Mary Cummins Wildlife Rehabilitation Animal Advocates News Los Angeles California: wildlife rehabilitation

Showing posts with label wildlife rehabilitation. Show all posts

Friday, June 28, 2024

Recognizing and Understanding Bias for Animal Welfare Professionals , Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

Recognizing and Understanding Bias for the Animal Welfare Professional was a great class. I learned about the different types of human conscious and unconscious biases. Humans in order to survive have basic instincts and biases. We are fearful and distrusting of things which are new or different from ourselves. The us versus them is a survival mechanism. Our perceptions can change over time based on our experiences. All these things affect how we view the world, others and how we react. The class went into the different types of biases. It then went into how to control our biases in our reactions and behavior so we can treat people and the situation fairly and properly.

There was an interesting class experiment. Instructor told us to close our eyes and imagine we're going on a plane trip to a seminar we're really interested in. We go to the hotel and see a couple in love at the restaurant. We go to the seminar and listen to the presenters speak. Then the instructor told us to open our eyes. He asked us "what did the pilot of the plane look like in your mind? Were they a white man? What color and orientation was the couple? What did the presenters look like?" He showed photos of a female pilot in hijab, a same sex couple and black and disabled speakers. He asked if that was what we imagined? He said these biases are formed based on our experiences in real life, in movies, books...

From the class description, "Our brains are amazing at making connections, doing work, and making decisions without us ever realizing it. Like when you drive home and realize as you're parking that you don't really remember the drive - yup - your unconscious brain played navigator so you could zone out a bit. However, these unconscious connections and processes can have a lasting effect on how you do your job.

Join us as we discuss different types of bias and how they unconsciously invade your decisions and actions on and off the job.

- Learn to identify 5-8 different bias types

- Understand how bias and cynicism can play off of each other;

- That bias, while often thought of as a negative, is actually an evolutionary necessity that we can earn to identify and work on

- And how to create a shared language around bias so your entire team can work on being more aware of these unconscious traps."

https://www.justiceclearinghouse.com/resource/recognizing-and-understanding-bias-for-the-animal-welfare-professional/

Jace Huggins with San Diego Humane Society was the host. I took my two week Humane Officer training at San Diego Humane Society in 2005.

Below are a few slides. I suggest taking the class because the instructor shares a lot of stories, examples, tests and polls.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

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Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins of Cummins Real Estate Services has been in real estate since 1983, over 35 years. She is licensed by the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers. Mary Cummins was an agent and broker licensed with the California Department of Real Estate selling residential income, commercial buildings, raw land and homes for Merrill Lynch Realty in Beverly Hills and Westside Properties in Los Angeles before concentrating on appraisals. Mary Cummins currently provides real estate appraisals, expert witness testimony, historical research, legal real estate research for mortgage brokers, banks, lawyers, factors, insurance companies, financial consultants and private individuals. Mary Cummins was born and raised in Southern California. Cummins attended Beverly Hills Good Shepherd Catholic School and Beverly Hills High School. Besides being on the Dean's list, Mary Cummins was a top ten national swimmer and competed on the men's water polo team. Mary Cummins began college at the age of 15 attending the University of Southern California on scholarship, majoring in Psychology/Sociology. http://www.animaladvocates.us http://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdvocatesUSA

Thursday, June 27, 2024

IWRC - A Big Problem with Little Animals, How Insect Declines Affect Wildlife - Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

gwen pearson, mary cummins, animal advocates, insects, iwrc, international wildlife rehabilitation council, wildlife rehabilitator, wildlife rehabilitation,insects, entomology, wildlife, xerces, los angeles, california

IWRC International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council Coffee & Tea: A big problem with little animals: how insect declines may affect wildlife webinar.

"A growing pile of research papers document insect declines across the globe. What does this mean for wildlife, as well as humans? We'll look at how deeply embedded insects are in ecosystems, and how declines in insects may harm birds and other wildlife.

Gwen Pearson serves as a Volunteer Ambassador for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a non-profit organization focused on conserving invertebrates and their habitat. She has a PhD in entomology, and has worked in zoo and bird sanctuary settings."

