We had the good fortune of connecting with Michela Dunbar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michela, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
There is so much that people don’t understand or know about wildlife rehabilitation, which is why one of our primary services is public education. Many people don’t even know what rehabilitation is, or they think that rehabilitators are the same as veterinarians or animal control. People have so many misconceptions about wild animals, and sometimes it shocks me how unaware folks are of the life that surrounds them. If I had to pick the most broad aspect of our industry that outsiders seem to be unaware of, it’d be how many of the animals we see each year have human-caused injuries or illnesses. Over 80% of our patients come in because of some sort of human interaction; be that hit by a car, stuck in a glue trap, or unintentionally kidnapped. Just recently, we had a squirrel come in that was so sick and bloated from being fed human food that it couldn’t even climb. People don’t realize the effect that humans have on wild animals, both intentionally and unintentionally. That’s why it’s so important for wildlife rehabilitators to be part of the solution rather than the problem.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Wildlife rehabilitation is centered around caring for injured and orphaned wild animals, with the ultimate goal of releasing them back into their natural habitat. Field rescue, medical treatment, and husbandry care play a huge part in my career, but through building a nonprofit, I’ve learned so many more skills. I play the role of an educator, a first responder, an administrator, an artist, a handyman, and so much more. Every single day brings new experiences for me, and while that can sometimes be challenging, it’s what I really love about this career. To get where I am now, I had to prove my dedication, persistence, and willingness to learn. I had to be able to make quick decisions, communicate effectively, and be able to handle high-stress, demanding situations with grace. All of the injuries, the parasites and bodily fluids, the missed meals, all of it is worth it to me. There hasn’t been a single boring day since I started, and I know I’m doing measurable good for so many people and animals. I really love what I do, and I couldn’t have asked for a better team to do it along with me!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The first thing I always offer to visiting friends and family is a tour of our facility. I don’t know if that makes me conceited, but I’m just really proud and enthusiastic about what we’ve built! After that, I’d take them to paddleboard at Horsetooth Reservoir. Paddleboarding is one of my favorite activities, and Horsetooth is just such a beautiful place to do it! My absolute favorite restaurant is The Melting Pot, which works out great because we could eat some fondue and then explore old town Fort Collins. If we wanted some drinks afterwards, we could stop by Social. The next few days, we could go hiking, wildlife-watch at some natural areas, and maybe head up to the Stanley Hotel if we were feeling like a drive. I also absolutely love escape rooms, so I’d be sure to bring them on some mystery adventures in between!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mentor and the person that really got me into the field is Tallon. I met Tallon at my first wildlife rehabilitation internship. He was a staff member there, and he quickly took me under his wing. Soon after, I became involved with Northern Colorado Wildlife Center, and that’s when my career really took off. Tallon and I have worked very closely in building up this organization, and I’m so proud of him and our entire team for where we are now. Just about every skill, experience, and bit of knowledge I have came from Tallon’s training, and I can’t thank him enough for all the time he has put in to mentoring me!

Website: https://nocowildlife.org

Instagram: @nocowildlifecenter

Facebook: @nocowildlifecenter

Youtube: @nocowildlifecenter

Other: We are a nonprofit, so we depend on donations. Here is our direct PayPal link: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LSYKT45E8FW6N

Image Credits
All of these images were taken by me or another Northern Colorado Wildlife Center team member!

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