one had answered so he
kept driving until I picked up
the phone at Turtle Ridge.
He arrived about 10 minutes
later just as the hawk was
regaining consciousness,
battling its way out of the coat.
One of the defining features of
a raptor is strong talons, its
means of hunting and survival
that is highly dangerous to a
human attempting to restrain it.
I grabbed my welder gloves
and wrangled the hawk safely
out of the truck; luckily I came
to Turtle Ridge with 10 years’
experience at Cascade Raptor
Center. Since I was alone, I
handed Aaron another pair of
gloves and instructed him on
how to restrain the hawk so I
could do an exam. Aaron’s
eyes were huge as I handed
him the hawk. I covered the
hawk’s eyes with a small towel
and it stopped
fighting; covering
the eyes
significantly lowers
the stress of the
animal and allows
for a less traumatic
experience. I did a
quick exam, gave it
20cc of oral fluids and some
Metacam for pain. Luckily
nothing appeared to be broken
(x rays would be taken later to
confirm) and we put him away
to rest until our center
manager, Jessy, returned and
could do a full exam.
I thanked Aaron for his bravery
in being a Wildlife Warrior and
discussed the possibility of
assisting with release should
the hawk be able to return to
the wild. He enthusiastically
agreed. The hawk suffered a
concussion and some body
bruising but recovered
beautifully with rest, good
food, quiet surroundings and
quality medical care. Three
weeks later I met with Aaron at
a beautiful park in Wilsonville.
We wanted to return the hawk
to the area it came from but
well away from I-5. We walked
through a field to a quiet stand
of oak trees, I pulled the hawk
out of the carrier and handed
him to Aaron who gently
pointed him toward the trees,
gave a gentle lift and push
while releasing his grip on the
legs. The hawk exploded into
flight and landed in the nearest
tree. From there, he surveyed
his surroundings for almost 10
minutes before taking off in full
flight into the blue sky. The
experience was over fairly
quickly but the emotions of
delight, awe, gratitude and
wonder will last a lifetime.
At Turtle Ridge we call the
folks like Aaron Wildlife
Warriors because there is a
battle raging against our
feathered and furred creatures
amid pollution, habitat
destruction and at times,
human arrogance. In my 12
years of wildlife rehabilitation
I’ve experienced many truly
sad tales of our wildlife paying
the price for human comfort;
however, I have also
experienced the Aaron’s of the
world, those people who are
WILLING to be courageous,
caring and don’t hesitate to go
the extra mile to save a
feathered or furred creature.
For all of you Wildlife Warriors
I say THANK YOU!
“Just then I saw a young hawk flying and my soul began to rise. And pretty soon my heart was singing.” Bob Seger
NEW BEGINNINGS It was a captivating moment for
the newlyweds and American
Kestrels. It started with a wedding
and ended with the release of
kestrels that had been raised as
orphans at Turtle Ridge Wildlife
Center. Here is the story told by
Gabriele Keeler of Keeler Estate
Vineyards:
“It was an early August outdoor
wedding. My husband, Craig,
made his favorite trip to Turtle
Ridge to pick up four Canadian
Geese and seven Kestrels for
release. When he returned, the
wedding ceremony was just over
and the reception had just begun.
The young couple wanted to get
away for a few moments
and spend a little quiet
time on our observation
deck. It is the highest
part of our vineyard
with a spectacular view
over the Willamette
Valley to the south and a
magnificent old oak
forest to the north. It is a
special place.
Completely unrehearsed, we
decided to bring the kestrels to
this place and asked the bride and
groom to release them, so the
birds could start a new life as they
were starting their new life. It was
a moving moment for all of us,
but something so special the new
couple will remember the rest of
their lives. Later in the evening,
the Canadian Geese came and
crashed the wedding reception to
the delight of all. It was the very
best day ever.”
The Keelers and Turtle
Ridge partner in providing
safe and appropriate release
sites for wildlife. Craig and
Gabriele share our
commitment to a sustainable
environment and they are
true guardians of the
ecosystem. In 1989 they
bought a rundown 200-acre
farm located in Amity that was
abandoned and overgrown
with blackberry bushes. They
slowly cleared the land and
replanted using Biodynamics,
a holistic, ecological and
ethical approach to agriculture.
