Here is a good example of a news article. It was written by Liana Knapp and edited by Josh Mays.
Paws and Hands Unite
Some are volunteers, some are trained specialists, and they treat strange cases of dehydration, burns, poisons, and frightened orphans. Who are these amazing people? They are the staff at the Second Chance Wildlife Center (SCWC) in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Each year people from all over the state save the lives of hundreds of animals by bringing orphaned ducks, burned squirrels, and confused ground hogs to the wildlife center for help and care.
SCWC has used its resources to the extreme; in an old rundown farmhouse, they have squeezed an examination room, kennel and storage area into three small rooms. With a few outdoor cages and kennels they manage to fit birds, squirrels, hawks, owls, bunnies, opossums and many other animals too. The center takes all kinds of animals less than 35 pounds; however, they do not accept domestic animals. There are two rooms upstairs. The first room is the rabies room to hold and to examine raccoons and foxes. The quiet room is for hawks, owls, and traumatized animals that need to rest without noises from the other animals.
This center is not a “catch, release, and enjoy life” program, NO; they really make sure that the animals are healthy and fit for the wild before they release the animals. Terri Mitchell, a volunteer, agrees, “There are two goals, one for the animal to get well, and two for the animal to survive own its own.”
Sometimes, the animal is not fit for the wild so the SCWC staff orders papers that legally make the animal theirs. For example, in 1999, a young opossum named Traveler made her way to the wildlife center. The extensive interaction with people tamed Traveler and made it impossible to return her to the wild. Instead, the manager, Chris, used Traveler for educational purposes and took her to different public school demonstrations. Traveler eventually ended up on different TV shows and Fox5 news!
Through my personal experiences, I believe the Second Chance Wildlife Center does exactly what the name says: it gives second chances. For instance, last summer a young white-breasted nuthatch tried its first flight and failed. The bird was not injured, but it was unable to take care of itself on its own. My family helped slide the nuthatch into a cage and took it to SCWC. When we got there, we took the bird to the examination room and one of the volunteers carefully took the bird out, weighed it, and gave us information in case this situation happened again. About a month later, my family received an email telling us the nuthatch had been released and was now living happily in the wild.
Volunteers and vets work hard to help wild animals regain their health. Terri Mitchell has volunteered since 2008 and has found it a rewarding experience. Students as young as 15 year of age can volunteer at the center to receive high school credit. During the summer, college interns volunteer to earn experience towards their degree. I can’t wait to volunteer at SCWC and help save hurt and sick animals.
