Outdoors Maryland; Best Of Fall Show 1997

Oh. And. Coming up scientists searched this soggy bog in the hope of finding yet another threatened treasure suburban squirrels trade a high wire act for the lunch bucket. A sanctuary and some hope for the lost and injured from Maryland's wilds. And meet some much admired hard working sheep dogs. Next on outdoors Marilyn. End means. Right. You know but I did that. Thank you you know a lot of people don't even

know they bug turtles were first discovered during the Revolutionary War. Not too far from Maryland in Lancaster County Pennsylvania they were discovered in Maryland until 1941. So many unfortunate circumstances have plagued bog turtles that they are now listed in Maryland as threatened and are being considered for a federal listing even though their secretive nature makes them unusually hard to uncover. Jim Howard a professor at Frostburg State University and one of his graduate assistance Jessica Morales. Did this kid then follow the runways if they appear to be used that way and run across turtles periodical. But it really is kind of a needle in a haystack. Coming out here and searching in the muck you know what you find and it's like yeah I know it's like finding a treasure or something because it's so hard to find but I'm really glad

when. The bog turtle is one of the smallest turtles in the world the smallest startled in North America. Scott Smith a field biologist for the DNR the World Wildlife Fund about three years ago came out with a list of the top 10 animals worldwide that were desired in the illegal pet trade and bog turtle was the only North American species turtles are found in small populations from Massachusetts to Georgia. Insights that are typically less than two acres in size they can live to be 30 years old. I've had people ask me the question what are these used for. And they say what are they used for soup to people you don't know are they an aphrodisiac. And no it's just as pets they are because of their size and beauty and rarity. They're highly prized as pets. So it's really a global phenomenon and it's a it's an insidious problems. It really makes conservation of the species a very complex and difficult illegal

collection of them is not the only threat to their continued existence. That is why study of them is imperative. I've been collecting data on these these animals since 1972. Western link is 64. We are here and you have to add over here. Great show height over here in the sun and I guess we've caught in Maryland now probably going around 300 different animals in that five year time period and got some really good information gone from it. We have learned you can check these females to find out if the gravid which means pregnant if they're carrying eggs. And from that information we discovered that most females are over 10 years old when they reproduce. You know the literature says they may be sexually mature between 5 and 8 years old. This is only 64 grams. That has a lot of implications for conservation. These little guys have to make it that far they have to live these 10 years before they're they're putting out any eggs.

So this is going to be we identify these guys by the marginal scoots these scales or whatever you want to call these are the more generals. And there's 12 percent had each a male in one year only lay two to five eggs and they lay them up in the tops of tussocks. They're somewhat expected to just sit right at the top of the toaster so we have a real problem low productivity with these with these turtles bog turtles are not just having a difficult time of it because of predators and pet traders. Their habitat has been under attack for years. Farmers have drained tiles and cleared bunks. Pollution of varying types has run off into them. Yet the bug turtle somehow has managed to persist though they are not prospering. We have been fortunate that we've solicited the cooperation of a couple land holders that have really robust populations of bug turtles that we can study intensely and we're interested in a couple of things one

is how much they move around what their home ranges are and movement patterns because we. Want to look at the landfill connectivity between a site like this one and an adjacent sites. The second thing that's really important for purposes of dental restoration is has to do with Habitat selection. What kinds of habitats are ideal for bog turtles. What what portions of the habitat like this do they really select and use heavily. And from that maybe we'll be able to design or modify existing wetlands that house. Historically house bug populations that don't presently have and and restore those that's that's one of the management schemes I think that has the best potential. Or. Allowing the long term maintenance of bugs or where you can just like

gauge in a tree you can 80s guys make the number rings when they're born. This is only when they're born right there. And so we can't one two three four five six and seven is that an ivory colored area that's it that's the new growth that's a new shell being formed. Researchers speculate the bug turtles have been associated with grazing animals as far back as the last ice age fifty thousand years ago. Woodland bison elk white tailed deer kept vegetation from clogging the bog and drawing it out. Keeping the vegetation down suited the bog turtles when Europeans settled here grazing cattle fill this niche. Here we have a sight of cattle being gone for now about almost 20 years and the rose is just incredible. I mean you know that's got to be 50 acres or Rose here. Man the red was the rose of all that leaf surface area as it moves into these little drier areas in the wetland. Just all the water comes up through there it comes through the

