Healing hands
Wednesday, January 5, 2000                                                            
by Jacque Estes
Flagler/Palm Coast
News-Tribune

Lora Smith, a member of St. Johns Wildlife Care, feeds this 5-week-old squirrel. St. Johns Wildlife Care volunteers dedicate their time to taking care of injured and sick wildlife.


 Small corps of dedicated volunteers nurture, heal area's injured, orphaned, wildlife.

   BUNNELL - Lora Smith is sitting at her kitchen table feeding a small
bundle wrapped in a terry cloth towel. Big eyes look past the large syringe
on which it is sucking. The big eyes belong to a very small and orphaned
five-week-old squirrel.
   Smith is caring for two squirrel babies on this day, not uncommon in her
day-to-day life as a member of St. Johns Wildlife Care.
   "Things are a little slow right now." says Smith, who housed 30 baby
squirrels after Hurricane Floyd. Sitting in Smith's wood-paneled kitchen, in
one of Bunnell's historic homes, is like being dropped into a Laura Ingalls
Wilder story ("Little House on the Prairie"). This group has gotten back to
nature in the most literal sense.
   Also at the table are Karen Inman, president of St. Johns Wildlife Care,
and Joye Wood, a member of the Memory Makers Quilt Guild, which is raising
funds for the wildlife group.
   "We are a non-profit organization dedicated to the care of sick, injured
and orphaned wildlife," said Inman, who stresses that despite the name,
St. Johns Wildlife is not run by St. Johns County. The organization was
started in 1978 as St. Augustine Animal Care and changed to the current name
in 1989.
   The time demanded of volunteers to the group is overwhelming for most
people. "To be a volunteer they have to have total and absolute devotion,"
said Inman.
   Listening to the women discuss animals, from squirrels and raccoons to
snakes and birds, that have been in their care, the all night feedings and
acclimating the animals back into the wild, separates the animal lover from
the animal preservationist.
   "We get people who want to volunteer, but then they realize that this is
going to take up all of their time. They can't just take off, not even to go
to a movie," said Inman.
   There are many jobs and donations that the group does gratefully accept.
One job is that of a gatherer.
   "We always need gatherers," said Smith, who described such a person as
one who goes out and gathers berries and acorns. "We don't feed the animals
any people food because we don't want to teach them to go into trash cans,"
said Inman. "We feed them the food they would find in their habitat so when
we do turn them loose they can find their own food."
   For those cleaning out their closets after the holidays, the group is
always appreciative of donations of towels and linens. Fishermen who don't
know what to do with their extra fish bait can donate them for the wild
birds that are often cared for by the group.
   For more information about volunteering, donating to the group or
purchasing a donation quilt ticket, call (904) 829-9210 or (904) 437-2307.