What is Florida Wild Mammal Association Inc (FWMA)?

Florida Wild Mammal Association (FWMA) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured/orphaned wildlife.  FWMA is equally dedicated to educating the public on wildlife issues.

How and when did FWMA start?

FWMA was incorporated in August 1994 and moved to Wakulla County in 1995.  FWMA was founded by Chris and Mike Beatty as a place to bring sick, injured and orphaned wildlife in need of treatment and care until recovered and subsequently released back into their natural habitat.

Who runs FWMA?

FWMA is run by a board of directors.  Chris Beatty is the Executive Director.  She and her family own and live on the property and are the main caregivers of the animals.  The facility is run with the commitment of students in the Student Work Program.  FWMA currently uses 6 students in the Student Work Program supervised by one adult.  It is because of the Student Work Program that FWMA is able to continually care for more and more wildlife patients.  The Student Work Program is, in turn, assisted by dedicated volunteers who help by cleaning cages, picking up supplies, presenting education programs, being available for rescue work, performing accounting/bookkeeping functions, organizing fundraising events, preparing publications and helping with the general care of the animals.  Through the services of both students and volunteers, FWMA is able to remain open and care for the growing number of animals it receives each year.  Thank goodness for these very special people who give so freely of their time to help our community.

Where is FWMA located?

FWMA is located on the south side of Crawfordville, Florida in rural Wakulla County on 6-plus acres.  The center provides wildlife rescue services and education programs to Wakulla County and six additional rural, coastal counties from Perry to Panama City.  This area of Florida is commonly known as the Big Bend.  The property was re-zoned to be a wildlife hospital in 1996.  The physical address is 198 Edgar Poole Road, Crawfordville, FL, 32327.  The facility consists of 22 outdoor enclosures, two and one-half acres of deer pens, a small kitchen/animal care room, and a medical room.

How to contact FWMA

By phone: (850) 926-8308    
Website address:  www.wakullawildlife.org
E-mail address: ChoppaOtta@aol.com
If you would like to see pictures of our animals, please visit:
www.wakullawildlife.org - or - http://monalisaphoto.com/wild_wakulla/
Or write to: FWMA, 198 Edgar Poole Road, Crawfordville, FL, 32327.

When is FWMA open?

Unfortunately, FWMA is not open to the public due to permit restrictions but volunteer hours are Monday through Sunday 8 am to 12 noon.  If you find sick, injured or orphaned wildlife, please contact FWMA to arrange for the animal to be brought to the facility as quickly as possible; (remember…animals such as baby birds need to eat every 20 minutes – the first hour is critical to survival).  Please do not feed or provide water for any animal that you have found – the wrong treatment, however well intended, can be fatal.  You may call 24 hours a day for animal emergencies or between 9 am and 4 pm for general inquiries.

What area does FWMA serve?

The center provides wildlife rescue services and education programs to Wakulla County and five additional rural, coastal counties from Perry to Panama City.  This area of Florida is commonly referred to as the Big Bend.  We also provide care to southern Leon County.  Providing wildlife care throughout seven counties is a tremendous undertaking.  

What type of animals does FWMA care for?

Although we are called Florida Wild Mammal Association we take care of all native wildlife including birds.  FWMA also receives exotics and some farm animals on a limited basis.  FWMA DOES NOT provide care for people’s pets.  In 2005 FWMA provided care for:

• 
  

530 wild birds (including hawks, owls, songbirds, seabirds and water fowl)

• 
  

327 mammals (including deer, opossums, squirrels, flying squirrels, beavers and
        bobcats)

• 
  

49 reptiles (including box turtles, gopher tortoises and water turtles)

• 
  

98 exotics & farm animals (including turkeys, geese, pigs, ducks and exotic turtles)

Seventy-four percent (74%) of the animals brought to the facility were released back into the wild or were transferred to other permitted wildlife sanctuaries.  Five percent (5%) remain in care at FWMA. Overall, seventy-nine percent (79%) of the animals brought to FWMA survived.

What is the charge for taking care of wildlife patients?

There is no charge to bring any animal to FWMA for treatment.  Animals are treated until they are recovered and ready to be released.  For those with injuries considerable enough to prevent their return into their natural habitat, FWMA either places them with another permitted education facility or provides a permanent home at FWMA where they often become the stars of our educational programs.  Most of the animals brought to FWMA are sick or injured and require veterinary care, natural diets and special caging.  The cost of running the facility is significant.  All donations are greatly appreciated and are tax deductible.

How many animals are treated at FWMA each year?

Wakulla County and the surrounding counties are being developed at a rapid pace.  Animal interactions with humans increase proportionately as the population grows.  Interactions with people, domestic pets, man-made structures as well as being displaced by development are the main causes of injuries to our wild neighbors.  FWMA provided care for over 1,000 animals in 2005 and is anticipating a caseload of 1,000 to 1,200 animals in 2006; an incredible increase when compared to 1995’s statistics of 73 animals.
What types of injuries are most common in the animals FWMA receives?

