Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
PATH TO HEALING
Kimberly Russell runs the Chester County Wildlife Foundation, a refuge for injured native species
EAST NOTTINGHAM » The Chester County Wildlife Foundation is a refuge for injured animals.
Pennsylvania native Kimberly Russell grew up in West Marlborough Township and now lives in the Oxford region where she built and runs the sanctuary on three acres in East Nottingham Township. After two years of strategic planning and on-site construction, the facility opened in November.
“It has taken a few years to build the enclosures, get the proper permits, obtain the animals and of course get the support from donors near and far,” Russell said. “The donations received have really been the largest help thus far.”
Russell founded the nonprofit after gaining experience working as the education director at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, in Jupiter, north of West Palm beach on Florida’s east coast.
Russell returned to Pennsylvania in 2016 after spending three years as a resident of Florida where she also gained experience by supporting the work of Rare Species Conservatory Foundation based in Loxahatchee.
“Once I came back home to Chester County, I wanted to continue my passion working with native wildlife,” Russell said. “However, a place to do this the way I wanted didn’t exist. It was then I decided Ches
ter County could really benefit by having our own sanctuary.”
Besides saving and protecting injured wild animals, education plays a key part in Russell’s work.
“I wanted to share all the knowledge of local wildlife with as many people as possible,” she said.
Russell is developing educational programs for the community and plans to travel with the animals to visit various venues.
“It has taken some time to train the animals, I would say that is the hardest part,” Russell said. “I want them to feel excited about working and stimulated to be out and about, traveling to visit various groups. For a permanently injured animal I believe it is imperative they get to live a full life in this way since they no longer can be in the wild.”
There are 10 animals under Russell’s care today at Chester County Wildlife Foundation. The species include an opossum, a groundhog, a squirrel, a snake, box turtles and a snapping turtle.
“My favorite animals to work with are birds of prey,” Russell said. “I currently have a turkey vulture and should be receiving a redtailed hawk any day now. Different species interest different people so I enjoy keeping a mix of species, however, birds of prey usually steal the show.”
The groundhog, named Scott, found his way to Russell’s sanctuary thanks to friends who alerted her of his dire condition.
“He was caught in drying cement,” she recalled, noting that because her sanctuary is not a rehabilitation facility, she drove him to Centre County Wildlife in Port Matilda, near State College, where the facility quarantined him for nearly five months.
“They called and asked if I would like him for my sanctuary as an animal ambassador. I was super excited and agreed,” Russel said. “Scott has neurological issues that he will not recover from, so he will be with me for the rest of his life.”
She added that Scott is the easiest to work with compared to the other wild animals under her care.
Then there is the opossum Chumley, who is from Pittsburgh.
“Possums have one of the greatest messages to share with the public,” Russell said. “They don’t carry rabies, they eat ticks, are the only marsupial in North America and they are very unlikely to attack. Their defense mechanism is to play dead or ‘play possum.’”
A car hit Chumley’s mother, Russell said, but fortunately a passerby, who stopped to help, found her little ones, called joeys, still alive. The good Samaritan then brought the joeys to a wildlife rehabilitator for help. Chumley is unfortunately blind, so he cannot return to the wild.
Russell is also caring for a turkey vulture, 18 months old, rescued in West Virginia. She is still waiting to name him.
“He has a healed wing injury that prevents him from flying,” Russell said. “Turkey vultures may look ugly to some — not me — but, they are so vital to our environment.”
She continued, “My vulture has not a mean bone in his body.”
Of the species, Russell said turkey vultures are society’s clean-up crew.
“I personally, if safe, move all dead animals off the road so the vultures may eat them in peace without being hit themselves,” Russell said. “Little things like this are important to me.”
Russell feels strongly as an advocate of vultures and to support their vital ecological role.
“A turkey vulture is a perfect creature. It is neither prey nor predator,” wrote Katie Fallon in her book “Vulture, the private life of an unloved bird.” Russell said this is her favorite inspirational statement and noted that Fallon is the woman who first cared for the turkey vulture now under her care.
To support the Chester County Wildlife Foundation, Russell said the best way is by charitable donations via the nonprofit’s website or to sign up for an educational course.
“Programs are not just for children and schools but also retirement homes, work functions, adult organizations — really anyone that has a group and is interested. There is a fee associated with the programs.”
Russell emphasized that the foundation, although a sanctuary for injured native species, is not a rehabilitation center. However, she said she is always willing to help people over the phone to guide them to the correct place in an animal crisis.
Chester County Wildlife Foundation’s mission is to provide education on nurturing native wildlife, ways in which local community residents can enhance wildlife safety, and the responsibility needed to assist in their protection and care.
To make a charitable donation or learn more, visit: www.ccwildlifefoundation. com. For questions, call 302-354-8441.