Hamptons-Based Wildlife Rescue Center Launches A Mother’s Day Sponsor A Wildlife Baby Campaign And Charity Apparel Line

Normally The Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center (EAWRC) would be busy getting ready for their yearly “Benita Matthes Mother’s Day Plant Sale” and excitedly planning the highly anticipated summer Get Wild Gala. Unfortunately, EAWRC had to cancel the beloved plant sale and have had to put a pin in Gala plans indefinitely.

But, the Wildlife Rescue Center, which is Eastern Long Island’s sole Wildlife Hospital, remains open to care for the local injured and orphaned wildlife. EAWRC has even seen an uptick in animal admissions this year.

“The wildlife hospital is becoming really busy. We already have 17 baby squirrels, 5 bunnies, 3 birds and even an orphaned baby woodchuck in house,” Shelley Berkoski, Director of Development, explained.

To help offset lost revenue from the canceling of the plant sale, the 501(c)(3) not for profit has launched a limited-edition apparel line that commemorates 20 years of operation on Munn’s County Park in Hampton Bays, with 100 percent of profits supporting the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center. The collection is produced locally through Fisher Signs & Shirts in Southampton.

The collection was initially offered exclusively to the EAWRC family, and was such a hit that the Center opened shopping up to the community. “This is the best opening with a fundraiser store, and it was only offered privately first to the volunteers! Even in uncertain times like these people want to support the care of the animals,” Ron Fisher, EAWRC Board Member and Fisher Signs & Shirts owner, relayed.

The 20th anniversary collection features a myriad of items, from t-shirts to jackets to hats to sweat pants to jackets, and more. Items range from $15 to $65. To view the collection, visit evelynalexanderwildliferesuce2020.itemorder.com.

Additionally, Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center is presenting a special Mother’s Day Sponsor A Wildlife Baby opportunity. A donation of $20 will provide medication for an injured or orphaned wildlife baby – like a sweet baby woodchuck (featured in the picture above), baby bunnies or baby birds.

“The Mother’s Day gift sponsor certificate will help us purchase needed medical supplies for their care, especially since we won’t be having our Mother’s Day Plant Fundraiser this year,” Berkoski noted.

If the donation is made by 12 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, the Center will provide a personalized Mother’s Day gift of care certificate via email. To donate, call 631-728-4200 or email [email protected].

“We hope the sponsorship certificates for medical care for a wildlife baby for Mother’s Day will help raise awareness of the Wildlife Hospital so people know to call us first when they run across a baby animal they feel is in need. Often times Mom is around watching, but not with her babies so as not to draw attention to them. Eastern Cottontail Rabbits only feed their babies at dusk and dawn, they are so fast you wouldn’t even know that they were there,” Berkoski added. “Squirrels have multiple nests and are constantly moving their babies. Mother deer doesn’t stay with her fawn so as not to attract predators. Fawns are usually in trouble only if they are crying constantly, or covered in ticks around their eyes, and surrounded by flies. If they call us before ‘accidentally’ kidnapping the babies, we can talk them through what to do, or whether to take no action at all.”

The Hampton Bays-based Wildlife Rescue Center’s mission is “to preserve & protect our region’s native wildlife by providing rehabilitation services and education to raise public awareness of the factors that threaten its abundance and diversity.” The Center includes a full-time professional wildlife hospital that is staffed by licensed rehabilitators, biologists, animal behaviorists and volunteers. Each year, the Center receives more than 10,000 calls regarding either information about or aid with wild animal encounters.

For more informaiton, visit www.wildliferescuecenter.org.