Community Outreach

The Izzie’s Friends Club Summer Camp

Camps run Monday - Thursday with the option of participating for one or two weeks. Each day features animal observation, an activity, and a book club choice. Read on to find out what animals our campers learn about and how our activities help them to get a better sense for how animals survive in the wild!

Day 1 - Before we start to feature specific animals with our campers, we give them a sense of what we do at Izzie's Pond. We tour around the grounds to observe enclosures, talk about what enrichment we offer our residents to keep them engaged and healthy.  As we are touring they also get to meet the resident domestic animals -- with treats in hand of course! -- and we talk about how every animal here has a story to tell.

Days 2-7 - We focus on one species per day to give our campers a chance to learn in depth about a variety of native wildlife, many of which we rehabilitate right here at Izzie’s Pond. Our USDA licensed educational ambassadors and non-releasable resident wildlife include skunks, a bobcat, white tail deer, fox, raccoon, and a barred owl!

Through fun, interactive activities, campers learn how animals interact with each other, what they eat, how humans impact their native space, and more. Learn how to herd like deer, spray a target like a skunk, be as quiet as possible while stalking prey like a bobcat, and more. This gives campers an understanding of how animals survive and makes for some fun memories.

Day 8 - This day we celebrate all of the animals we learned about, share memories about the previous days, talk about what our favorite animal is at the rescue, meet some of the resident exotics and animals that also reside as personal pets. Izzie joins in to tell her story about growing up as Isabella Animal Rescuer! The day ends with a cupcake & ice cream party.

Izzie’s Friends Club Junior Rehabber Class

This one day class, typically held in the fall, offered to 6th grade & up kids focuses on what to do if they find an animal in need and how to coexist with nature. This is a condensed version of the classes that we offer to our volunteers who handle our hotline calls and go out into the field to either help animals directly or help the public with animal situations.

 The main activities include:

• How to identify an animal in need
• When to touch or not touch
• To feed or not to feed?
• Reuniting methods
• Who to call
• What plants help wildlife
• Natural habitat 
  
  

We’ve had quite a few adults enjoy this class as well!

Scout & Homeschool Day Programs

Have a troop that is working on a badge or a homeschool group studying nature? Contact us to arrange a tailor made experience for your group.

Wildlife for Warriors

Are you active duty or a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces? A first responder? Izzie’s Pond invites you to come for a Keeper for the Day experience! 

Our new Wildlife for Warriors program draws on the experiences of other veteran and first responder volunteers, who have reflected how helping the animals that cannot help themselves has had an almost healing effect. We provide sanctuary for animals and one Saturday per month, we’ll provide a place of solace to our heroes as well.

As a Keeper for the Day, you will:

• 
  Enjoy a tour of our facility and grounds.
• Hand out treats to some of our sanctuary animals. The sanctuary residents are always happy to see a bucket headed in their direction! 
• Meet our volunteers and staff, and hear the history of how we got to where we are today. 
• Share stories, learn about native wildlife and simply soak in nature. 
  

Tony’s Story

One such volunteer, who is sadly no longer with us, came to us from a hard place in his life and reemerged from that place to be a wonderful caregiver to some of our animals and best bud to Gabor, one of our wolf/dog mixes. Here is a little history in the words of his wife Jackie:

“My Husband Tony was an Army National Guardsman, he served 8 years. He has always worked two jobs and never stopped when he got home. He was of the belief if you can lift your head off of your pillow you go to work. 

I say that so you will understand the next part. About 6 years or so ago he began having a lot of health issues and his doctors put him out on disability. His health wouldn't allow him to do much at all. He sat at home every single day getting more depressed by the day. He became severely depressed, to a very scary point. 

One day we were told of Izzie's Pond. Come to find out it was less than a mile from our home. I signed him up for a volunteer work day. He went and met the folks there. Did the work asked of him. But most importantly he met and fell in love with what became "his critters." And he never stopped going there. 

Very quickly he started coming back to us. He was very happy again (his normal before illness). He got up every single day sometimes before dawn, every day but Sunday, and went to care for and love on his critters. He went if it was 100° or 20°, rain, snow...no matter, he was there. 

Those animals at the pond gave him so much JOY and PEACE in his life. They needed him but he needed them more! It was an added bonus that the wonderful crew at Izzie's accepted and loved and needed him as he was. They respected his knowledge of nature and animals and they respected him. 

There are so many more things that I can say but the most important thing I can say is my precious husband was a broken man and the animals and people there at Izzie's saved his life! I fully believe that with every thing in me. He bonded with several animals on a personal level and he came back to life! 

My sweet husband passed away Jan 6 2020. But I (as I know he still is) am forever grateful and thankful for all of the people and Tony's critters at Izzie's Pond. If you have a need go be blessed at " the pond". -Jackie B.