Meet Tracy Bye | Human being living on Mother Earth

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

Hi Tracy, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
I have many favorite quotes and affirmations. I choose this one today:

“Sit with animals QUIETLY
And they will show you their HEARTS.
Sit with them KINDLY
and they will help you locate YOURS.”

– Rumblings of the Claury

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Born Free Wildlife Rehabilitation began as a non profit in 1992. Over the 30+ years of being a sanctuary for all wildlife, it has been amazing AND hard work. I have connected with animals ALWAYS. I am most proud of having the opportunity to help animals who have been injured or abandoned to be able to be free again and live their life. I have had lots of help from the vets I use, other wildlife rehabilitators and many volunteers. The biggest challenge is time management. In working a full time job (to pay personal bills) and running a non-profit it can run you into the ground. During baby season it is crazy and it is always a challenge to try and keep everything in balance. As I have aged over the 30 years and my sons have grown and moved away that challenge becomes harder. Being a wildlife rehabilitator is a once in a life time gig – but it also takes very hard work, many hard experiences (death) and incredible experiences (releasing back into the wild)! As the world gets more crowded with people, the wild areas are more full and more animals are suffering due to the challenge of all of us living on this planet together. We need to remember the animals were here first and it is their habitat – to live with them is a gift and we need to respect that.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take them on an eagle release to a remote part of Routt county to see the beauty of nature at its best. We’d hike into a pristine lake and release a bluebird that had been into our sanctuary for rehab. We’d watch a beaver that we had released at the lake a year ago to see how her life was with her beaver family. We’d spend the week camping in the wilderness being quiet and watching animals in their habitats. The last day hiking out we’d talk about the gratitude we feel for the wild places and all the wild animals in the world.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shout out goes to my two sons. Growing up with a mom who worked full time and ran a wildlife non-profit was a lot. They had many chores to help with, dealt with death of beloved wildlife they had helped and hoped to save and we couldn’t get away on vacation very easily due to the amount of responsibility of taking care of all the wildlife. They are patient, kind, calm, animal loving humans that are two of the best human beings I know.

Website: www.bornfreerehab.org

Instagram: bornfreewildlife

Image Credits
John Russell – eagle release photo