It’s very demanding and labor
intensive, but reflects their love
and passion for the environment. Their creation is a natural,
interconnected ecosystem that includes the vineyard, streams, ponds, gardens, fruit trees, avian perches, bees,
and native mushrooms…all intended to promote wildlife.
“You have no idea how much joy you and your precious animals give to us.” Gabriele Keeler
Photos courtesy of Keeler Estate Vineyards. Top: Newlyweds & American Kestrels. Bottom Clockwise
from top left: Observation Deck & vineyard; Butterfly and wildflowers illustrate their Biodynamic
process; Craig & Gabriele releasing ducks; Pond with waterfowl nesting platform.
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
An industrious group of 8 to 10-
year old Cub Scouts built and
donated bird nesting boxes to
Turtle Ridge. This was a project at
a Willamette District summer cub
scout day camp and many troops
were involved.
These lovely nesting boxes will
provide the perfect habitat for our
resident Swallows! Last season we
rescued more than 50 Tree and
Violet-Green Swallows and over
30 were soft released on the
property. A soft release happens
when we open their cages and
they can come and go whenever
they want. We continue to
provide food and shelter while
they refine their survival skills
and develop the strength they
need for winter migration. They
make an amazing journey from
Oregon to Central America every
year and true to their nature, our
swallows returned to Turtle Ridge
the following Spring to nest. They
swooped down at our faces as
though greeting us. It was a joy to
see them return looking so
healthy after their long journey.
With an abundance of food and
their new nesting boxes, the
swallows returning next Spring
will thrive as well. We are grateful
for the Cub Scout support.
YOU CAN BE A WILDLIFE WARRIOR! The first Saturday of every month
is Turtle Ridge Wildlife Warrior
Weekend. You can take a tour of
the facilities and see the kind of
work we do here. The tour
includes an hour long educational
program with a slideshow of our
wildlife. You also have the
opportunity to meet our wildlife
Ambassadors:
Crows: Cawner and Ziggy
Sulcata Tortoise: Optimus
Arabian Trumpeter Pigeon:
Radagast
American Kestrel: Cheyenne
Turkey Vulture: Griffin
Golden Eagle: Aztec Doves:
Pillsbury and Doughboy
And a handful of chickens!
The tour is led by Jean
Daugherty who has 15 years
of raptor handling skills. She
is an amazing expert on
raptors and has been at Turtle
Ridge for two years. This is a
great program for the whole
family. The program begins
at 1:00 pm. Please join us. We
ask for a small donation to help
cover costs: $20 for group
(unlimited size); $6 for adults; $3
children. To sign up please call
our center at 503-540-8664.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology observed two Violet-green Swallows assisting a pair of Western
Bluebirds in raising their young. The swallows guarded the nest and cared for the bluebird nestlings.
Fledging survival was greater when the swallows provided active care. Swallows benefit from the
cooperative relationship by inheriting the nest box after the bluebird parents and fledglings leave.
Hungry Swallow Hatchlings Swallows Getting Ready to Fledge
OUR OWN WILDLIFE DREAM TEAM
HITCHIN' A RIDE WITH PAPA FRED
Fred Roes is a faithful Turtle
Ridge volunteer whose work is
critical to our mission. He
provides transport for a rescue
animal when the finder is unable
to bring it to us. Fred will pick up
anything, anywhere! He does it
with loving care and even comes
back the next day to see how the
animal is doing. Caring for
animals creates a lot of trash, and
Fred makes many trips to the
landfill for us. More importantly,
he picks up
food that
Marion-Polk
Food Share is
unable to use.
That amounts
to about 1,100
pounds of
food each
month, which
helps feed
hungry
patients. He
makes a positive connection
with staff and other volunteers,
and enjoys being part of the
team. He is passionate about
our mission and committed to
his work for us. He can’t say no
to any request for help and is
like a dad to Jessy! He feeds the
soul of those he touches. It is
wonderful to know that there
are others out there like us who
will go above and beyond for
wildlife.