Wildlife injuries, such as being hit by cars, caught in fences, caught by cats or dogs, are becoming part of our daily caseload.  In most cases animals become sick, injured or orphaned due to interaction with humans and/or their pets.  Natural disasters such as the wrath of storms that have ravaged the Florida Panhandle are just as deadly to wildlife as they are to humans.  We also see many animals caught in fishing lines, shot, made sick from pollutants, and hung in fences.  Although most of our patients are brought in because of the aforementioned reasons, we have also provided care for animals suffering with West Nile, Distemper, Tetanus and Lung Flukes – these animals are but a small percentage of our overall intake.  FWMA works closely with Wakulla County Health Department during outbreaks of any disease.

What is FWMA’s busiest time of year?

FWMA maintains a full schedule year round.  But our busiest time of the year is from April through September and is what we refer to as “Baby Season”.  An assortment of orphaned wildlife is brought to the center during this time.  Many of those patients are baby birds who require hand-feeding every 20 minutes from sun up to sun down.  Therefore, the nursery remains open from 7 am to 7 pm everyday until Baby Season ends.  At the end of Baby Season, the nursery is closed.  The nursery requires 13 staff hours per day.  The main facility is open year-round and requires 10-11 staff hours per day to maintain 22 outdoor habitats and the medical room.  Baby squirrels, baby opossums, baby foxes, baby raccoons and baby deer arrive on a daily basis too, dehydrated and in need of continual 24-hour care.  The phone literally rings non-stop !! ……this is a great time to volunteer!!!  Along with feeding the patients, all their cages must be cleaned on a daily basis, too.  

Does FWMA offer any education programs?

FWMA offers the local community a wide variety of educational programs.  Our educational programs are constantly evolving. We have excellent partnerships with Wakulla High School, local colleges, the juvenile justice program, and other student-based organizations. We work hand-in-hand with these organizations to offer students the unique opportunity of working in a hands-on capacity with their wild neighbors. Some of these wonderful programs are TOPP (Training Opportunity Placement Program), Project Learning Tree, Project Learn and Serve Grant Program, Environmental Science Classes, and the Scholarship Program. These programs provide students with many special work days that allow them to help with daily FWMA chores such as cleaning and feeding the animals.  In 2005 FWMA added the OJT Program (On the Job Training) and the Student Work Program which enabled FWMA to employ six students throughout the year.

Our Student Work Programs benefit FWMA and reward the students who participate in them.  These programs give us the ability to care for more animals than we ever thought possible.  They allow FWMA staff, teachers, and parents the opportunity to watch these young people learn, grow, become more tolerant of one another and to express a side of themselves not typically seen in school or at home.

FWMA is not a regular 9 to 5 job.  The animals entrusted to our care rely on staff for all of their needs.  If not cared for properly and timely, the animals die.  Students chosen to participate in the Student Work Program are selected from a number of our programs such as the Scholarship Program or the Juvenile Justice Program.  These students come from a variety of economic and family backgrounds and are put together at our facility to form a team.  If one student does not perform their job properly or becomes unreliable, it becomes the responsibility of the other students to pick up the slack.  The teamwork environment has created its own mentor system with students guiding and teaching one another.  Although the team environment was structured by FWMA, the mentoring process was not.  It evolved on its own by the students and has been instrumental in changing so many of the young people’s lives.  FWMA has had the honor of watching all of our students develop compassion and respect not only for wildlife but for the other young people and adults with whom they work.

In addition to the programs listed above, FWMA broadened its Outreach Program.  This program takes education animals (permanent wildlife residents injured too severely to return to the wild) and stories of their adventures to the public for both the young and old to enjoy.  FWMA accommodates many groups and clubs for special building projects and workdays as well as attends events within the local community.  Wakulla Senior Citizen’s Center provides assistance to FWMA by folding the many newspapers required to line wildlife cages on a daily basis.  
   
How much does it cost to run FWMA?

In 2005 it cost approximately $63,280 to run the facility.  In this cost is $5,800 allocated to fund the Student Work Program.  Additional funds were allocated as follows:  $13,800 on otter and pelican habitats and a horse corral.  This equates to approximately $69 per animal.  The average cost of most rehabilitation centers is $67 per animal. If FWMA is able to maintain a cost of $69 per animal and receives its projection of 1,200 animals, operational costs alone in 2006 would be a minimum of $82,800.  However, FWMA’s 2006 budget is estimated at $148,185.   Included in the 2006 budget is an additional $37,385 to add four more students to the Student Work Program; $15,000 for two portable buildings to be used as nurseries; $1,000 to finish the otter habitat; and $12,000 to remodel the critical medical care room.  Budget increases are also attributable to the recent closure of other local wildlife rehabilitation centers resulting in the need for FWMA to increase the number of students in the Student Work Program.

