Wildlife Center of Virginia celebrating World Wildlife Week with series of online educational programs

It’s World Wildlife Week, and the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro is marking the week with a series of online programs.

This year’s theme is “Forests and livelihoods: sustaining people and planet.”

Wildlife Center programs will be shared through the Center live events channel, at www.wildlifecenter.org/live-events

World Wildlife Week programs

Woods and Wildlife: How Harvesting Trees Can Help Save Wildlife

Monday, March 8 at 3 p.m. Eastern
Join outreach communications coordinator Aaron Provencio as he interviews Jordan Herring of the Virginia Department of Forestry to talk about forests as habitats. Forest ecosystems are ever-changing and rely on natural cycles of “disturbance events”, such as forest fires or weather events, to help maintain a variety of habitats. Human actions have suppressed these disturbances and caused our forests to lose those diverse habitats that wildlife need. Join us to learn how forest managers can use timber harvest to help re-create those habitats for the benefit of all – humans and wildlife.

Making Better Homes for Wildlife in Your Backyard

Thursday, March 11 at 2 p.m. Eastern
Join outreach educator Lauren Edzenga for a discussion with Kate Guenther, a certified Master Naturalist and creator of Wild Foods 4 Wildlife. Creating adequate habitat for wildlife in your yard may be easier than you think. Encouraging wild neighbors can be a positive and rewarding experience.

Debris Isn’t Free: The Cost of Littering for Aquatic and Marine Wildlife

Friday, March 12 at 2 p.m. Eastern
Join outreach coordinator Alex Wehrung as he chats with staff of Friends of the Middle River. Despite changes in the average person’s lifestyle during the past year, litter in waterways continues to be an issue that harms wildlife and our natural surroundings. Littering – intentionally or unintentionally – has a cost, and wild animals are often the ones who pay that price. Learn more … and don’t litter!

About the Wildlife Center of Virginia

The Wildlife Center of Virginia is an internally acclaimed teaching and research hospital for wildlife and conservation medicine, located in Waynesboro. Since its founding in 1982, the nonprofit Center has cared for more than 85,000 wild animals, representing 200 species of native birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

The Center broadcasts a live, web-based Critter Cam – current “stars” of the Cam include Buddy the resident Bald Eagle [Cam #1]  and rambunctious Black Bear yearlings [Cams #2 and #3].

Additional information about the Wildlife Center is available at www.wildlifecenter.org.