Great presentation by entomologist, educator and speaker Dr Gwen Pearson with Xerces Society. Learned a lot about the importance of insects for wildlife, humans and our environment. Dr. Gwen Pearson is a wonderful speaker. You really need to watch her presentation. IWRC recorded it.

In summary insect populations are down for many reasons. Birds and mammals feed on insects. This causes bird, mammal populations to also be reduced. We must take steps to help the insects. Some of those steps are not using pesticide, getting rid of some of your lawn, planting native plants, don't rake leaves and leave stems on the ground.

Below are a few quick things I learned from the presentation.

General consensus is that one should not don't release captive reared monarchs because of bacteria contamination which ends up spreading into the wild population.

We should plant organic milkweed.organic. Make sure it's never treated with Neonicotinoid pesticides which stay in the plant forever.

Keeping non-native honey bees is a business. It's not conservation. Honey bees now have diseases which they pass on to native bees.

Most native bees are solitary. 3/4 bees nest in the ground. They only have 12 eggs in their lifetime whereas honey bees can have 1,000.

Lawns are the number one irrigated crop in the US. They're almost all treated with dangerous pesticides.

Bees come out after a few days of a certain temperature. Plants bloom based on daylight hours. They don't always align together so bees may not get enough food especially bees which only feed on certain flowers.

Feeder insects should be treated humanely. They should not be crowded. Must have good healthy varied food with calcium. The insects need calcium for their exoskeleton and other functions. Animals that eat insects also need calcium. @bug_gwen @theiwrc @animaladvocatesusa @mary_cummins #IWRC #internationalwildliferehabilitationcouncil #marycummins #AnimalAdvocates #animaladvocate #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #wildliferehabber #wildlife #wildliferescue

Below are just a few slides from her presentation. You must see her full presentation with all the slides.

Mary Cummins

Thursday, June 13, 2024

National Pigeon Appreciation Day by Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

National Pigeon Appreciation Day is celebrated on June 13th to honor pigeons that served in World War I and World War II as messengers and spies, and to challenge the misconception that pigeons are pests and disease-ridden. We've rescued many non-native pigeons including racing, wedding, homing and fancy pigeons. The pigeon sitting on an unfertile egg is Patty Pigeon rescued by Patty Shenker at then Animal Acres which is now Farm Sanctuary in Acton, California. #nationalpigeonappreciationday #pigeon #pigeonlove #pigeonrescue #marycummins #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferhabilitator #wildliferescue #losangeles #california #rockdove #homingpigeon #weddingpigeon #racingpigeon

Mary Cummins

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council IWRC Connections and Networking in Latin America and the Caribbean - Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

We just attended the The International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council IWRC "Connections and Networking in Latin America and the Caribbean" seminar. Dr. Sallaberry-Pincheira was the host of the IWRC’s Coffee & Tea event. It was a unique opportunity to deepen our connections and expand our network within wildlife conservation across Latin America & the Caribbean. Learned a lot about the status of wildlife rehabilitation in Mexico, Chili, Peru and Brazil. They have to deal with wildlife trafficking, wildfires, drought and climate change. They also have to deal with a lack of wildlife rehabilitation facilities, insufficient wildlife care regulations, lack of sufficient funding, lack of coordination and organization. IWRC is working on a Spanish version of the wildlife rehabilitation manual. Looking forward to seeing it.

Host was Dr. Sallaberry-Pincheira. Nicole Sallaberry-Pincheira DVM, MS is a Chilean veterinarian who has been a faculty member at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Andres Bello University, Santiago, Chile for the past 10 years, directing the Wildlife Rehabilitation Unit (UFAS). At the same time, Nicole is pursuing a Clinical Zoological Medicine PhD at the University of Georgia with plans to return to Chile upon completion to continue her work in Wildlife Rehabilitation.

Meeting was in English and Spanish.

