Dominick F.

If you told me five years ago that I was going to be rehabilitating injured wildlife, I would have laughed and been very confused as to why you would think such a thing. It all started on a cold and quiet morning in March of 2018 when I saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker in my parents backyard. The unique sound that it was making and the stunning black and white plumage instantly sparked my interest in birds and my life has never been the same since. A few weeks after that, an American Goldfinch unfortunately flew into our back window and was stunned from the collision. I placed the bird in a shoebox and began calling around to find some help for the confused little bird. After a few phone calls I discovered the Bird Center of Washtenaw County, a small nonprofit songbird rehabilitation center located in Ann Arbor, MI. They told me to bring the goldfinch in for rehabilitation, so I did. My new interest in birds (and my growing boredom of working as a pizza delivery driver, where I was not intellectually stimulated) motivated me to ask the Bird Center about job opportunities. They explained to me their summer internship program, and I immediately applied. The manager of the Bird Center and I met at a local café for an interview and for the entire hour we bonded over what species the center has rehabilitated and the plans the center had for expanding their care. I knew this was the place for me. Fast forward a few months and I was feeding the mouths of hungry Robins, Grackles, and Blue Jays inside a tiny cinderblock building located on one of University of Michigan’s busiest streets. At the same time that I was learning how to conduct intakes, perform exams, and administer medications, I was building my knowledge on bird species outside of the facility. Through my experiences studying wild animals in the field and in the care of the Bird Center, I began to develop a deep understanding of the habits and mannerisms of all the different birds I encountered. The Bird Center eventually moved into a beautiful rural home outside of the busy city, where we were able to rehabilitate even more birds, and where I advanced from an intern through the ranks to assistant manager. After providing top notch care for thousands of patients at the Bird Center for the past few years, it was time for me to find something new. There are so many other animals that need our help and I was ready to challenge myself by learning more about caring for mammals and reptiles. Now, I am now the Animal Care Manager for City Wildlife, the only wildlife rehabilitation facility in Washington, DC and I'm very excited to continue to grow as a rehabber. A new incubator would help the City Wildlife team and me greatly; thank you for your consideration and support.