roots up to the leaves and transpires to the atmosphere so that they actually will dry out the adjacent area to it and they can slowly encroaching further further. Now this area here has stayed open in the f.c grazing probably because it's so wet. Bogs or spring fed groundwater seeps into the area year round invaders like multi floral Rose can take advantage of this moisture reducing a diverse plant community to a monoculture almost overnight. The moisture and abundance of cover also attracts many birds and other animals. Just. Bog turtles throughout the range are found in spring and wetlands in Maryland. They occur in the headwater areas generally of streams that empty of the Chesapeake Bay promoting and preserving water quality need sites will ultimately promote preserve water quality the Chesapeake Bay. So I guess we kind of say the Chesapeake Bay starts right here even know

where miles and miles and miles from it. That's that's the whole idea of Earth. Is protect have it right. Shortly after the study was complete this bog was partially bulldozed. Now the question is how will these Another bog turtles fare at the hands of diminishing habitat. Their fate it seems rests with our continuing efforts toward understanding. 5:30 a.m.. The Ocean City and a fleet heads out into the Atlantic by the beginning of the 23rd annual white marlin open.

In all 237 both with twelve hundred fishermen of the world many of them world class anglers. From this elite group one boat stands out as decidedly different from all the rest. The caravan. Of Bertram 35 operated by Carlos spent close of a novel's. The only man in the history of the tournament to attempt to compete. Along. Without the help. Of a group. Normally Carlos never takes anyone with him on board the caravan. He kindly made an exception for the camera crew from outdoors Maryland. While one of the recent stuff about a feature along is because I'm with people all the guys and they're going to keep an eye on the restaurants. You have. Customers were by yours employees. I think. B c the only way that you can be isolated. Either way might be just

becoming a monk. Other boats have captains to find the fish. One or two mates to prepare the right baits and Reg the tackle and several languages to reel in the catch. And run. In my case so they are different because they do the three things someone pick up then I'm the mate. And eventually hopefully it will be the annular. Without the sophisticated fishing aids of more expensive boats. Satellite images cameras under the hull and other high tech equipment Carlos must rely on his own experience. Today he has a hunch that white marlin will be found 85 miles out in the Atlantic near a lump on the ocean floor. Carlos has detected a subtle change in water color. A whiter shade of blue that indicates a warmer current a condition known to attract white marlin and other game for bait Carlos uses a ballyhoo without a skirt. What you trolls on the surface of the water in a manner that makes it appear to be swimming.

I like to fish with light tackle plenty pump baseline. Which makes it much more challenging. They affect the action now. I want Molly. It charabanc your trolls on autopilot patiently waiting for a hungry wipe to come looking for a snack. When they can bite. I think you still got to thank her for being quiet them be and I'd like to be in the income spectrum trying. To find yourself. But we're coming we're going but we're doing what we want to do. We plan to do what you have done and we do than. You think. I'm more a reflection. Of a nice a dog. Suddenly of like the adrenaline pumps. Of white marlin is on the line over there. Yes it may have been signaling the first order of business is with Carlos to remove the other

lines and bait so that he won't get tangled in them. Then he marches Lorenzo that he can circle back to the exact spot just in case other Marlen are in the area see what they are going on in their memory and I know that you can be free. Carlos must keep his line taut at all times or the white may throw off his hook only by keeping the right amount of pressure on the line get he reel him in towards the boat. Too much pressure on the line might break or the hook pull out. I really want a body to. Reckon. With a little luck

Carlos is able to take the mark. On the bottom. And then remove the hook from its will after making sure the Marlin has oxygen in its gills he releases it back into the sea. Perhaps they will meet again in another day and I don't. Know. I'm only. Going to release in the mouth. I would guess probably 45 pounds 50 perhaps. That's an average. I'm not. Real. Good. I was like you. On the feed. From the. Carlos announces his catch and release to the turn of the committee but. They say release on that page.

OK. OK because they got these people up and down. It would be like. OK OK I think I've heard of that. Carlos sometimes documents his catches on his camcorder. Normally I'd like but the age of the Uncommon I think I'm a bit on camera but if you don't write me sometimes it's OK if. He's nice a nice momentum. But in film and in the winter days get up something during his three days of tournament fishing Carlos has caught five white marlin including a pair of double headers to Marlin hooked at the same time. Four of five of them were tagged. All were released. 3:30 in the fishing deadline for the day is over. The competitors return to the tournament headquarters in Ocean City.