How is FWMA funded?

FWMA has over 300 generous supporters that provided $31,000 in donations during 2005. FWMA was able to raise $3,200 through fundraising activities such as yard sales and silent auctions.  Grants totaling $46,530 were received from private foundations.  FWMA does not receive funding from Wakulla County, State or Federal Government agencies at this time.  We are fortunate to receive a small grant from Leon County for the animals we care for from areas within the Leon County boundaries.

Can anyone visit FWMA?

FWMA is a wildlife rehabilitation center complete with the required State and Federal Permits necessary to carry out its mission.  Permit restrictions do not allow us to publicly display rehabilitating animals.  Therefore, the facility is not open to the public.  If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or sponsor and would like to see the facility, please contact us either by phone or in writing to arrange an appointment.  We are presently seeking land sufficient enough to build a wildlife education center.  This center would be open to the public and it would offer many educational opportunities for the area.  Each year more and more people show an interest in visiting FWMA and its permanent wildlife residents.  Their interest also includes wanting their children to become involved in our programs.  A wildlife education center would allow us to broaden our public accessibility.  A donation of land for this cause would be a great legacy to leave for our children and our children’s children.

What are FWMA’s plans for the future?

FWMA has five short-term goals and one long-term plan:

• 
  

Funding - To continue to raise operating funds necessary for the facility to provide
       wildlife services and education programs to the community.

• 
  

Development - To obtain base funding to cover expansion costs and as a means for
       growth and improvement in the caging and care for our wildlife patients.  In 2006,
       FWMA plans to purchase two 10x30 portable buildings to be converted into wildlife
       nurseries.

• 
  

Student Work Program – To obtain operating funds sufficient to expand and
        increase the number of students in the Student Work Program.

• 
  

Critical Care Room - The addition of a critical care unit will better assist FWMA in
        assessing patient care.  With a critical care unit, small operations can be performed
        on site reducing further trauma to an animal by eliminating the need to transport it to
        another facility or veterinarian’s office.  For animals seriously traumatized and/or
        sick, the critical care unit will provide a quiet area for recovery as well as eliminate
        the danger of exposing other animals to contagious diseases.

• 
  

Habitats - To complete work on the otter habitat that was begun in 2005.

• 
  

Land Purchase - To obtain 15 – 25 acres and respective funding to build a wildlife
       education center.  Here the public would have access to view our permanent
       residents and FWMA could offer nature-based education programs.  This would be
       a wonderful facility to promote Wakulla County and ecotourism.  If you or someone
       you know can help with finding or providing land and/or funding, please get contact
       FWMA!
 
How can I help FWMA?

There are five ways you can help FWMA:

• 
  

Donations:  Monetary donations enable us to provide our services to this region. 
       In-kind donations such as lumber, caging, feed and cleaning supplies (see our wish
       list on our website www.wakullawildlife.org) allow us to use the monetary donations
       for vet care, expansion of the facility and projects that benefit our wildlife patients in
       the care they receive.

• 
  

Become a Volunteer:   There are many volunteer opportunities at FWMA.  For
       example; cleaning cages, taking care of the animals at the facility, chopping fruit,
       folding newspapers, picking up supplies, taking animals to vet offices, building bird
       houses, building habitats, never ending paperwork, fundraising and many, many,
       many more activities – if you have an interest or talent, we can put it to use!!!!
       Group workdays and projects are also appreciated.  Please visit www.wakulla.com
       for a complete list of volunteer positions.  Our articles and volunteer list are located in
       the “About Wakulla County” section.

• 
  

Organize a Fundraiser:  Get a group together to organize a fundraising event
       dedicating the proceeds to FWMA.

• 
  

Sponsor a Building Project:   There are four building projects planned in 2005. 
       Those projects are: 1) Purchase two 10x30 portable buildings for use as wildlife
        nurseries; 2) Outfit each portable building with modern conveniences, i.e. plumbing,
       electric, wall treatments, insulation, flooring, tile, kitchenette, drainage;  3) Remodel
       existing 660 square feet as a critical care unit; and, 4) Completion of otter habitat.
       You can sponsor a building project (or a portion of the project cost).  A list of basic
       estimated costs per project is available upon request. For sponsorship donations of
       $1,000 or more, a building will be named in honor of the sponsor. 

• 
  

Sponsor a Cage:  We have five cages that house some of FWMA’s permanent
       residents. You can sponsor a cage by covering the costs of feed for the animal(s),
       care of the animal(s) and the upkeep of the cage. A detailed list of sponsorship
       options is available upon request. For sponsorship donations of $1,000 or more, an
       animal cage will be named in honor of the sponsor.  

< Prev

You need to login or register to post comments.
Discuss this item on the forums. (0 posts)