Jessy Gill and Charles Harmansky-Johnson are the core
of our team at Turtle Ridge. They are serious,
hardworking individuals bound by an unshakable
passion for saving wildlife. They can take an incredibly
daunting case and work through it step by step to reach
the correct conclusion that will allow an animal to heal
and regain its potential.
They are a great team because they support each other
in every facet of wildlife rehabilitation from bottle
feeding babies to training volunteers to handling
medical issues. Their communication is seamless, almost
as though they can read each other’s mind. In spite of
the pain that comes when a patient cannot be helped,
they balance out the heartache by maintaining a sense of
humor. While the workload is huge and challenging,
they still find the time to make it fun. They each have
unique skills that together get things done: humility,
dedication, hard work, loyalty, and excellence.
GRIFFIN’S NEW HOMEGriffin was brought to us as a
juvenile who had been found
wandering in circles in a field
for several days. Sadly, he can't
be released back in the wild
because of an eye deformity
from an injury in the nest. We
raised him with a lot of social
interaction to help him adjust to
captive life and he has thrived.
He turned two on September
3rd, International Vulture
Awareness Day!
As an educational raptor, he
inspires others with his
amazing ability to adapt to his
vision problems. He serves a
valuable role in teaching us
about the importance that
vultures play in our ecosystem.
Vultures do not hunt live prey.
Instead, they fed on carcasses of
dead animals, which keeps our
ecosystem clean and healthy.
This incredible species is too
often misunderstood by
humans and several types of
vulture are under threat of
extinction. As a Wildlife
Ambassador, he raises
community awareness of their
value.
Once it was clear Turtle Ridge
would be Griffin’s forever
home, he needed a habitat
to meet his special needs.
Our budget is limited, but
longtime volunteer Stan
Perry and his wife, Gail,
stepped in to help! With
their sponsorship in
memory of family
members, Ida
Cherrier and
Bernice Perry,
Griffin now has
beautiful
accommodations.
His enclosure was
designed to provide
direct sunlight on his
yoga stump from sunrise to
mid-afternoon. He has his own
fountain with fresh running
water (vultures love water) and
he’s protected from the harsh
winter rain and wind. Stan
comes out twice a week and
cleans enclosures for Griffin
and the other
raptors.
That’s not all…Stan
put a fresh coat of
paint on all of our
existing and
expansion buildings,
giving them new life!
Now that the
painting is done, he
may be wondering
what’s next. Jessy
says, “don’t worry
Stan, I still have a to-
do list for you and Charles will
make sure the weather
cooperates!”
FOR THE LOVE OF WOLFWe are blessed by the generosity
of Diane and Terry Ostergaard
who provided the resources to
build a wall and door for our
intensive care unit. In addition to
the advantage of sound proofing,
it has made it easier for us to
manage contamination issues and
provide a secure, less stressful
environment for our patients.
When the Ostergaard’s cat, Wolf,
was treated for cancer at the OSU
veterinary clinic, they expressed
their gratitude by making fleece
kennel pads for the hospital beds
to keep the patients warm and
comfortable. Seeing a similar need
at Turtle Ridge, they made us an
amazing stack of custom fleece
cage liners, mammal pouches,
heating pad covers, insert liners
for baby bird nests, and giant
knitted geese and duck nests. The
softness of the fleece allows us to
pad and support the injured area
to facilitate healing and provides
warmth until circulation is fully
restored. In return, we are
dedicating the ICU remodel to
their beloved Wolf.
Griffin on his yoga stump
Stan with
Ambassador
Pillsbury!
Fresh paint & Julie’s Garden
A WINNING SEASON WITH OUR FIRST INTERN We are grateful that Kyla Cain
chose to work with us in our
Internship Program. She
graduated from OSU with a
degree in zoology and joined us
for hands-on experience in
rehabilitating wildlife. Her goal
from the beginning has been to
use what she studied to “make a
difference in
the lives of
animals.”
Kyla is a
kind, caring,
and gentle
spirit who
faced each
day and
every
challenge
with a
radiant smile on her face. She fit
in perfectly with a diverse group
of staff and volunteers and never
complained. According to Center
Manager, Jessy Gill, she knew
when to ask the right questions
and had an amazing ability to
“read” animals and easily grasp
what was needed to help them.
