There are special people in this world but this is about a very specific breed of people that love wildlife and the wild so much that they make it their life. I was very lucky to be a part of that for awhile, and wanted to share it with others. While these books are fictional they are loosely based upon my time at Carolina Wildlife Center, which is a non-profit that rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife. For more information about them you can visit their web site at www.carolinawildlife.org
I started at the wildlife center as a volunteer and after many years, eventually I became staff and cared for the animals. Don’t go getting excited its not playing with them, thats not what they do. The goal is to rehabilitate them for release back into the wild, which mean you want them to stay wild. Wildlife needs to have a natural fear of humans. We were permitted to be more friendly with the education animals, such as Trinity pictured with me below. They are wildlife ambassadors that are taken out to educate the world about their species. There are so many dedicated people that work for rehabilitation centers- its hard work, very hard work.
There is another side, I don’t think many people realize. Not only does the center help wildlife but it also helps students find their spark. There are so many very talented interns and students that work at the center for a season and the experience they gain is priceless. Some realize very quickly that this is NOT for them, but that is great because it allows them to realize that before they spend years getting a costly education in a field that may not be for them. It frees them up to fink other passions. For others, their time is the cement that binds them to this life, is a resume builder for vet school applications, or other careers in the sciences. It is the younger versions of these students that I write these books for. So many children have an amazing passion for nature and wildlife but can’t yet volunteer or gain first hand experience. My advice to them was alway READ READ READ as much as you can. But I have never come across anything that share these stories, so I thought I would.
I have had help along the way. Someone to bounce ideas off here or there. Someone to go on adventures with that inspired some of the adventures Aspen and Jack go on. Yes I really did kayak and find a vulture nursery of sorts off Lake Murray. One person in particular I want to credit for the amazing chapter illustrations. She is very humble and likes her privacy, so I will respect that but I still want to give her credit for the amazing person she is. So here is her credit. She is AMAZING and if you know her I know you agree.
About the Author…
coming soon…. I was told I couldn’t write about myself
Reviews of Squirrel on the Run
It gives a great, all-ages window into the world of wildlife rehabilitation May 15, 2017What a cute story! It gives a great, all-ages window into the world of wildlife rehabilitation. Kids late-elementary through YA will find Aspen’s stories relevant and fun.
5.0 out of 5 stars My daughter really liked it! June 1, 2017Just finished reading this with my 9yo daughter, who really enjoyed it. Each chapter is a different “episode” from Aspen’s time volunteering at a wildlife rehab center. The stories give a lot of detail about what it’s like to work with animals, so it was a fun *and* educational read.