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OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation
Basic Skills Course Schedule
Fall 2008
 
CANCELLED
September 27-28, 2008, Sat.
& Sun.
WINDSOR, Ontario
NEW COURSE ADDED !!!!
November 15-16, 2008, Sat.
& Sun.
LONDON, Ontario
Location to be announced!
Please check back first week of
September, for registration form and further details.
October 25-26, 2008, Sat. &
Sun.
HAILEYBURY, Ontario
Northern College, Haileybury Campus
Deadline to
register: September 27, 2008
 for
the course in HAILEYBURY
Click HERE to download the brochure and registration form (pdf
file) for the Basic Skills Course in Haileybury, Ontario.
Note:
Registrations are filled on a first come-first served basis.
Classes fill quickly. Don't delay in sending your registration in.
Payment in full (cheque or money order) must accompany your registration.
Sorry, we do not accept credit cards or post dated cheques for payment.
Registration must be mailed in and must reach us by the specified deadline.
You will be notified
when we receive your registration - in the event that the course is full, or
does not meet sufficient registration, and is cancelled, your fees will be
refunded in full. There are no refunds issued after the registration
deadline. Study guides will be sent to you when the registration deadline
has passed and the course meets minimum registration requirements and is
confirmed. You will be notified at that time by email and provided
with maps and driving directions as needed.
Our next course will not be held until
February of 2009.
If you would like registration information sent to you
when other dates are confirmed, please email us at:
courses@owren-online.org
Be sure to include:
your name, full mailing address, postal code, telephone
number,
and
your email address.
About the
OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation BASIC SKILLS COURSE:
The OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation
BASIC SKILLS COURSE was
designed by Ontario rehabilitators and the OWREN Board as an essential basic
educational component of wildlife rehabilitation for those who wish to become
Authorized Wildlife Custodians (AWC) in Ontario or act as Foster Care Givers for an
existing AWC.
The two
day course, hands on lab learning stations and written exam component,
are accepted as the equivalent to the Ministry of Natural Resources OWRE
written test for those who attend, participate fully in the lab sections, and
attain a score of 80% on the written exam.
It is the first step in
becoming an authorized wildlife custodian in the province of Ontario.
Existing custodians may wish to take the course to refresh their skills
and update their knowledge. The course is ideal to complement volunteer training programs
or for those who want to learn the basics of wildlife rehabilitation and
volunteer at rehabilitation facilities or work with wildlife in related
professions. Humane society, animal control, or veterinary clinic staff who
often receive orphaned or injured wildlife from the public would benefit from
the course.
The course provides you with a fundamental exposure to what you
can expect working with native species in wildlife rehabilitation in Ontario.
The course curriculum provides you with a basic introduction to and a
starting foundation in the following subject areas:
Legalities:
Federal & provincial laws; conditions of Wildlife Custodian
Authorization (presented by MNR); wildlife recordkeeping; veterinary
relationships; disease reporting
Initial Contact:
handling public inquiries; species identification;
injury assessment; reuniting orphans with parent; species biology/behaviour;
telephone hotline tips/advice; safe wildlife capture/transport.
Triage:
initial examination; making difficult decisions;
animal-rehabilitator safety and handling.
Emergency:
shock; dehydration; emaciation; blood/fluid loss;
poison/seizures; respiration.
Basic Exam:
equipment; restraint methods; performing the examination;
charting.
Basic Treatment:
limb immobilization; wing wraps; wound management;
gavage; dosage calculations; fluid replacement calculations.
Diseases:
wildlife diseases; zoonoses; epizootics; disease prevention
strategies.
Rehabilitation:
ethics; equipment; housing; nutrition overview; enrichment; stress reduction
tips.
Release Considerations:
release assessment; methods; site evaluations;
euthanasia
The
course also involves hands-on workstations in which new students are taught and
gain
confidence in performing basic life saving techniques on wildlife. These
techniques can often help to help stabilize an injury to permit healing and/or
to prevent further injury for transport to your veterinarian for treatment.
PLEASE NOTE:
Students are
evaluated and/or graded in each of three course areas:
* Full attendance both days for lectures
* Full participation in all hands-on lab workstations
* A written test in which a score of 80% must be achieved
for a pass.
Failure to
complete or participate in any of the three sections, will result in a
failed grade.
A Certificate of Completion will not be issued by OWREN
if this occurs.
The Study Guide and
Exam Guides are sent out to all registrants when the following conditions
are all met:
* We receive your fully paid
registration,
* The registration deadline has passed, and
* The minimum number of persons registered for
the course to proceed has been met.
Go over and study this material carefully as the
final exam is based on the material contained in the study guides. All students
will receive the OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Manual on the first
day of the course. It covers the course content taught over the two day
period and has many other useful resources and information for rehabilitation.
Overall the OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course is
a well rounded course developed by Ontario rehabilitators - for Ontario
rehabilitators!
About the OWREN BEYOND BASIC SKILLS
Wildlife Rehabilitation Course
Whether you provide care from intake to release, or short-term care for orphaned
or injured wildlife while awaiting transfer to an authorized wildlife custodian, this course will
benefit you.
Designed for those who want to develop more than a basic knowledge of best
practices in wildlife rehabilitation or common native wildlife.
Information on natural history, habits, diets and husbandry for the care of
common native wild animals is critical to successful rehabilitation. To help you make the best treatment
choices for wildlife in rehabilitation you need to develop an understanding of what to do for common injuries and
illnesses in various wildlife species and this course will give you that knowledge and confidence.
