As of July 7, the Wild Wonders Wildlife Park, Alexandria’s NatureScape, and New Ambassador Trail system are open by reservation only! In working closely with local health officials, we have put in place updated health and safety protocols to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at our Park. This includes operating at a much-reduced capacity to optimize guest and staff safety, while requiring visitors to pre-register for their visit. During this time, the NatureZone and the DTE Raptor Centers will remain closed as it is really important to us that we are as safe as possible not only for our guests, but also for our staff and animals. We ask that our guests work with us to help keep our community safe.
WILDLIFE CLINIC AT CAPACITY
Due to a sharp increase in wildlife patients, the clinic has now reached capacity. We are only able to accept baby songbirds, birds of prey, and select baby mammals. We are unable to accommodate any additional adult mammals or adult waterfowl at this time. While we strive to help every patient we can, we are in a situation where we need to prioritize the welfare of the animals already in our care. Our staff thank you for understanding as we care for thousands of wild lives in need already in our clinic. We will do our very best to prepare ourselves to intake more patients in the coming weeks.
If you have found an injured or orphaned wild animal please refer to the DNR’s licensed rehabilitator list online here.
Our Wildlife Helpline (517) 548-5530 will remain in operation to help those with questions and concerns 10am-3pm daily. However, non-emergency calls and case check-ups should expect some delays in hearing back from our staff as we care for current patients in need.
Thank you for your understanding and for caring about wildlife in need!
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Join us TONIGHT 6:30 as we host Nature on Tap at Eternity Brewing Company! While you’re there, make sure to enjoy some of their good beer and fine food. Our nature expert will be doing deep dives into some of their favorite topics, including animal biology, conservation, geology, sustainability, nature careers, and much more! We support bringing science and nature to our community and want to hear from you, so stick around afterward for a pint and questions with our presenter. Order Operation Osprey and part of the proceeds will be donated to Howell Nature Center.
Tonight's topic will be a forensic dive into the world of animal skulls where you can test your detective skills. Evin Luehr will be sharing about the stories you can learn about an animal by looking at the skulls of different Michigan mammals, and explaining how you can use those skills to identify skulls you might find on your travels.
REPTILE RUN, one of our favorite zip lines, will be open again this Saturday 8/15! The zip line will be open from 11:00- 3:00 pm and after you've had a chance to warm your scales on the zip line, scurry on over to Wild Wonders for Discovery Days.
This week, our Discovery Day will feature an enrichment tour with:
🦆Banzai the wood duck @ 12:15
🐀Jack Jack the opossum @ 12:30
🦗Beaker and Cricket the sandhill cranes @ 12:45
Following the enrichment tour, head over to Critter Corner for a meet and greet with Archimedes the great horned owl and Snowflake, the worlds sweetest opossum!
Pre-register for your zip line spot here: events.r20.constantcontact.com
With two sandhill crane colts in our Wildlife Clinic and four sandhill crane ambassadors who live in our Wildlife Park due to permanent injuries, we thought we’d share some interesting facts about this amazing species!
🍃Sandhill cranes are one of the oldest living bird species, having been around for 2.5 million years!
🌼They nearly became extinct in Michigan due to hunting and loss of wetlands, but their population has slowly recovered.
🍃They mate for life, and pairs stay with each other year-round.
🌼Usually only one baby survives, and it stays with its parents for 10-12 months.
🍃Dancing is an important part of crane life! Pairs dance during courtship, to maintain bonds, and with their young as they teach them how!
We love cranes! Pictured is Cricket, who came to our Clinic earlier this year with a wing fracture that left him unable to fly. Luckily we were able to give him a permanent home with us. Thank you for supporting us so that we can care for injured and orphaned cranes and other native wildlife!
Given the current health and educational landscape, we surveyed our community and asked how the Nature Center could support the needs of our families. Through this feedback, the concept of the Outdoor & Virtual Learning Lab was developed for children entering 1st through 6th grade.
The Outdoor & Virtual Learning Lab is an educational enrichment opportunity for parents who are looking to supplement their child's school-based education and get their kids outside, exercising and socializing. We are also offering an After School Adventure Club developed by our team of outdoor educators that offers energy burning activities. This is designed for students who are attending in-person, home or virtual school.
Read the full description, finding pricing, and more at: conta.cc/31FxI3K
Due to a sharp increase in wildlife patients, the clinic has now reached capacity and we must put a temporary hold on intakes so that we can catch up. While we strive to help every patient we can, we are in a situation where we need to prioritize the welfare of the animals already in our care. Our staff thank you for understanding as we care for hundreds of wild lives in need already in our clinic. We will do our very best to prepare ourselves to intake more patients in the coming weeks. Our Wildlife Helpline (517)548-5530 will remain in operation to help those with questions and concerns 10am-3pm daily. However, non-emergency calls and case check-ups should expect some delays in hearing back from our staff as we care for current patients in need.
If you have found an injured or orphaned wild animal please refer to the DNR's licensed rehabilitator list online at: www2.dnr.state.mi.us/dlr/
Join us at 6:30 as we host Nature on Tap once a month on Thursdays at Eternity Brewing! While you’re there, make sure to enjoy some of their good beer and fine food. Our nature experts will be doing deep dives into some of their favorite topics, including animal biology, conservation, geology, sustainability, nature careers, and much more! We support bringing science and nature to our community and want to hear from you, so stick around afterward for a pint and questions with our presenter. Order Operation Osprey and part of the proceeds will be donated to Howell Nature Center.
This week’s topic will be a forensic dive into the world of animal skulls where you can test your detective skills. Evin Luehr will be sharing about the stories you can learn about an animal by looking at the skulls of different Michigan mammals, and explaining how you can use those skills to identify skulls you might find on your travels.
Our Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic received a young sandhill crane, estimated to be around 9 weeks old, from our friends at Animal Emergency Center - Rochester today. This colt was found weak and unable to stand, and x-rays revealed a foreign object, likely a coin, in its digestive tract. We are waiting on blood results but suspect the object may be poisoning the crane. Unfortunately, it is common for wildlife to ingest unnatural objects. This can lead to injury and even death. Cleaning up litter is a great way to help wildlife and prevent situations like this. We will provide updates when we have them.
It's that time again...Wild Nights!
We are continuing our summer Wild Nights event series tonight with a special Endangered Species program from 5-6 pm at Critter Corner. Learn about the role we play in helping conserve threatened species right here in Michigan while meeting some of the native threatened and endangered species that call Howell Nature Center home.
This program is FREE with admission, which is $6 for adults and $4 for children over 2. The Wild Wonders Wildlife Park and Alexandria's NatureScape will remain open until 7 pm. Visit howellnaturecenter.org to register for your visit!
Happy #sillysunday! Can you come up with a funny caption for this picture of Rio, the mink?
Planning on spending a beautiful day at the Nature Center? We are excited to announce that Kona Ice of Brighton will have their truck on-site from 10:30am to 4:00pm, and are generously donating a portion of every sale to us!
Make sure to grab a delicious cup of shaved ice after a fun day of zip lining, rock climbing, and/or meeting all of your animal friends!
Pre-register for zip lining, climbing tower, or a combination of both (best deal!) here: conta.cc/2PCPyyB
