Coexisting with wildlife is lecture topic June 11

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge and the Milton CHEER Center will welcome Dawn Webb-Cox, president of the Delaware Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators and Educators, for a lecture at 7 p.m., Tuesday, June 11.

Webb-Cox, who retired in 2015 from the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlfe, will share her experiences in caring for sick, injured and abandoned wildlife. She will be joined by Cathy Martin, with whom she co-founded the council of rehabilitators in 2005.

The council is committed to teaching the public how to coexist safely with Delaware’s many wildlife species. This includes how to contact a wildlife rehabilitator who can determine whether or not there is a need to intervene when people encounter a wild animal that they think is injured or abandoned.

Not all wildlife that appear to be abandoned actually are. Many wild parents may leave their babies alone for hours at a time, returning to their nesting area between dawn and dusk to feed their young. They then leave but stay in close proximity to the area to keep predators away.

Also covered will be tips on creating a backyard habitat for wildlife as well as ways to keep unwanted wildlife out of people’s yards.

The program will be held at the Milton CHEER Center, 24855 Broadkill Road (Route 16), Milton. The event is free and open to the public. No reservations are necessary.