About Us
The wildlife of St. John is an intrinsic part of the beauty and splendor of this island. St. John is an important nesting and foraging ground for an array of resident and migratory avian species and home to various species of wildlife. St. John Wildlife Rehabilitation strives to create a community-based network of volunteer responders and rehabilitators through hands-on wildlife rehabilitation education, as well as to be a resource for wildlife based care and information for our island community.
If you have had an injured or orphaned bird on St. john or St. Thomas, you likely have brought the bird to one of us or sent it over by ferry. We work with all native species and try to help avoid human/animal conflict through education. Achieving a positive outcome wherever possible is our goal.
Respond.
Rehabilitate.
Release.
Meet the Team
Phyllis Benton is permitted by US Fish and Wildlife to rehabilitate migratory birds. She works with native bird species on St. John as well as local bats. She is a board member of the Virgin Islands Audubon Society, is the only non-Floridan to serve on the Advisory Board of the Florida Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, is a member of the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association and the International Wildlife Rehabilitators Council. Best day ever is when an animal gets a second chance and is released back to the wild.
Pamela Holmes is permitted for rabies vector species rehabilitation in RI. She is a member of the Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of RI and Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of MA. She has worked with a variety of wildlife including: raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, skunks, and opossums. She and her husband are professional responders with the ASPCA's National Field Response Team, assisting animals in cruelty cases and natural disasters.
Willow Melamet is a Sea Turtle Biologist and currently the VINP Sea Turtle Monitoring and Protection Program Coordinator for the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park, and additionally works at the Animal Care Center. She was previously the manager of the Sea Turtle Care Center at the South Carolina Aquarium which provides state of the art medical care to sick and injured sea turtles. She also has extensive wildlife rehabilitation experience having worked at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) in FL as the Senior Wildlife Rehabilitator, caring for all Florida native wildlife, and as a clinic volunteer at the Center for Birds of Prey in South Carolina. She has worked with a variety of wildlife including: squirrels, raccoons, river otters, hawks, eagles, shorebirds, sea turtles, freshwater turtles and tortoises.
Kim Nogueira has been caring for injured birds on St John as a volunteer for Phyllis Benton for 15 years, attending several Florida Wildlife Rehabilitation Association conferences along the way and a briefly volunteering at Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary and Pelican Harbor Seabird Station in Florida. Her favorite rehab story involved the hard luck case of a seagull who was in her care for a month. On the day of a solar eclipse, when she most wanted to drive around St John and see the strange half-moon-shaped shadows dotting the ground, she instead made the decision to stay home and do physical therapy with the seagull, who surprised her with the ultimate gift: a full flight across the room, meaning he was ready to be released in time to join the last of the seagulls in migration, several weeks before Hurricane Irma hit St John.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Support Wildlife Rehabilitation on St. John?
The beautiful island of St. John currently has very few resources for injured, sick or orphaned wildlife. We will often receive calls to respond to rescues or to take in animals for treatment or care from the local veterinary clinic (Canines, Cats, and Critters), the local animal shelter (Animal Care Center), the Virgin Islands National Park, or directly from the public. By having a dedicated team that specializes in wildlife rehabilitation we hope to be able to expand our efforts and continue to grow our ability to aid our island’s wildlife.
Where does funding come from?
We are a volunteer based group and do not receive funding from any government organizations. All expenses come out of our own pockets or through donations. Day-to-day expenses include specialized food, caging, medical and rehabilitation supplies. We are fortunate to have a small dedicated group of volunteers that will help with this cause on “their own time,” as we all have a passion and strong desire to do our part to help our wildlife.
Is this a hobby?
Our experience includes thousands of hours of hands-on bird and wildlife rehabilitation, and training with individuals who specialize in specific categories of birds. We routinely attend educational conferences related to bird rehabilitation to continue our education . This experience, and the support of other Federally Permitted rehabilitators, is necessary to qualify for and receive a Federal Migratory Bird Rehabilitation Permit. In the spring of 2006, one of our members became the first St. John resident to ever receive a federal permit of this kind.
Why does the federal government care about what happens to our birds?
For anyone to legally work with our wild birds, they must have a federal migratory rehabilitation permit, or work under the direction of a permitted rehabilitator. Birds have very specialized needs, and positive rehabilitation outcomes are directly linked to the type of care and nutrition given to these animals. Almost all of our birds are specifically named on the protected list that is part of the International Migratory Bird Treaty. These birds belong not only to us, they also belong to other islands and countries where the birds may travel. Due to the protection granted by the International Migratory Bird Treaty it is illegal to injure or kill our local birds, or to disturb any occupied nests (with eggs, sitting mother, or babies). You must also have a federal permit to rehabilitate these wonderful animals.
Do you take in all birds, even non-native (introduced)?
We always offer to help with information and direction – whether the bird is native or introduced (chickens, Muscovy ducks, etc.). For the most part, we limit intake to native, non-introduced birds, as specified by our federal rehabilitation permit and our capacity and available resources.
Do you charge for services?
We do not charge for our services. There is no set fee, but a small donation is always welcome.
Don’t you just feed them bread, cat food or sugar water?
Rehabilitation requires specialized knowledge and can be a complex and lengthy process. Raising a baby bird from nestling stage to release is extremely labor intensive; proper nutrition often makes the difference between a bird being healthy and releasable back to the wild, or suffering from nutrition-related illness and bone and feather issues. We are fortunate to have many different types of birds on island who eat a wide variety of things: seed eaters, fruit eaters, insect eaters, fish eaters, birds who get their insects from nectar, whole-food eaters who catch mice or lizards - to name a few. Each category of birds needs very specialized diets. Since we do not have a “Petco” or local sources of food, everything must be ordered and shipped here. Have you ever waited for a package from the states to arrive? If a bird comes in and the food needed to feed it is somewhere In the mail, the bird is in serious trouble. That is why we purchase and keep a small amount of many different types of food to keep on hand.
What if you are off island?
There are times when there simply is no one to take an animal. We would love to see that change and are working to build upon our small group. We need a better safety net here, and we encourage you to get involved on some level.
How can I help?
If you are interested in learning more about wild bird rehabilitation, or wish to make a donation, please contact us. There are many skills that are needed including hands-on care of animals, public relations, and fundraising. Let us know what you like to do and we will find a role for you!