Becca Landry '24 is one of 26 student fellows conducting research with a community-based organization in upstate New York this summer as a part of the Upstate Institute Summer Field School.
This summer I had the amazing opportunity to complete a Field School Fellowship at the Charles N. Gordon Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Earlville, NY. Together with director Sarah Holmes Bookbinder, I worked on multiple projects and made significant headway on a lot of the organization’s ambitions. I functioned as another set of hands and someone to bounce ideas off when discussing important topics. Sarah’s work is focused more on the actual care of the raccoons with multiple feedings daily, constant enclosure maintenance, and keeping an eye out for any chance of illness until they are old enough to be released back into nature. Gordon Wildlife’s mission is to provide a knowledgeable, safe, and nurturing environment in which to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured and orphaned wildlife found by the members of the Central New York community. All of the work of the Center is done on-site by Sarah and the other volunteers, and they also assist other regional wildlife rehabilitators by providing veterinary services and other support to their organizations whenever possible. Ultimately, they serve animals in need of help and support that have suffered from the encroachment of humans into their natural habitat.
This work would not be possible without the volunteers here, and it has been a pleasure getting to know everyone. Through working with them, I have learned that the volunteers at Gordon Wildlife are very thoughtful, kind, and compassionate individuals. This summer, we have been in the process of tackling two large issues faced by the rehabilitation community: nuisance trappers and the current laws around attaining a rabies vector species (RVS) rehabilitation volunteer license. Each year, the majority of animals brought into rehabilitation centers are from nuisance trapping and relocation cases resulting in orphaned babies. These cases are entirely preventable, either through preemptive measures to limit wildlife on residential properties or by humane methods of removal that encourage the mother to relocate her family in a natural way. Current nuisance trapping and relocating methods are problematic as they both mistreat animals and fill up rehabilitators’ facilities early in the season, leaving truly orphaned animals with no one to care for them. To combat this problem, I have prepared materials to be shared both with the general public and with nuisance trappers in the state to encourage humane action in the future.
Gordon Wildlife is also working to create a more accessible method of attaining a license to volunteer with and rehabilitate RVS animals. This classification includes raccoons, skunks, and bats, but any mammal can contract and transmit the virus. The current programming for the mandatory training course is attending a two-day workshop offered only once a year in one location in the state, given by different presenters each time. This means that not only is it very difficult to attend but it also might be compiled of slightly varying content with each given year. We have created a draft of a compliance module to promote involvement in the community by those interested and ensure a standardized and relevant curriculum with each training. The ultimate goal is to get this implemented as the official training requirement when acquiring an RVS rehabilitation volunteer license.
Some of my other projects included conducting research on potential grant funding for the Center, preparing a new medical building for use, brainstorming community outreach, and increasing social media presence. On top of all this, Gordon Wildlife has helped many raccoons this season, sometimes giving over 140 bottles a day at its peak! The work this summer has been busy but incredibly exciting and rewarding.
Personally, I have benefitted from this fellowship as I am a Molecular Biology major and plan to add a Global, Public, and Environmental Health minor. This work has fit beautifully into my studies with its relation to the medical, health, and animal behavior fields, and has also given me more direction towards what I will pursue after college. Being a Field School Fellow this summer created great connections with members of the community, Colgate faculty, and other students. I wanted to participate in this program because I believe that it is valuable to give back to the community and having already spent two years in this area, it was important to me to learn more about the organizations in the area and feel like I was really participating in this community. Overall, this summer has been a wonderful experience thanks to both the Upstate Institute and Gordon Wildlife.