Eagles, Ospreys & a One-Woman Rescue Mission | Julie Wobig, Wildlife Rehabber

“98% of what we rescue is human-caused.” Wildlife rescuer and rehabber Julie Wobig has crawled up cliffsides with an eagle in her arms, waded into a freezing river, and cut her way out of brambles in the dark, all as a volunteer. Julie is the first guest in my new segment, We’re All Just Walking Each Other Home, where I highlight people in the 757 doing good work for our community, our wildlife, and our land. She is the only songbird rehabber on the Peninsula, and for years she handled nearly every eagle rescue on this side of the water. In baby season she can have 50 or more birds in her home at once, with days that start at 5:30 a.m. and wrap around her regular job. Julie taught me how to rescue, and working alongside her became part of my own spiritual practice of reciprocity with the land. I believe the work she does when nobody is looking is seen. I wanted to honor her here. IN THIS EPISODE Meet the patients: two gulls and a first-year little blue heron How one red-tailed hawk and a drive through a storm started it all Eagle rescues: cliffs, quicksand mud, and the one that brought her to tears Why humane euthanasia is a gift, not a failure What to do if a bird hits your window The osprey as the canary in the coal mine: menhaden overfishing and the Chesapeake Bay How to get involved, even if you never touch a raptor IF YOU FIND AN INJURED BIRD Put air holes in a box first, add a small towel, then gently place the bird inside and get it to a rehabber Woodpeckers: use a pillowcase, not a towel (their tongues are barbed and can tangle) Glue traps: do NOT pull the animal off yourself. Cover the exposed glue with paper towel, put it in a clean box, and get it to a rehabber right away. It is an emergency. PLEASE STOP USING Fake Halloween cobwebs outdoors (keep them inside) Garden netting and landscape netting (use coated hardware cloth or rocks instead) Glue traps, indoors or out And bring soccer nets in when the kids are done, and never leave fishing line behind HOW TO SUPPORT JULIE Share this video and spread the word about netting and glue traps Donate old towels Add money to her mealworm account at Wild Birds Unlimited or Backyard Birder in Williamsburg Wild Birds Unlimited (Williamsburg) (757) 253-0873 4680 Monticello Ave, Suite 18C, Williamsburg, VA 23188 Backyard Birder Seed & Supply 1490 Quarterpath Rd, Suite 5i, Williamsburg, VA 23185 Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Sunday) Venmo for gas (her rescues stretch from Smithfield to the Northern Neck): @julesknzz Gift cards rather than supplies, since she knows exactly what she needs WANT TO HELP WILDLIFE YOURSELF? You don’t need a permit to rescue or transport. You can drive animals to rehabbers, or get a Category 4 permit to help feed baby songbirds at a rehabber’s facility. Email me and I’ll connect you with the right people. If I can do it, you can do it. SPEAK UP FOR THE BAY Contact your representatives about menhaden overfishing. Julie says this year she took in just one baby osprey. Know someone in Hampton Roads who should be highlighted? Email me: thespiritnursepsychedelics@gmail.com Tiffany Callis, RN | The Spirit Nurse https://thespiritnurse.co #WildlifeRescue #WildlifeRehab #HamptonRoads #757 #ChesapeakeBay #Osprey #BaldEagle #Songbirds #SpiritNurse