Frisky’s Provides Unique Service to Community

By Cassie Felch
Posted: July 20, 2009

 

At the end of a long, pine-lined driveway, just west of The Snowball Stand on Old Frederick Road, lies a facility unique to Howard County – Frisky’s Wildlife & Primate Sanctuary. The Sanctuary offers quiet refuge and healing for displaced and injured animals, yet also aims to educate the community. Consequently, it offers a handful of carefully-monitored public tours each year. I, along with 14 others, recently participated in one of these tours and would like to share my newfound knowledge to help acquaint you with this neighborhood landmark.

The story of Frisky’s originates with founder Colleen Layton, who discovered her calling in Gettysburg, in 1970, when a neighbor asked her advice on caring for some orphaned bunnies. Colleen then began aiding animals she found injured alongside nearby railroad tracks. In 1976 she moved to Laurel, and then shortly thereafter, to Elkridge. Since that time, she has completed hundreds of hours of training and earned her license as a Master Wildlife Rehabilitator through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Colleen is one of two wildlife rehabilitators in the county – the other is Judy Holzman of All Creatures Great and Small Wildlife Center, in Columbia – and one of about two dozen in the state.

Colleen met her soul mate, Scott Robbins, when he began volunteering at Frisky’s in 1988 and proved equally devoted to caring for animals in need. The two wed in 1991, and Colleen jokes that she had to marry Scott to make sure she didn’t lose one of Frisky’s best volunteers. Soon after their marriage, the couple moved Frisky’s to its current location in Woodstock.

Another one of Frisky’s dedicated volunteers, Heather Wandell, has worked at the Sanctuary for six years. As Director of Community Outreach and Education, she coordinates the Sanctuary’s tours. She began, on the day I visited, by describing Frisky’s three-fold mission.

First and foremost, Frisky’s rehabilitates injured, abandoned, orphaned, or displaced wildlife and reintroduces the creatures to their natural habitat when ready. The Sanctuary performs one to two releases each week at several nearby locations and possesses the necessary permits to do so. Since most states, including Maryland, do not allow individuals to keep wild animals in captivity for any length of time without proper training, the Sanctuary must maintain a series of up-to-date permits and licenses.

Heather pointed out that many kind-hearted individuals want to help wildlife in need but must never attempt to do so on their own. Not only could they endanger themselves, their family pets, or even the animals they hope to aid, but their actions would be illegal; they could face a fine if discovered. Additionally, the state may have to euthanize animals that have not been handled following proper safety guidelines.

Those concerned about the welfare of a wild animal should call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for advice. Frisky’s performs a great deal of telephone education, especially between spring and fall. The phone number is 410-418-8899, and the website, www.friskys.org, also contains tips under the “Rescue Info” tab.

Interestingly, the state regulates the animals that even a licensed organization like Frisky’s can assist. Frisky’s cannot accept adult foxes, skunks, bats, or raccoons because they are considered rabies vectors. In biology, a vector is an organism that carries or transmits a disease that is communicable to humans. The State of Maryland also bans the rescue of adult deer because of overpopulation and the danger that these large, hoofed animals pose to rehabilitators.

Of course, not all of the animals that end up at Frisky’s come from the wild. Many are ex-pets that can no longer live with their owners for various reasons. Some of the more exotic animals, including monkeys and coatimundis, should never have been pets to begin with and cannot go into another home. Consequently, the second part of Frisky’s mission is to provide a lifetime refuge for these creatures.

Colleen took in her first monkey, Gizmo, in 1989, when his mother rejected him at birth. Frisky’s now houses 24 primates, some of which suffer from chronic illnesses such as diabetes or glaucoma. To ensure the security of these animals and the community, Frisky’s double-locks all primate enclosures, surrounds the enclosures with a set-back chain-link fence, uses unbreakable double-pane Lexan windows, maintains surveillance throughout the facility, and keeps several watchdogs. Frisky’s also undergoes several USDA and U.S. Fish and Wildlife inspections each year. The facility has never experienced an escape.

When I asked Heather about the most exotic animals she has seen at Frisky’s, she described three large and aggressive ‘pet’ alligators, one of which police confiscated from a drug dealer’s apartment during a bust. (As an aside, where in the world does one store an alligator in an apartment?) With help from the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Frisky’s transported the gators to a more southern state – all on the Sanctuary’s dime, unfortunately.

Actually, Frisky’s does not rehabilitate reptiles of any kind. When the Sanctuary receives a snake or the like, volunteers call a reptile handler, who takes the creature to a different location. Frisky’s does not accept dogs or cats, either, but it does take in birds, rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs. The third part of its mission is to act as an adoption center for such domestic animals. The Sanctuary chooses homes carefully and requests that adoptive families already possess species-related experience.

Of course, all three facets of Frisky’s mission require a great deal of time and money. As a non-profit organization, the Sanctuary operates solely on gifts from private parties and volunteer support. All donations go directly towards caring for the animals, yet volunteers still find themselves reaching into their own pockets to pay for food and medicine. Frisky’s welcomes donations of money, supplies, and gift cards and currently seeks funds to help refurbish the animals’ enclosures. To learn more, go to Frisky’s website and select the “You Can Help” link, or send donations directly to Frisky’s Wildlife and Primate Sanctuary, Inc., 10790 Old Frederick Road, Woodstock, MD 21163.