A tradition among the fishermen coming back aboard the flight to fly with the gods of the day. In this case that we can. We like mountain lion for that and then all the people around knows exactly what the guy did and they was. Says this is the white world open. Obviously the heaviest prize money goes to the white marlin. When the bill first categories we award prize money to the heaviest white. Anglo. We also give release points awards for the most part which is the most prestigious award and a good anchor would tell you this you know I think it's more than you know is better than I can get lucky because you have you. Not only did Carlos win top honors as the best angler best mate and best captain he also won the top vote award one of the most prestigious awards in the tournament which is usually presented to entire boats and crews. I think I'm going to be enjoying my life and then it's off because

I don't think I think. A month that you live with nine years but you see Bendish coming. I think I mean more than 100 this year. I don't think I'm the best of them. I was probably the luckiest. Until the early years of World War Two hunters were lured in by large numbers of migrating solar a host that stopped a jug Bay on the Patuxent in early fall to fatten up on rice grass seeds. The hunters harvested the birds in unbelievable numbers. Fifteen hundred birds taken in a day. Fifty thousand SAR is in a season with a game that you play with a income that you have plenty they want to buy to put your manhood in a boat ride right but it's hard work and you could do it would you say I had just about as hard as I've ever done I tell anybody that pushers like John McKenzie and Leroy

Harper told a specially designed boat through the tall Rice grass when the sorrel spotted the pusher called out Mark and the shooter shot. Most hunters were crack shots a few who were otherwise engaged. I paid a man you know Dan and I I think he must have been drunk. And I think that when I say ma you shoot and he said 9 and I came up and he bombed and you know I shot a hole in the unfathomable man I'd yell for I don't know why I think I did I'd be all right aboard the boat on the mountain down. I mean when you're doing your shot at one time I'm using Oh I didn't do it I just don't shoot them one in the bottom. Not not he would then have me and I think I paid waving their everything to me and he went to bed and got in the car and went away and that means even if not. Today early for. Phone crowded mornings on the Patuxent River

still offer an opportunity to catch sight of the secretive soaring. But sightings on more and more rare. Greg Kearns park naturalist for the Patuxent River Park was a part of the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission is studying these birds to learn more about their little known habits. Once they've entered both finals they can't accept they really don't have the inclination to find that small opening again when it's elevated above their eye level and you've got them. One survey across the two finals and having a double funnel system like this is insuring your captor this is something that I played around with for a couple of years just trying to keep raccoons out of these things. We were able to catch more bird you're going from you know from from 50 in five years to now you know over a hundred last year into some one two month period and these these lead fences are great Benson's here these it's two foot high chicken wire one inch mesh that guides the birds because of their their natural

inclination is not to fly. They wander along the fence seeking out the source of the sound system which is a digital chip that has recorded. My Karama saw wildlife research biologist for the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center helps Carnes with his work. We're really just scratching the surface about the basics about story a real greatest divide to devise traps in which to ban these birds in numbers that haven't been accomplished in the past. We've also examined hundreds of birds to determine sex and age criteria from from France to sample where monitoring waits to see how the quality of this habitat is in terms of the birds to refuel gain weight especially lifted whichever form from high carbohydrate seed sources so that they can continue their migration timely way saurus have made a unique adaptation it's not

allow them to prosper in the marsh of the course the legs are very long for just about probably longest for any bird or small size just about done but the total length. It's probably almost a quarter of our body wings here and short bill for picking up small seeds like wild rice which is what they come here to feed on and their markings are totally cryptic the brown blends in with the mud. Little white highlights in the feathers blend in with the break up their outline and the reflections in the mud the shiny mud surface. They have bold radical barring on the sides of the flanks that will blend in beautifully with the radical lines of the marsh the shadowing effect it creates. They have a small tail that is triangular shape when it's closed. Little white patches underneath very similar to the animals like a cottontail rabbit or a white tailed deer. The actual gap is about one inch in the rib cage is so flexible and so they can squeeze the tiniest gaps. So the saying skinny as a rail you see where it came from.

