The Florida Wild Mammal Association, a non-profit wildlife rescue shelter, has its hands extremely full these days taking care of the victims from Hurricane Dennis.  Chris Beatty, Executive Director of the facility, took in 154 baby brown pelicans who were displaced during the storm.  Although she was able to place 116 of the birds with other shelters, she is struggling to care for the 38 who remain with her, and the situation has reached crisis proportions.  Says Judie Creese, FWMA Volunteer, "(Due to Hurricane Dennis) Chris and FWMA are averaging 5 to 10 new animals a day.  The facility can comfortably house 150 wild patients but is currently housing 225 plus.  There are animals and birds in every square inch of space, including Chris' home.  Chris especially is working non-stop around the clock.  The baby brown pelicans alone will cost FWMA over $21,000 to raise and return to the wild.  Those babies will stay in her care for the next seven months."

The FWMA, a 6 1/2 acre preserve located off Highway 98 on Edgar Pool Road, receives very little government funding.  It has an operating budget of $60,000 with an additional $40,000 needed for maintenance of the facility.  The facility, which was nominated as Non-Profit Organization of the Year by the Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce in April, does qualify for grants and corporate funding.  Unfortunately there are few large corporations located in Wakulla County.  FWMA does receive a few small grants each year but they comprise only 23% of total funding.  At this time the FWMA is $4000 in debt.

There are roughly 30 people who volunteer with the association.  Twelve of them are very active, and the others help out with animal rescue and fundraising.  There are five paid part-time workers; one adult and four teens in the Juvenile Work Program.   Gill (pronounced Jill) Hepple, the only paid adult at FWMA, also volunteers countless hours to FWMA's educational programs and presentations.  Chris also partners with many other agencies, including the Civil Citation Program, the Juvenile Justice Program and a number of programs through Wakulla High School.  (For a complete list of all FWMA's partnerships and associations, please click here.)  According to Creese, because of the closing of the St. Joe Wildlife Sanctuary, FWMA is servicing more of the Big Bend coastal area.  The center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for wildlife concerns and emergencies.  FWMA deals mainly with native wildlife, some exotics and a few farm animals.  No domestics are accepted and there is never a charge to bring an animal to FWMA.

The St. Francis Wildlife Center in Leon County is another group that takes in injured wildlife.  The difference in St. Francis and FWMA, however, is that St. Francis receives county and city funding to help with its $200,000 operating budget.  FWMA does receive a small grant from Leon County to cover the cost of care and housing given to animals taken in from Leon County.  Other than the Leon County Grant, FWMA receives no funding from any other government agency; federally, statewide or locally.

Chris, her husband Michael, and their daughter Jessica are currently sharing their home with a menagerie of animals and birds.  Their day usually begins at 4:00 a.m. and doesn't end until around 10:00 p.m.  The baby birds they are now caring for need to eat every 20 minutes from sunrise to sunset.  The pelicans are now consuming up to 75 pounds of fish a day, which volunteer Patsy Mims has to make weekly trips to St. Joe to buy.  For anyone interested in donating fish, the pelicans eat Bottlefish, Google Eye, Herring and bait fish.

FWMA's Donation Wish List

Regarding donations, a vast assortment of feed and medical supplies are always needed.  The pelican population is an immediate concern.  The cost to raise/rehab the pelicans is $21,926 over the next seven months.  Monetary donations are gratefully accepted and applied entirely to wildlife care.

This is the time of year for local wildlife to have and raise their young.  FWMA is in urgent need of a nursery for the orphaned, injured or sick wildlife babies.  Home Depot has two storage sheds that would work well as a nursery for FWMA:  the "Summer Wind" or the "New Dawning" utility sheds.  Both are available in different dimensions.  To use as a nursery, FWMA would need a shed at least 16X24X17 or larger.  On the Home Depot spec sheet, those costs range from $9,959 to $15,779.

The current medical facility has been outgrown.  An addition is desperately needed.  The estimate for a new wing on the existing building is $24,000.

Also, because of the closing of the St. Joe Wildlife Sanctuary, FWMA needs to build additional coastal habitats and shore bird aviaries because of this closure.  A quote of $16,200 has been received for a new otter habitat.  The various companies involved are ready to start the project as soon as FWMA can secure the funds.

Says Creese, "FWMA is hopeful that our county will see a need to help fund this viable service that preserves our county's unique wildlife and environment.   These natural assets are a large part of what continues to draw newcomers to our area on a daily basis."

If you are interested in helping out, either with monetary donations or by volunteering your time and skills, you can contact the FWMA at:

FWMA (Florida Wild Mammal Association)
Chris Beatty, Executive Director
198 Edgar Poole Road
Crawfordville, FL  32327
(850)926-8308
ChoppaOtta8@aol.com
Visit our website at www.wakullawildlife.org

Judie Creese (Volunteer and Grants Writer)
fraidlin51@aol.com
(850)926-5634

Elizabeth Denmark (Board Member)
lizardden@istal.com

To see a list of FWMA Frequently Asked Questions, please click here.

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