To register for Frisky’s final tour of the year, from 10-11:30 a.m. on September 19, call Heather Wandell at 410-461-5309, or e-mail haw@anotherwaytoseeit.com. You must provide a name, address and phone number for each person in your party, and sign a visitor’s release form and have a photo taken prior to the tour.

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MD Cooperative Extension Offers Food Preservation Workshop

By Cassie Felch
Posted: July 20, 2009

Some of us who do not hike may choose to interact with nature in another way – gardening. The economic downturn has spurred an interest in kitchen gardens, which are currently producing a bountiful harvest across our state. If you have run out of interesting tomato recipes, or your neighbors hide when they see you coming with more zucchini, or you would just like to enjoy your efforts for months to come, the Maryland Cooperative Extension offers a food preservation workshop entitled, “From Your Garden to Your Pantry.”

This workshop covers information about freezing and canning and costs $15. The fee includes a copy of “The Ball Blue Book of Preservation,” plus a take-home sample from class.

Classes are limited to 15 participants and take place at the Montgomery County Extension Office (18510 Muncaster Road, in Derwood) on July 21 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., and again on July 25 from 10 a.m. – noon. Participants must pre-register; call Rebecca Davis at 301-590-2816 or e-mail rdavis3@umd.edu for more information.

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Rimlinger Family Spends School Breaks Hiking

By Cassie Felch
Posted: July 20, 2009

 

Recently I enjoyed a chat with local musician and teacher, Kathleen Rimlinger, about her family’s passion for hiking. Kathleen and husband Frank share an interest in the great outdoors and hope to instill this same love in their children – Thomas, a rising senior at Marriotts Ridge High School, and Anna, an incoming freshman.

When the children were quite small, the Rimlingers started out vacationing in Maine at a rustic family cabin, which, to this day, contains no running water. During one of their getaways, when the kids were 6 and 3, Frank and Kathleen decided to climb Mt. Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.). Although only a 4- or 5-mile hike, this excursion challenged the little ones, yet it also planted the seed for future adventures on the A.T.

Kathleen calculates that she has now walked a quarter of the A.T. in bits and pieces and hopes someday to complete the entire 2,178-mile length. Every summer, and sometimes during Spring Break, she hikes about 50 miles at a time. Once, however, in 2007, she and Anna hiked 135 miles alone from the southern terminus at Springer Mountain, in Georgia, to Nantahala in North Carolina. Imagine a slender 11-year-old transporting a 25 pound backpack that entire distance!

Since hikers must carry all of their necessities with them, they obviously hope to lighten their load as much as possible, and one way is by filtering water that they find rather than carrying it with them. Anna chose to use this experience as the basis for her 8th grade science project, in which she tested the effectiveness of different water filters. Hiking has proven to be a multi-faceted learning experience for her.

Frank and Kathleen have also trekked sans children. Earlier this summer, they celebrated their 20th anniversary by hiking in Yosemite, as they once did before their marriage. On June 25, they climbed the iconic Half Dome Mountain, at left, and, at the summit, built a cairn in memory of Kathleen’s maternal grandfather, an avid outdoorsman who never had the opportunity to climb Half Dome. He was born 100 years earlier on that very date. Click on the photo for a larger view of the Rimlinger’s climb.

In addition to viewing some breathtaking scenery during their many hikes, the Rimlingers have also experienced close-up wildlife sightings, including adult bears and cubs, a wildcat, deer, marmosets, a coyote, a rattlesnake, and many lizards. Their only nerve-wracking experience occurred when a bear once came between Frank and the rest of the family on the trail. Fortunately, they scared it away without too much effort.

As interesting as I found all of Kathleen’s anecdotes, I think I most enjoyed learning about Trail Names. I had no idea that hikers on the A.T. adopt new monikers – new personas, really – to separate themselves from their “real world” identities. Kathleen shared that she goes by “Teacup” on the trail since she loves drinking tea, while blonde-haired Anna identifies herself as “Goldilocks,” Thomas goes by “The Professor” because he often engages people in deep discussions, and Frank calls himself “Sorefoot (self-explanatory).” How fun is that?

Thank you to Kathleen and the others who have contacted me about their interests and accomplishments. Your stories truly fascinate me and provide me with some enjoyable material! Please continue to send your updates so that I, in turn, can share them with the community.

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St. James Hosts Yard Sale July 18

By Cassie Felch
Posted: July 7, 2009

Janet Sowers writes that St. James United Methodist Church plans to sponsor another community craft and yard sale July 18, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call the church at 410-442-2020 to reserve a free space. The address is 12470 Old Frederick Road (Route 99), in Marriottsville.

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Neighbor Ride Needs Volunteers in Western Howard County

By Cassie Felch
Posted: July 7, 2009

Colleen Konstanzer, Community Outreach Coordinator for Neighbor Ride, shares that this charitable organization recently registered several new passengers in the western part of Howard County and seeks to increase the number of volunteers in our area. Volunteer drivers help transport seniors to medical appointments, shopping and business destinations, religious services, social outings, volunteer commitments, and more. Currently, they provide an average of 500 rides per month.

As we celebrate our Nation’s independence, consider giving the gift of independence to an elderly neighbor by volunteering for Neighbor Ride. Drivers may choose rides that are convenient to them and may bring their children for a rewarding intergenerational experience. Contact Volunteer Coordinator Rosemary Noble at 410-884-RIDE (7433) or e-mail volunteer@neighborride.org for more information.

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