After the birds are banded most of them are released. Some are set aside so that later radio transmitters can be tied to their bodies. This is a very delicate operation. And what's good I think the same with this one you like that their candidates are radio telemetry method using a 1.8 gram transmitter each in each bird is individually marked with a different frequency the radios really are the simplest type of location device we can triangulate to find out where the bird is after the transmitter is attached the birds are released one of the time in an enclosed environment to see if the string harness is too tight I think this is all in the bird look I mean started through good. Courses that interviewed all play with whoever Hoover on the record numbers 1 and the birds are placed in a holding cage for

further observation after a final check several hours later. The birds will be taken back to their capture site and released. We want to know how well the birds survive out here. Nobody nobody has ever studied a lot of know how long they stay here on this area. How long does it take them to refuel to gain the fat reserves to make the next migratory hop from this area. The radio transmitter have a range of approximately a quarter of a mile. We found that we could we could actually drive right up with a boat for the birds and locate them within probably that one. We found out that the birds are basically sedentary and that they stay in a small section of marsh. We're we're basically will he gain weight. The birds seem to be strongly well protected from predators and that's vegetation and we haven't recorded mortality. We don't have high precision level with that type of the issue because well we have one of bird

markers here we hope will improve our sample size and last year we bought over a hundred rails and I fully expect you can doctor over 1000 this year by expanding the project and using some of the same habitats we had great success and banning the birch cotton batting occurred last year. But we've been unpleasantly surprised this year by the fact that we want called about 100 so about half of the birds that we had this time last year around us hope these mysterious birds will help them answer troubling questions about the changing dynamics of the jug Bay Marsh for instance the once abundant Rice grass that attracts Saurez and other birds here is in decline. It's being replaced by other marsh plants. What will this mean for the future health of the ecosystem. No one knows or has asked questions like this before. The thrill of breaking new ground inspires them to repeatedly take to the marsh. This excitement and concern has triggered funding from the Maryland or the logical society

quails unlimited the Chesapeake Bay Trust and Prince George's Community College so that their work can continue. You talk to most biologists out there these birds are gone from these weapons and you know that's a shame that that's happening. It's terrible that we've caused things to change that much in their habitats and their environment to cause these once common birds to decline we think that the stopover marshes are really not that abundant in the flyweight in that they're probably certain critical areas where the bird stops that probably are where the protection or management of beyond what they're receiving at this time. We need to recognize those and we need to provide better stewardship of the quality of those habitats in the future if we hope to preserve this bird. We want to know more about this bird how we can save it but if it's declining it's obviously something else going on in farming these weapons that need to be examined early find out what we're doing to them and how we can reverse the trend.

So one part of the puzzle that a lot of this land will never change its trees will never be harvested. Its splendor will never be ripped in two by roads nor its symmetry destroyed by man made building. These are some of Maryland's more than 35000 acres designated as wild lands. Visit if you want. You're welcome. But if you want to find this place you'll have to watch and listen closely. We're not going to tell you where it is. We want it to remain like this. Free of any sign of human visitation. But we will give you clues. Our visit to one of Maryland's 24 areas which has been designated as wild lands begins here a drive down a forested road surrounded by

dark forest speckled with the glow of early morning sunlight. Here's another clue to our whereabouts. But as you'll soon see the greens and blues on this map cannot begin to illustrate the beauty of the real thing. And so the middle fork runs into Savage River reservoir right. Up and then the river goes where. Right down here from the band. Down to the north branch. Ed Thompson of The Heritage Foundation and need to subpoena the Department of Natural Resources are about to take us through one of the state's wild land areas. Don't even think about driving into a wild land area. Motor vehicles are restricted. Yeah. That eliminates even the hint of exhaust fumes and the sound of motors. That leaves only the sights sounds and smells of untouched words. These are places that require respect. Leave only footprints.

