Suisun Marsh Natural History Association
 1171 Kellogg Street <> Suisun City, CA  94533 <> 707-429-4295

Sandy Emanuelson Endowment Fund
for the Suisun Wildlife Rescue & Education Center

The Suisun Marsh Natural History Association, a private non-profit organization located in Suisun City, California, operates the Sandra Emanuelson DVM Memorial Wildlife Center, which provides rescue, care and release back to the wild for injured and orphaned native California wildlife.  Incorporated in 1977, the Wildlife Center has released over 17,000 wild birds and animals back to the wild, with annual release rates as high as 73% in 2016 and 2017.  Known also as the Suisun Wildlife Center, it began as a grassroots volunteer effort and is still volunteer driven today, with only two staff members receiving part-time wages and an operating budget of around $50,000 annually. The Wildlife Center is open 364 days a year to the public to receive wildlife for care and allow visitors to see the non-releasable education wild birds and animals on display. 

We are proud and honored to have been chosen to receive a 2016 John Muir Association Conservation Award. The 2016 John Muir Association Conservation Award was presented to the Suisun Marsh Natural History Association and its Suisun Wildlife Center Saturday April 22, 2017, during the Earth Day Celebration at the John Muir Historic Site in Martinez.  Presenting the award to Monique Liguori, SMNHA Executive Director, were Mark Thomson, Co-President, John Muir Association; US Representative Mark DeSaulnier, 11th District; and an assistant to US Representative Mike Thompson, 5th District of California. This is the 37th year that the association has made awards to recognize organizations and individuals for their contributions to the environment.

 John Muir, one of the founders of the Sierra Club and known as the Father of the National Park System, spent the last 24 years of his life in Martinez, where his 1882 Victorian home and a portion of his ranch are preserved in the John Muir National Historic Site.  It's worth a visit.

The Muir Association's description of the Suisun Marsh Natural History Association as honoree follows:

“The Suisun Marsh Natural History Association, a private nonprofit organization located in Suisun City, California, operates the Sandra Emanuelson DVM Memorial Wildlife Center, which provides rescue, care and release back to the wild for injured and orphaned native California wildlife. Incorporated in 1977, the Wildlife Center has released over 16,000 wild birds and animals back to the wild, with annual release rates as high as 71% in 2015. Its Wildlife Center is open 364 days a year to the public to receive wildlife for care and allow visitors to see the non-releasable education wild birds and animals on display."

 "In addition to its wildlife care effort, the organization has an extensive environmental education program, serving over 300,000 children and adults since 1978. A primary focus is the Suisun Marsh, at 116,000 acres one of California’s largest wetlands and part of the San Francisco Bay estuarine system. Suisun Marsh interpretation for schools covers birds and animals, marsh ecology, and Native American history. The Association also presents a wide range of other natural history. The Suisun Marsh Natural History Association continues to devote time and effort to ensure the Suisun Marsh is effectively maintained, while educating the public as to the importance of the Marsh to the local ecology.”

Our warmest thanks to the John Muir Association for this tremendous honor!

Since 1977, the accomplishments of the SMNHA have included, along with wildlife rescue and environmental education, the acquisition of 17 acres adjacent to the Suisun Marsh, on which the Wildlife Center was completed in 1987 with Environmental License Plate funding from the California Department of Fish & Game.  The Wildlife Center includes lobby, exam room, animal wards (predator, songbird, small mammal, and isolation), and Environmental Education Wing. The Association property adjoins Peytonia Ecological Preserve, a California Fish & Wildlife Reserve, on which the SMNHA completed in 1983 the first set of public access trails in the Suisun Marsh.  In 1993 as a mitigation effort with Suisun City, a project was completed on Association land to return a portion to tidal wetland. This now provides enhanced habitat for wildlife and will be part of our expanded trails system.  In 1994 the SMNHA went online with our own Internet Web Site, one of the first wildlife centers to do so world-wide. The Association's over 40 web pages provide information at www.suisunwildlife.org to the public on wildlife rescue, natural history subjects and environmental education.  In 2013, we joined social media with our Facebook page, “Suisun Wildlife Center”, which enables us to reach a wider audience outside our membership with more frequent information.

In addition to its wildlife care effort, the organization has an extensive Environmental Education program, serving over 300,000 children and adults since 1978.  A primary focus is the Suisun Marsh, at 116,000 acres one of California's largest wetlands and part of the San Francisco Bay estuarine system.  Suisun Marsh interpretation for Fairfield-Suisun School District third grades and others is provided through a classroom presentation and field trip, both covering birds and animals, marsh ecology, and Native American history. The Association also presents a wide range of other natural history programs, emphasizing Wildlife Rescue, and including Astronomy, Rocks and Minerals, Reptiles, Native Americans, Hummingbirds and Owls of North America.

Since 1995, we have constructed outside viewing enclosures for the non-releasable wildlife used in our environmental education programs, which have been funded by corporations including Exxon USA, The Clorox Foundation, and Anheuser-Busch; the Solano County Parks & Recreation Commission, and private individuals.  Currently we house a Coyote, an Opossum, a Golden Eagle, two Great Horned Owls, two Screech Owls, two Red-Tailed Hawks, a Burrowing Owl, and a Barn Owl.  These offer the public an up-close look at some of our local species and at the same time teach them about the impact made on native California wildlife by human activity.

