A Wing and a Prayer

Residents and family members at Juniper Village in Meadville are always ready to welcome Tamarack Wildlife and their feathery friends that owe their lives to the dedicated staff and volunteers of the Wildlife Rehab Center. Their goal is to rehabilitate injured wildlife and release them back into the wild, however sometimes even with all the TLC they receive it is not possible for them to survive on their own and so they care for and use these birds of prey for education.  

They brought three different species of rescued birds to share with us. First we met Lady Hawk, a red tailed hawk that came to them with a wing injury when she was less than one year old and this year is celebrating 25 years at Tamarack!

Next we met a barred owl named Sophia who was brought to Tamarack to be treated for a broken wing. Although she has healed, due to the location of the break she has limited flight so she now calls Tamarack home. Barred Owls are one of only two Pennsylvania owl species that have dark eyes (other owls have a yellow iris) and they are the most vocal variations of any Pennsylvania owl. It was interesting to watch our hunters identify recordings of the different owl’s hoots and screeches and do a little educating of their own, informing us that the sound of a Barred owl, that was quickly identified by resident, Jon McNutt is used to call out turkeys.

Lastly we were delighted with two screech owls, Willow and Jasper. Willow and her three babies were found when a tree limb containing their nest was cut down. All of her owlets were able to be released at Presque Isle but due to Willow’s wing fracture she has remained at Tamarack and has done a wonderful job mothering other injured owlets that have come and gone. Then along came Jasper, a male screech owl who came with damage to one of his eyes and one of his ears. Now that he is healed he is a marvelous companion to Willow and a great foster father to other rescued owlets.

Tamarack is happy to customize a program just for any audience and we highly recommend taking them up on the offer for an up close and personal encounter with these birds of prey your spectators will never forget.

September 2016 Events in Meadville, PA: Spread Your Joy

As the air begins to cool and summer wanes, Juniper Village ends our “Stay Connected” series by recognizing Friendship and Joy. What is it that brings you joy? Is it the wet nose of a newborn pup? The smile of your first grandchild? The taste of a triple chocolate ice cream cone? Whatever it is we invite you to share that joy with others at Juniper Village this month.

Much attention has been paid to studies regarding the effects of stress on your health, but what about the effects of joy? The landmark “Nun Study,” as it's often known, revealed that positive emotion is correlated with longevity: 90% of the most cheerful quarter of nuns was alive at the age of eighty-five, whereas only 34% of the least cheerful quarter lived to that age. Similarly, 54% of the most cheerful fourth was alive at age ninety-four, versus 11% of the least cheerful. Of the 678 sisters in the original study about four dozen are still living. So go ahead, grab that triple chocolate cone it might just extend your life!

Join us this month as we celebrate friendship and staying connected with calendar events such as our annual daffodil planting and our home warming, birthday party and Best Friend initiatives.

Our fabulous September 2016 events in Meadville, PA at Juniper Village at Meadville include our:

§  AIAS Friends & Family Dinner and Recycling Presentation by Meadville Waste who offers curbside collection of recyclables to their residents, but there is so much more to be learned and we hope to see you here on September 8^th at 4:30 pm. (Please RSVP to 814-333-4400 by September 2^nd.)

§  Hospice Myth Busters because choosing hospice care can be a difficult decision for individuals and their families and there are a lot of misconceptions about the service, and as a result, many who need quality pain and symptom control, along with social and emotional care, do not take advantage of hospice, so join Juniper Village and SouthernCare Hospice to “bust the myths about hospice” on September 15^th at 6:00 pm. (No RSVP required.)

§  Lunch & Learn where we practice “Spreading the Joy” with the talented speaker Meg Maly who has been speaking at various locations throughout the community and we are very excited to have her join us for smiles, laughs and a generally good time on September 21^st at noon. (Please RSVP to 814-333-4400 by September 16^th.)

We look forward to sharing our September 2016 events in Meadville, PA at Juniper Village at Meadville with you as you Spread Your Joy.