Take the only memory. These places were carefully selected for their unique use. There is much to appreciate. One of the reasons these wild lands were chosen out here war and this one in particular is it offers a wide variety of different slow fastback. Different. Total graphic position for text whole. A large group of different cars. And that's related to his different geology. So you have those type of things you have different geology. A different slope aspect in other words. Some areas face north some faced east some face west. You have a different topographic position being down close to the stream or up on the grass. All that comes together. And you protect a wide variety of different forest communities. Across the state sites like this include a wide variety of wilderness characteristics

some of which are presented here. Took a look at. Hundreds of thousands of acres. Look. At the physical to. Try to. Play through it. Like characteristics. Representative of the different. Land. Her. In there. So you have now. Have. Hope for play you have. To have. River. You have. Time. For. Hardwood. Floors. You have places where rhododendron different you will fight. All the different. Kind of live characteristics so that. We actually have. A system. Now. Where. You've identified in favor. In the natural way. Many of the different kinds of landscape from there. Some of Marilyn's purest waters flow here. And the rich fertile soil of an

undisturbed forest can produce a host of visual delights. Like a chance to walk beneath the canopy of giant rhododendrons. Whimpering here when they win or. They concentrate on eight rather than us the lower branches off. And spawning a widely colored collection of mushrooms which represent a good cross-section of specimens found in a healthy Fox. I must. Have. A lot of lost her 0. 3. 3. Or so years ago or so. To much terms. Like that. Please. Feel. Free. To do. That I do know that species are death for sure with specific kinds of trees or certain kinds of decaying vegetation. That

will grow into. The wall stuff like that. I think this one that's green colored is actually this species here that's been affected by another. Group. That's something. I guess. I want to grow things out the way that's for sure. They call those gills. Yes some of them have pores underneath there so have those what they call gills. It's one way to tell certain groups apart. Yeah. Definitely. If you go into a farce it's never been matted or never been logged in the leaf litter is extremely thick and the horizons are small horizons are layered.

Just like in theory they're supposed to. Here's another fungus that doesn't look much like a mushroom. It's hard to say what it is to lift this up. You can see. All this fungal growth underneath here. This is all it's all health. Some of the inhabitants of the wild lands are the same color as the leaf litter. It takes a well-trained guide to spot and pick up some of the dwellers of the forest floor. Well it's the American code very common. The main toad in a garret County. This is a juvenile. Probably I can't tell what sex but if it's a male to be a little bit bigger next year it'll probably be in the breeding population. If it's a female takes a couple more years.

But the real indicator of the health of an environment may be found under these stones. Ed and media are looking for is a creature whose mere presence indicates that the waters of these wild lands run pure. Heart. OK that's an Appalachian seal sound manner. They require cool very cool clean streams mountain streams. They're only found in the Appalachian plateau which is mostly Garrett County in Maryland and. Strains like this have to have to have the canopy over. I found the water very clean. That's why the wildlands will help the population of the Salamander survive. Maryland's wildlife. They're scattered throughout the state. New laws mandate that they should always be there. But it's up to how we treat

them. To make that a reality. Leave only footprints take only memories. These areas deserve the respect that should be given to all of those men. If people who like to feed birds often consider school to be public enemy number one. Let's not get our rest got to work. I have one thing to do all day long one mission that's to illegally dishonestly break into our very theaters. These bird lovers big red squirrels their seed and they wage a valiant but ultimately varying fight to keep furry thieves out of their feeders. But there's another approach one espoused by Washington D.C. resident Iris Rothman instead of fighting squirrels. She's decided to enjoy them. I realized when I was tried of the squirrels away from the birds here that squirrels were actually far more interesting than the birds birds were pretty.

No but this girl certainly had it all in terms of personality. Rodman's backyard is essentially a squirrel community center complete with food housing games and athletic challenge. I've planted you hazel nut trees over there because hazel nuts are one of their very favorites. What up schoolhouses. Because my dreams are fairly small. I was a set up a whole lot of feeders you know this supplement you know their natural foods. I had. Six different feeders that are primarily for the squirrels three of which are bird proof so that those pesky birds can't yet grow. And then there are some that are unisex that both the birds and the squirrels and then a couple that are just for the birds. Rothman a freelance writer editor who works at home caters to the squirrels as part of her daily routine in the morning I get up and read the paper.

