I am not going to lie... the last couple of weeks have been "chaotic" to say the least. Unexpectedly the primary heating system for the "reptile room" failed... not once, but TWICE resulting in the emergency move of a large number of animals to the homes of my volunteers (and every nook and cranny of my house that was available) as we faced sub-zero temperatures here in northern NH. I've been feeling a bit frustrated... but not beyond hope that things are going to be getting fixed.
Per my earlier thread on the introduction of "Chocmo" the alligator into my collection of animal ambassadors l have also been partnering with a good friend of mine who runs a well-established wildlife educational organization for the construction and space-allocation of habitats for not only our animal ambassadors, but also for the rescue.
Their current facility houses everything from snakes, lizards, fox, birds, alligators, and even an african crested porcupine and lemurs! In addition, some of their volunteers are jumping on-board as additional fosters for UVRG. So we will not be limited by "in-house" space for the rescue "pets" once things are flowing smoothly. A majority of my own animals and those within the rescue are being moved there, with space dedicated specifically to them in order to meet their individual habitat needs.
As I am going to be overseeing the new enclosure construction, and gathering ideas on how to overcome the challenges that running a reptile rescue in the northeast in the middle of winter presents.. I will likely be putting out feelers to some of the "big dogs" here on building materials, lighting, construction, and other factors to take into account. The "Zoo people" have been good resources, but we are operating on a private budget & I think when it comes to DIY & saving money, nobody knows how to do it better than private hobbyists.
Much of the work to be done will happen after the holidays, you can expect some pictures when it starts!
Per my earlier thread on the introduction of "Chocmo" the alligator into my collection of animal ambassadors l have also been partnering with a good friend of mine who runs a well-established wildlife educational organization for the construction and space-allocation of habitats for not only our animal ambassadors, but also for the rescue.
Their current facility houses everything from snakes, lizards, fox, birds, alligators, and even an african crested porcupine and lemurs! In addition, some of their volunteers are jumping on-board as additional fosters for UVRG. So we will not be limited by "in-house" space for the rescue "pets" once things are flowing smoothly. A majority of my own animals and those within the rescue are being moved there, with space dedicated specifically to them in order to meet their individual habitat needs.
As I am going to be overseeing the new enclosure construction, and gathering ideas on how to overcome the challenges that running a reptile rescue in the northeast in the middle of winter presents.. I will likely be putting out feelers to some of the "big dogs" here on building materials, lighting, construction, and other factors to take into account. The "Zoo people" have been good resources, but we are operating on a private budget & I think when it comes to DIY & saving money, nobody knows how to do it better than private hobbyists.
Much of the work to be done will happen after the holidays, you can expect some pictures when it starts!