This course will focus on common native wildlife (mammals, birds, reptiles) admitted to rehabilitation facilities in Ontario, and will cover:
*
Injuries, diseases, illness and treatment including fluid therapy
*
Diets and formula—for all age groups
* Housing and handling—for all ages
* Enrichment for wildlife in rehabilitation
* Keeping the ‘wild’ in wildlife and determining release readiness
* Special handling for RVS species
Natural history, habitats, and food sources critical for best practices used in
rehabilitation will be addressed through resource materials distributed to each student.
Would you like to have an
OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation
Basic Skills Course in your area?
You can !
Contact us at
courses@owren-online.org if you need more information.
Courses can be arranged for any group in any location.
Vet tech students,
government staff, humane society/animal control agencies,
veterinary clinics, etc., will find the course content informative and helpful.
Check out the Photo Galleries
below for a glimpse of past
OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills
Courses !
Participants enjoy a
shared learning experience and
develop networking relationships with other
wildlife rehabilitators
province-wide. OWREN's courses are an excellent foundation for those who
wish to
work or volunteer in the profession of wildlife rehabilitation.
Use the left - right arrows to
navigate the thumbnails. Click on any thumbnail to view it. You are viewing photos from the OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic
Skills Course - Feb/2006 London, Ontario
OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course. London/02-2006 OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course. London/02-2006 OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course. London/02-2006 OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course. London/02-2006 OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course. London/02-2006 OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course. London/02-2006 OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course. London/02-2006 OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course. London/02-2006 OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course. London/02-2006 OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course. London/02-2006 OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course. London/02-2006 OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course. London/02-2006 OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course. London/02-2006 OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course. London/02-2006 OWREN Gross Pathology Workshop Western Univ. London/02-2006 OWREN Gross Pathology Workshop Western Univ. London/02-2006 OWREN Gross Pathology Workshop Western Univ. London/02-2006 OWREN Gross Pathology Workshop Western Univ. London/02-2006 OWREN Gross Pathology Workshop Western Univ. London/02-2006 OWREN Gross Pathology Workshop Western Univ. London/02-2006
"Welcome!"
Colleen Gignac, OWREN Director and Registrar is the smiling face that helps get you registered. (And she'll give you a spiffy name tag, in case you forget who you are!) :-) Brian Salt and Liz Springall, OWREN Directors attempt some surgery on the computer before the class starts. "Press that button Brian, press any button, press all the buttons at the same time and see what happens." ...and while we try to get the glitches out of the computer, the students amuse themselves... Delbert Miller, MNR (Sr. Fish and Wildlife Specialist, Alymer District) gives the class an introduction and overview of wildlife rehabilitation legislation and conditions in Ontario. Authorizations are issued from the MNR District you live and work in. Day Two of the course is 'hands-on' training using cadavers. Students are first shown and then given the opportunity to practice these basic skills in wildlife care. Four learning stations are set up for this. Liz Springall (in the Owl scrubs) an OWREN Director is also an OWREN Skills Instructor. Here she explains and demonstrates the techniques of avian injection sites, wing wraps, and bandaging for fractures. "Just remember, in real life this bird won't just be laying there like this." "You want us to do WHAT???" The students turn to practice what they have just been shown. Learning to apply wing wraps to immobilize broken or injured wings, prevents further injury to these areas when properly applied. Liz (in Owl scrubs) demonstrates injection sites for avian patients. Injections are used for fluid replacement therapy, and to adminster medications if prescribed by the wildlife veterinarian. They can be a lifesaving measure for an injured animal. And the winner of the 'Most Decorative Robert Jones Bandage on a mammal' is..... Some students have a creative flair and it shows! Humour often eases the stress in this profession. Mary Catharine Kuruziak, OWREN Chairperson and Skills Instructor (green scrubs) explains fractures to students and the use of Robert Jones bandages to immobilize limbs on mammals. Mary Catharine demonstrating the application of a Robert Jones bandage on a raccoon. "Now you ladies just pin him down on the table for me, and I'll show you how to get this on his leg." Brian Salt, OWREN Director (in scrubs), conducting the mammal gavage feeding station. Students are shown the technique of gavage feeding on mammals and reptiles. "I'm telling you that snake they brought in was THIS big around. I know it wasn't a wild native Ontario snake as soon as I saw it!" Brian (in scrubs) demonstrates gavage feeding for mammals and reptiles so the students understand the importance of this life saving procedure. "Don't try this at home unless you have an experienced professional show you how to do it correctly." Brian is explaining the different techniques for mammal and reptile gavage feeding. (Notice the matching scrub top patterns Brian and Liz are wearing - we try to be consistent! :-)) Dr. Ian Welch of University of Western Ontario instructed the OWREN Gross Pathology Workshop at the University on Saturday morning. Students here are at their workstations at the university practicing on their own after the morning demonstration and lecture portion. "Remember everyone, knives and scalpels are really, really, really sharp." Dr. Ian Welch (left) helping students in the Gross Pathology Workshop to identify internal organs. This type of workshop is beneficial to wildlife rehabilitators and enhances their knowledge of the species they work with. You can just see the intensity here! Two of the students in the Gross Pathology Workshop working on their own. These workshops give students confidence in their skills. Two more students practicing in the Gross Pathology Workshop held concurrent with OWREN's annual conference in Feb/2006. "Now just watch me open this up." "So let's see what's in there!" OWREN Director Linda Laurus, tackles a hands on session on a specimen at the Gross Pathology Workshop. Much knowledge is gained from these workshops. "No, honest, Dr. Welch told me to use this on the rib cage!" A little levity can often make learning experiences memorable.
OWREN Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course. London/02-2006
"Welcome!"
Colleen Gignac, OWREN Director and Registrar is the smiling face that helps get you registered. (And she'll give you a spiffy name tag, in case you forget who you are!) :-)
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