This girl for a normal morning. Working up in our second story office Rothman is surrounded by more squirrels. They come to feast entering like feeders in the windows. Rows are really wonderful companions for people who work at home. There are you know a great distraction right there for one of the things that's really fun to watch and I have a squirrel proof reader. With a dome over it and it's heading up in the air. But that's the squirrels have figured out that if they climb up the holder and reach out they can jump into it. Another feeder built like a gum ball machine. Also test score problem solving ability. You fill it up with knots and the girls have to turn a wheel to get nuts to come out and in the beginning they sniff it bite it try to knock it over. Eventually will turn the wheel by accident. And once I get that first turn of the wheel and I figure it out very quickly and just start tearing the limbs

hazelnuts like kids enjoy watching these antics and Rothmann has frequent after school visitors. You're not. It's. How I get. When I. Read the named after me. Well I or the seven you know who loves to come over here and she'll come and fill my feeders. She'll put out water for the squirrels. She'll sit for hours she actually learned to sit still so that she can watch the squirrels and of empathy with other creatures. Often children I think have trouble with all of this feeding going on Rotman spends a lot on her squirrel habit more than $100 a month on sunflower seeds and fancy shelled pecans and long nights. In fact Rothman buys so much seed that her local supplier delivers it in 100 pound lots. Not surprisingly Rothmann ranks as one of the store's top customers.

Oh I think we've heard about number one as squirrel feeding goes over in Silver Spring. Bon Pfleger a retired wildlife biology professor also goes through his share of seed but his squirrels have to earn their food. We don't want lazy squirrels around here so they had to do something to get what we give them. And I just. Work out later. The squirrels must do a tightrope walk across a wire that's an eighth of an inch thick. Then they hang from their hind legs to pull up little buckets filled with sunflower seeds. When the first cup is empty they brave the longer run along the wire to get to comps that still have food. They didn't take a for a very long to master them within a week I had them for farming. They can smell the sunflower seed and they know there's something down there. So that's how they discover they have to pull it out and the high wire act isn't as hard as it looks.

If you're a squirrel it's really what they do in the wild they're hanging down from the branches of the trees to feed on things and jumping from one trade or another and having in the gaucherie pine branches. So they're not doing anything unusual in this world it is in fact backyard feeders are a good way to learn more about squirrel behavior which seems to boil down to the pursuit of food mates and proper respect world rank depends on age. The higher ranking swirl of the order of the world when you see the squirrels chasing each other. If usually a dominant world facing a lesser rank animal just to make sure that you know if you know their place in life chasing is also part of the mating ritual. If you think a whole lot of Torah facing one life then it's amazing. Facing a female aerial chases and death defying leaps are made possible in part by the squirrel's tail which is actually a balance organ the tail is used as a balancing organ when they are running through the tree tops.

And if you watch them on the small branches that tail is very important and they fall out of a tree. They always land on their bellies. The pale work started as an active character in the attic of squirrels and other creatures so entranced Lee and dee do are that they build a glassed in addition to their Waldorf home just to watch wildlife. Every morning about 6:30 we have a cup of coffee a bagel. We sat there for about an hour and watched the birds and watched as world we've seen as many as 20 whose world at one time when as many as 40 different species of birds over the course of the day. Doers says the secret of keeping squirrels out of bird feeders is to create separate dining areas. I think a better approach instead of having the squirrels compete with the birds and the bird feeders is to feed them separately in an area where they can have their their food and the birds get in peace with themselves. Dewar has even devised a squirrel feeder that foil squirrels annoying habit of

gnawing on their own feeders. That's the world's first squirrel proof squirrel here meaning that it's made out of steel you can't eat it you can only eat with the side of it and squirrel lovers say the money spent on extra peanuts is more than made up by the pleasure that squirrels bring. I encourage people to feed squirrels and invite them into their into their backyard because they're very entertaining and they're sort of going away on this one like Fred. Said they have been abandoned or unwittingly kidnapped they have been shot hit by cars poisoned by pesticides or lead. Mauled by other animals. Or humans. We will never know the cause or some of the grievous injuries. Season to season the Chesapeake wildlife sanctuary in Bowie Maryland welcomes wildlife in desperate trouble.

I saw what you have. Diane Parish is the sanctuary's executive director and founder. Well I don't see any bad wounds or anything will take you inside give him some antibiotics just in case the sanctuary started in 1981 I found a baby bird in my yard and my dogs had it and I brought it inside put it in a bathroom shut the door went right to the phone to call and try to get help and I was really surprised that no one knew what to do with it. From that moment forward I realized that was what I wanted to do. From that one bird in 1980 things have just really expanded. We're averaging now about 10000 animals a year. The wildlife rehabilitation we're doing here at Chesapeake is very seasonal in the summer when it's busy and you sometimes see a hundred a day. It was when we met the animal they get a full exam and then if we find they have some kind of a problem we have several different courses we can take. We have an onsite operating room gas anesthesia