Kyla said she loved the experience
we provided, learned a lot, and
feels that this knowledge will take
her much further in her field. Her
enthusiasm and energy truly
demonstrated how much she
really wanted to be here and
support our mission.
Having an intern during the
busiest season of our year showed
just how much they can
contribute to our future success.
Interns will
enable us to
do our best
work by
relieving
workload
stress,
allowing us
to
concentrate
on animal
care rather
than endless retraining when
volunteers move on, and ensuring
consistency in care that comes
from commitment and invested
interest in this work. The hands-
on experience we provide is
something that they can take back
into the community.
STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART - JESSY GILL, ANIMAL CARE DIRECTOR, CENTER
MANAGER, DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Turtle Ridge is a magical place.
It’s a place where everyday events
turn quickly into miraculous
accomplishments. What we do is
apply an amazing amount of time
and energy to save the lives of
animals. How we do it is a gift
from the incredible people who
live in this very community.
Whether it’s your neighbor who
brought us an injured animal and
expressed heartfelt gratitude for
our services – or a dedicated
volunteer who
comes in every
week to help us
care for the rescued
animals – or a
donor who just
drops in to say, “I
care.” There are simply no words
to describe how much it moves
my heart.
Truly what makes our
organization so special is the
people who want to be
involved. I have the
privilege of connecting
with the most generous
and compassionate people
in our community. I am
humbled and it heals me
each time I see the
teamwork that goes into saving
wildlife. The beauty that comes
from our work is what makes it
worthwhile. I am so grateful for
every caring individual who
supports our mission and makes
us amazing and magical!
Interns need a comfortable, private place to live during their internship and we can’t
offer that at this time due to limited funds. We would be grateful if you have time,
money, or supplies to help meet this need. Please let us know!
HEARTFELT THANKS TO OUR
PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS
Special thanks for your grants, supplies, and
services that made it possible for us to
accomplish our mission!
Grant for wildlife
food and supplies
Wildlife Support
Charitable Trust Karen Schroth Foundation
Grant for operational costs Grant for wildlife medical supplies
Grant for wildlife
food and supplies Grant for wildlife food
We appreciate your help
with projects that would be
impossible without you.
We are grateful for your weekly
food boxes and bag refunds.
Very special
thanks to Marion-
Polk Food Share
for generosity: a
freezer full of meat
& baby food that
simplified weaning
baby mammals.
Special thanks to Matt at
South Salem Ace
Hardware for generously
providing supplies at a
discount.
A Big thank you to Carlton Plants in
Dayton, OR for the generous
donation of 40 trees and 30 shrubs!
Thank you for the knitted
nests to keep our baby
songbirds snug & warm. Thank you, Don for your
technical expertise and work
on our building projects.
Montgomery Construction
(503) 581-6468
Turtle Ridge Wildlife Center
PO Box 768
Salem, OR 97308
UPCOMING EVENTS AND PROJECTS
Eagle Scout Project – November 2016
Alec Nordlund with Salem Boy Scout Troop 19 is planning a service project
for his Eagle Scout designation. He has plans to build an outdoor covered
area that will allow us to expand our educational programs and
accommodate tours and field trips, rain or shine. He will organize the labor
of other scouts and raise funds through community support. If you can
help with materials, please contact Alec at 503-798-1512.
Nature Walk and Run – Spring 2017
This will be a fun event for the whole family. Walkers (the Tortoises) can
follow a path with stops featuring activities to learn more about wildlife.
Runners (the Hares) can challenge themselves on an all-terrain course that
will include official timing for those looking for a competitive event and
wish to measure their progress. Sign up includes a small registration fee that
goes directly to the care of our patients.
See our website for “Ways You Can Help Us”
http://www.turtleridgewildlifecenter.org/WP/how-to-help/
Mission Statement
To provide treatment &
necessary care to sick,
injured, or orphaned
wildlife and return
them to their natural
habitat.
To enhance awareness
of and appreciation for
the environment, foster
a connection between
humans and Oregon’s
wildlife through
education programs
and referrals.
To give people an
avenue through which
they can express their
value of life and the
natural environment by
providing humane
skilled care to wild
animals.
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