Wildlife Rehabilitation: From Rescue to Release

S5E10 Wild Alert with Rachel Avilla, Pranav Pandit, and Terra Kelly, co-hosted with Julia Ponder Part 2

In the second part of this conversation, Gail and this episode’s co-host, Julia Ponder, a clinical wildlife veterinarian with a background in public health, continue speaking with members of the Wild Alert team: Rachel Avilla, President, Co-Founder, and Executive Director of The Wild Neighbors Database Project; Terra Kelly, an epidemiologist and wildlife health specialist; and Pranav Pandit, a One Health epidemiologist. They discuss how Wild Alert functions at the state level, describe the individual user experience, and outline their future goals for the system.Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.Resources mentioned:https://wildalert.org/www.wildneighborsdp.orghttps://www.usgs.gov/centers/nwhc/science/whispersInterested in learning more about WRMD?

S5E9 Wild Alert with Rachel Avilla, Pranav Pandit, and Terra Kelly, co-hosted with Julia Ponder Part 1

“Every single wildlife rehabilitator is important, big or small…” - Rachel AvillaIn this conversation, Gail and her first co-host, Julia Ponder, a clinical wildlife veterinarian with a background in public health, speak with members of the Wild Alert team: Rachel Avilla, President, Co-Founder, and Executive Director of The Wild Neighbors Database Project; Terra Kelly, an epidemiologist and wildlife health specialist; and Pranav Pandit, a One Health epidemiologist. They discuss what Wild Alert is, what it does, and the projects they are currently working on. In the next episode, they take a deeper dive into how the system is used.Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.Resources mentioned:https://wildalert.org/www.wildneighborsdp.org

S5E8 Austin Bat Refuge with Dianne Odegard and Lee Mackenzie Part 2

In the second part of this conversation, we speak with Dianne Odegard and Lee Mackenzie, the founders of Austin Bat Refuge. We add to our previous episode by doing a deep dive on the Eastern Red Bat, specifically, orphan babies.Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.Resources mentioned:Austin Bat RefugeThe Rehabilitation and Captive Care of Insectivorous Bats

S5E7 Austin Bat Refuge with Dianne Odegard and Lee Mackenzie Part 1

In the first part of this two-parter, we speak with Dianne Odegard and Lee Mackenzie, the founders of Austin Bat Refuge. We hear recent rescue stories, and learn about radar projects, Free-tailed bats, and how Austin became known as “bat city”. Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.Resources mentioned:Austin Bat Refuge

S5E6 National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA) with Amanda Nicholson and Dr. Karra Pierce Part 2

In the second part of our conversation with Amanda Nicholson, Senior Vice President of the Wildlife Center of Virginia, and Dr. Karra Pierce, Director of Veterinary Services at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, we discuss the offerings (books, courses, and beyond) through the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA) and how you can get involved from becoming a member to joining a committee and even the board. NWRA’s 2026 Symposium takes place February 24–28 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. To learn more about the symposium, please see the links below. Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.Resources mentioned:NWRA's 2026 SymposiumNWRA website