machine exam area and we also have a diagnostic lab and we do a lot of diagnostics. The sanctuary itself is now on and being housed at an 85 acre facility and we have three separate clinics one for deer one for a bird. Maybe impatient and one for small mammals. We also do take reptiles and baby and and we also have a very active national oil wildlife response team to handle oil spill recovery. The nonprofit sanctuary operates on donations and grants powered by the dedicated assistance of trained staff and hundreds of committed volunteers and interns. The central mission of the Chesapeake wildlife sanctuary is to release patients back to the wild with the careful process of diagnosis and rehabilitation is often complex. Some animals will never return to a natural life in the wild. This Bart Howell is destined to be one of the lucky ones.

Greg Lawrence is director of operations. This is about how we hope to be releasing in the next couple of weeks. He came in to also at Animal Hospital last week with a very common injury. He was hit by a car. Had severe head trauma. He was treated at Falls Road Animal Hospital in Baltimore by Dr. Keith gold and has been spending his recovery period down here just be while that sanctuary. Hopefully Dr. Gold will clear him to go down to the barn this weekend and he'll start his reconditioning down there in the cage. Wild animals should not be treated like domestic animals. Wild animals fear humans humans are predators to them. They should not be petted or coddled. They should be handled as little as possible with the babies. They can actually be tamed and which cause them to not be releasable because they won't be able to survive in the wild. We have recently received three juvenile great horned owls which are currently being foster parent by two disabled permanent Great Horned

Owl adults. And this is beneficial to the babies because they grow dull to teach the babies to be owls and not to like people. These three owls are at the fledgling stage. They have jumped from the nest in the early stages of learning to fly and were found by citizens they had mistaken the natural order of fledging for abandonment. The usual cause for the great number of babies that we get is kidnapping. Actually even though these owls are not sick we can't release them back in the wild until they are fully adult. They currently cannot fly great distances yet they're still building their flight muscles and they have not learned to hunt very well yet which are things that they will learn while here. Dr. Tom Carmen from Linn Animal Hospital is one of two staff veterinarians who make rounds at the sanctuary. He's shock trauma patients today include a spectacular piloted woodpecker.

He's got some exposed two holes in his leg. I wonder what got him there plus is the fracture down the joint like you know just what that's going to completely keep him from being a clan attorney you know which ones. He says he's probably not a good candidate for survival. So I want you. Yeah the main mission of the wildlife sanctuary is to rehabilitate injured animals and set them back out into the wild and give them a fair chance. We don't make pets out of and if it's even if it's a bird that is otherwise healthy can't fly a lot of time to put down unfortunately because they don't do well in captivity. We understand that it's not very example that human Cage is the sanctuary also enlists the expertise of offsite specialists when the diagnosis and therefore the future of a sick or injured animal is uncertain. This bald eagle a threatened species was referred to three separate clinics.

It had been discovered unable to fly and with high lead levels although lead levels were successfully lowered the eagle did not thrive despite six weeks of skilled rehabilitation at the Chesapeake wildlife sanctuary. Dr. Cranfield a staff veterinarian here at the Baltimore Zoo he's enlisted Dr. Donna my good professor of radiology an orthopedic surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. But the speed with which things seem to be in a great deal concerned me for the things that move fast tumors infection although I don't see other secondary signs of infection. Even if it's a lot right and the white white cell count doesn't or support infection either. OK after we took the radiographs we wanted to look at the bird to see the severity of the leak. Yes and No. Well you know we hold the bird up by its feet so that it tries to fly and it looks cruel but we're trying to do is to test both the symmetry and the power of both wings.

At this point we think it's an osteosarcoma or a tumor in the bone that is completely destroyed the architecture of the joint so that the bird will not never have the power to fly and hunt again. We're now looking into trying to alleviate pain and getting it to be as normal as possible so that it can go to a captive home and live comfortably. Back at the sanctuary the time has come for one of the most deeply satisfying although not always easy sanctuary rituals the release of a rehabilitated on a mill back to the walk. This part has been. Our flight plan in the barn for several weeks now. Condition himself to be prepared for release in the wild. We have these special cages for the owls which are limited light because they are nocturnal and the cages allow them to actually fly freely and perch and get their muscles back in order so that they can survive and compete in the wild. We currently have five part of the Chesapeake wildlife sanctuary three

of which are permanent disables which we use to foster parent babies before we release any wild animal. We do a pretty release exam to make sure that their injuries are fully healed. After that we take the animal to the release site. When an animal goes back in the wild I have a little bit of mixed feelings I feel really excited that they had their chance. But then I wonder you know how they're. Done. Banding studies before and found out that they've done very well for many years. So it's a good deal. It's sort of the feeling. When I really knew about the wild birds. The one thing that really makes all the hard work worthwhile all the many hours that myself and many of our volunteers and put in helping these animals it's. The one thing that puts a smile on your face when it's all said and done. He was ready to go.

