Providing a Safe Haven
Diane Nicholas , an interior designer and animal advocate , established a sanctuary for injured and orphaned fawns on her Placer County property more than a decade ago . PHOTO BY TERENCE DUFFY
“ So we have to work to keep them from habituating to humans .” Her volunteers go so far as to put on fox masks when they ’ re handling injured foxes . “ This is not a job for somebody who wants to cuddle animals ,” she adds .
All of these rescues aren ’ t publicly funded and rely on donations and volunteers to operate . The Wildlife Disaster Network doesn ’ t have a dedicated building and depends on unpaid experts to treat the animals . Johnson ’ s mobile hospital is a 1994 Ford F-350 truck on its last leg . But their work is getting noticed internationally . Johnson and Peyton traveled to Australia in early 2020 to help injured wildlife during that country ’ s massive wildfire . They were surprised to learn Australia drops food and water to its animals in the wild . Peyton also traveled to England to treat a horse with chemical burns . She received the Innovator of the Year award from UC Davis in 2019 . Johnson and Peyton also run the Ruby Hills Farm & Animal Sanctuary northwest of Davis , where they care for senior and disabled animals .
“ It started off as something very personal ,” Johnson says . “ We ’ re both veterinarians . We both developed an interest in reaching out to wildlife and to burn victims and to help progress the knowledge of animal burn medicine .” As for that snarling bobcat with fifth-degree burns ? He was successfully rehabilitated and returned to the wild . As were Lucy and Ethel . The animals are teaching the veterinarians something as well . When the DFW went to release Lucy , they set her free far from her burned habitat . So what did Lucy do ? She traveled 25 miles in one day back to her previous home , Johnson says .
The rescuers can ’ t help but get attached to the animals in their care . “ At the end , you have to let them go . And it ’ s hard , because your heart and soul is in
There are environmental businesses in the Capital Region committed to preserving habitat for native plants and animals . If a developer , business or government agency comes in and wants to build a highway , shopping center or housing tract , state and federal laws require they have to provide offsets to the environmental impacts of development , as well as mitigate potential soil erosion or fire hazards .
That ’ s where Westervelt Ecological Services in Sacramento comes in . They will create a mitigation bank of land that ’ s home to wildlife , endangered plants or animals , and preserve it as a tradeoff , or mitigation , for development . Westervelt works with developers by providing credits , similar to carbon credits , of protected land . They acquire land that may be adjacent to a larger wildlife preserve and within a wildlife corridor , restore it and return it for the benefit of the species .
Selby ’ s Soil in Placer County is another environmental company , with a specialization in erosion control measures . They work with developers and government agencies , designating environmentally sensitive areas and restoring the land for wildlife and environmental protection and revegetation after a project or catastrophic fire .
“ The takeaway is that the private industry can provide meaningful conservation ,” says Sarah Correa , director of sales and marketing for Westervelt .
this animal ,” Stein says . “ I know . I cry after every release .”
Judy Farah is the managing editor of Comstock ’ s and the former News Director / Senior Editor of KFBK radio . Online at www . judyfarah . com and on Twitter @ newsbabe1530 .
February 2022 | comstocksmag . com 53