Spring began officially on March 20th and wildlife babies are already making their presence known across Miami County. Members of the Troy Rotary Club listened closely as Becky Crow, Curator of Wildlife at Brukner Nature Center, discussed how residents can safely manage wildlife on their properties during the club’s March 15 meeting.

Crow cautioned that, during this time of year, baby animals are at their peak and most at risk. She discussed how springtime home improvement projects might need to be planned in such a way so as to not impact an animal family. For example, do not close up a porch at the foundation without first checking to see if there is an animal nest in the crawl space. Crow advised that, in general, creating a passively negative environment for wildlife that comes into a residence will often cause the animals to relocate to the wild so they no longer feel threatened. At the same time, remember that some wildlife, such as owls and snakes, are natural predators. These may help property owners manage any nuisance wildlife. As a result, promoting an environment that welcomes these types of animals may help rid the property of raccoons, mice, skunks or opossums.

She encouraged Miami County residents to remember to never try to rescue a wild baby without first calling Brukner Nature Center for help and advice. There is a new brochure available from Brukner titled, Living with Wildlife Babies in Miami County, that explains humane ways to live with the wildlife that share our cities, towns and backyards. To learn more about wildlife babies, or to get help with general questions about wildlife-related topics, please call Brukner Nature Center at 937-698-6493 or visit their Web site at www.bruknernaturecenter.com.

Troy Rotarians, and the Troy Rotary Foundation, support several community projects annually. In 2014-15, more than $16,000 in scholarships and community aid was distributed from the fund, including the annual Shoe Project, Troy After Prom and support for summer camps at Brukner Nature Center and Waco Air Museum. Club members are always looking for new topics to share at weekly meetings. If you are interested in presenting your business or organization, please visit the Troy Rotary Web site at www.troyohiorotary.org and submit your information in the “Contact Us” section. Troy Rotary is a member-involved, goal-oriented service club focused on socio/economic issues that have an impact both locally and internationally. You can follow their activities on Facebook at Troy Rotary Club.