#wildliferehabilitation #IWRC #AnimalAdvocates #wildliferehabilitator #wildliferescue #marycummins #mexico #UnitedStates

Mary Cummins

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Fish & Wildlife Wants to Kill All Barred Owls to Protect Spotted Owls, by Mary Cummins Animal Advocates

Fish & Wildlife wants to shoot and kill barred owls to save spotted owls. Animal Advocates does not agree. spotted owl,barred owl,fish and wildlife,mary cummins,animal advocates,wildlife rehabilitator,wildlife rehabilitation,los angeles,california,wildlife,wildife rescue,.Photos: Wikipedia

Many people have asked us about our stand on the Fish & Wildlife proposal to kill barred owls to protect spotted owls in California. This is our position. We have sent in comment letters.

The Federal Fish & Wildlife Department FWS proposed shooting and killing barred owls in California, Washington and Oregon to allegedly save the spotted owl. This is their official proposal made November 2023 linked below. They claim the barred owl isn't native to these specific areas. Barred owls expanded their range across the nation naturally. They weren't artificially introduced.

The real cause of reduction of spotted owl population is climate change, bark beetle, human development, wildfires, timber harvest, drought... Barred owls are larger, more aggressive and more adaptable than spotted owls. Barred owls are more adaptable as to their wider variety of prey, nesting sites, habitat range...They out compete spotted owls for prey, habitat and space. Barred owls aren't fighting and killing spotted owls directly.

Fish & Wildlife has offered these same solutions for Fox Tree Squirrels versus Western Gray Squirrels. It's the same issue though fox squirrels have two litters per year as opposed to one for WSG. If you kill all barred owls, spotted owls will still decline for the reasons stated above. They need to look at the root causes of the decline in spotted owls and deal with those issues. That will save spotted owls and many other animals.

https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Final%20draft%20Barred%20Owl%20EIS.pdf

"Abstract: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has developed a proposed Barred Owl

Management Strategy to address the threat of the non-native, invasive barred owl to the native

northern and California spotted owls. This action is necessary to support the survival of the

threatened northern spotted owl and avoid substantial impacts to the California spotted owl

populations from barred owl competition. This Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft

EIS) was prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This Draft EIS

evaluates the impacts of six alternatives, including a no action alternative, on the human

environment, including spotted owls, barred owls, other wildlife species, recreation and visitor

use, wilderness areas, socioeconomics, and climate change."

Mary Cummins

Friday, March 15, 2024

Animal Tracks Wildlife Sanctuary Provides Wildlife, Exotic Animal Education, Exhibit in Los Angeles, California

stacy gunderson, mary cummins,animal advocates, los angeles, california, animal tracks, wildlife rescue, exhibit, wildlife rehabilitation, exotic, animal, los angeles, california

Animal Tracks Inc in Aqua Dulce, Los Angeles, California provides wildlife, exotic and domestic animal education and exhibit. They offer private and group tours at their facility. They are a 501 3c nonprofit organization that's licensed with USDA and Fish & Wildlife.

The Executive Director is Stacy Gunderson. "Stacy grew up in Simi Valley, California and has always been inspired by the Primatologist, Jane Goodall. She attended The Exotic Animal Training & Management Program (EATM) at Moorpark College and graduated in 1989. Stacy went right to work as a movie animal trainer and had the amazing opportunity to travel the world making movies with the animals she loved. In 2008, Stacy was given the opportunity to take over as Director of Animal Tracks, a 501(c)3 Nonprofit near and dear to her heart, as it had been started in 2002 by a friend. Stacy is the mother of two children, now young adults, but Animal Tracks became a third child, a true labor of love that she helped grow and nurture into the successful facility it is now. She is still excited to go to work every single day. Her main hope is that people will realize that animals that need to be in captivity can live a quality, happy life. They can share their beauty and inspire humans to take care of this planet and all that reside on it. Animal Tracks is woven into the fabric of her family’s lives, and Stacy hopes it will continue to be a huge part of the Gunderson tradition for generations to come."

They have the following animals and many more: armadillo, baboon, african crested porpupine, macaque, capuchin, cockatoo, donkeys, emus, fennec fox, ferret, groundhog, hedgehob, kankaroo, kinkaju, marmoset, opossum, raccoon, pig, patagonian mara, red fox, serval, scorpion, skunk, squirrel monkey, sugar glider, wolf, coyote hybrid, wolf hybrid and more.

Below are a few photos from our recent visit in 2024.We highly recommend them for a great immersive educational experience with live animals.