On the Border Collie has been selectively bred for gathering. You know the alerts when you walk out on the hillside your flock is spread out of their health and you are well without them without a whole lot of training to be able to gather the field and bring it in and bring the flock in. Here a trial and error acres Nancy Starkey works sooner. Jock bunk and missed each day in the past 25 years. She's worked with over 100 border collies for. The basic commands if you want to teach your dog to make it be neither useful on the farm or to refine the skills in your commands and make it into a trial dog would be the dog must stop on command standing on its feet or line he must advance

toward the sheep or walk up for the show. The dog must be able to go clockwise around the shade to any position that the handler stops at and counterclockwise around the street. You also need to be able to call your dog off when the work is finished. The border collie does use what's called a eye to move their sheath and some very intense stare at the sheep since sheep's ancestors were prey animals and the dog's ancestors were predator animals and sheep feel the intense pressure of the dog and they are very willing to move away from their precious dogs and their men are our very predator like that and if you watch nature films to see wolves and then you watch a film of a Good Lord how he working there very many similarities in the welcome mat. Take your time. When the dog is working and the sheep respect the dog and its abilities. There is a small portion of fear built into

that respect. However if the sheep are truly fearful of the dog they would be panicked and land animals panic. They usually don't do a whole lot of thinking so you do want the sheep respecting the dog and its ability to move it. But again without the panic that might. So if the dog were out of control. In the fall of 1992 I decided I needed a few sheets and that's when she trained my dog so I leased a farm and had a handful of sheep and the sole purpose for having them she was to train my dog. That has snowballed into the operation that we have here today there are a hundred or so on the property right now. And our primary focus sister printers are the lambs for sale. Thank.

You. For two wonderful days each spring. Sheep Shepherd and spectators converge at Maryland's annual sheep and Wolf festival. The largest in North America. With a variety of attractions to entice and engage the crowd. The true stars of the day are found on the show right. Or here is where the Border Collie instructor stuck. A demonstration that is a festival favorite. So it's a nuisance. It's not. Even you. Well we want to show the building as a dog and what you're capable of doing. These dogs are really fine to me because of my dogs and but on the same token I'll take him home do farm work with them.

It's very difficult to do what you want. When you start a young dog. Basically all you're doing is develop an instinct that has been bred there and you develop players to a point where you can get a day's work done with one of these dogs. Each dog an individual some dogs you know you can get trained to do farm work in six months. The next one. May take a year year and a half individual. Really attentive to Nathan. That's nice. As enduring as they may seem Border Collies may not be the right dog for everyone really like these dogs require mental stimulation and physical activity. In addition to proper management. To keep them from becoming bored boredom is their worst enemy. And for the newcomer the training process can be quite an endeavor. Why.

Why why why do why do I few tips from the master and calm is restored. Your first pen there were Bibles but your second pen worked well and when you went up to collect them at the end that looked nice and it was showing a lot of nice self-control. It is said that all work and no play makes for a dull boy. And so it is with colonies and with the field work finished. The fun began. Yes. Ah. As Marilyn becomes more and more urban with old family farms being sold to developers and highways dissecting the lion it is heartwarming to see the small farms still holding on. I currently have three working girls who I call their daily duties here on the farm the gathering of sheep off the hill and perhaps one in a barn from the rocks and the warm morning the sheep off the feeders

wildlife because sheep can be rather rude with caring about going to school and here and there on the farm sorting food handing food helping Dr. Phil.. Thank you. You're the comforting rhythm of farm life still exists as woman and beast tend to the fields in a time honored tradition one which has become all too rare in outdoors Maronite. Where gratification that I derive from my dogs home home or community. Thanks for the poor soul partnership but. Don't simply have a dog that is crying well they want a partner out there that is nothing new. Re.