The SMNHA is always seeking to improve our facilities and grounds.  In 2011 we worked with volunteers and funds from the Shell Oil Refinery of Martinez, CA to construct several animal care enclosures and storage sheds.   Over 400 man-hours were put in by the Shell volunteers to create these enclosures, which were badly needed after a 25% increase in wildlife received at the Center in 2010.  A large new flight aviary for pre-release bird of prey exercise was also completed in 2011 with donated funding and volunteer labor.  In 2012 we have built a new pre-release squirrel cage through a grant from Aggreko, LLC, and rebuilt our large pre-release bird of prey aviary with funding and volunteer labor from Home Depot.

Future projects include the enhancement of the organization’s 17-acre property to include self-guided trails through a native marsh area and the development of on-site displays such as historic Native American housing.  This will require a further marsh restoration to return more of the property to wetlands where the trails will be built.  A dream came true in 2013 with the construction of our Environmental Education Wing on the already existing foundation at the Wildlife Center.  Funding for materials was received from a grant of California Department of Fish & Wildlife fines through the Solano County Park & Recreation Department. Labor was provided by volunteers from the Shell Oil Refinery of Martinez, which also contributed funds for materials; and volunteer skilled carpenters from Travis Air Force Base. The result is a beautiful high-ceilinged space where we can welcome many more visitors.  In 2014 a new roof was put on the Wildlife Center, again with volunteer Travis AFB skilled carpenters.  Its improved materials provide much better insulation and comfort.

The Association’s two principal operating directors are the Executive Director, Monique Liguori, and the Wildlife Care Director, Kris Reiger. The Executive Director’s responsibilities include; all management of finances, supervision of the Suisun Wildlife Center, grants writing and execution, reporting to the Board of Directors and supervising agencies, producing the organization’s quarterly newsletter, and press and media contacts.  The Executive Director has also served on a volunteer basis as the Environmental Education Director since 1983.

The Wildlife Care Director is responsible for the care of all wildlife at the Center, ensuring it is performed in accordance with the standards of our permitting agencies, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and the USDA.  This includes the 12 resident non-releasable education birds and animals, and the over 1,000 birds and animals received each year for care.  The Wildlife Care Director also trains all volunteers in wildlife care, interfaces with the public, and coordinates with city/county humane agencies and other wildlife centers to provide reciprocal assistance.  The Wildlife Center has a program for spring/summer interns, and the Wildlife Care Director trains, supervises, and certifies their study.

The Suisun Wildlife Center is open seven days a week for visiting and viewing our non-releasable wildlife. Summer hours are 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, winter hours are 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.  In addition to our website, we are on Facebook, and we hold several annual events at the Wildlife Center including our Baby Animal Shower the first Saturday in June, Halloween Howl in October, and Holiday Open House in November.  We welcome guests and are always seeking volunteers and members. 

The Suisun Wildlife Center has been used as a model of how to create and develop a wildlife center and environmental education program, and we have been visited by representatives of wildlife groups from New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, Seattle, Napa and San Luis Obispo to observe our progress.  During the late 1970's and early 1980's the first manuals for care of injured and orphaned wildlife were written by our founder Dr. Sandra Emanuelson, DVM, and are still used by the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council in the USA and around the world.

Over the last 41 years the organization has achieved other impressive accomplishments.  Not the least is continuing to exist.  Through good times and bad times, we have performed our work and kept the Wildlife Center functioning and improving, while we provided excellent wildlife care and education.  On a $25-50,000 budget that alone is a substantial achievement.  Financially, at times it has seemed like a constant struggle.  But things have  always worked out, and all the wildlife  has been fed and cared for.  We have come to see this as a triumph, not a tragedy.

During this time, we have remained a family.  Our wonderful volunteers make the Wildlife Center a second home and gladly devote their time, creativity and enthusiasm to making it better.  Members stay members for years, even when they move far away.  Past interns return to help at the Center on their vacations.  Young people who saw our wildlife presentations as children become interns.  Donors continue to amaze us with their kindness.  It is a privilege to be part of this effort, and a model we are proud of.

MISSION STATEMENT

“The Suisun Marsh Natural History Association is irrevocably dedicated to the specific and primary purposes of enhancing the preservation of wildlife by:

The preservation of wetlands, uplands and other unique ecosystems for educational, recreational, scenic, or open space opportunities.

The operation of an interpretive program designed to educate the public on the interrelationships of all forms of life.

The operation of a wildlife care facility for the rescue and rehabilitation of injured, orphaned and diseased wild animals with facilities for community education and scientific research in the field of wildlife husbandry and biology."

Our mission statement sums up our original and continuing goals.  As shown by our ongoing work and accomplishments, we continue to strive to preserve wetlands, increase our outreach and education, and improve our care of injured and orphaned wildlife.

PARTNERSHIPS

The Association’s first partnership was with the California State Coastal Conservancy to create the first public access trails in the Suisun Marsh in 1983, which are also used for our Suisun Marsh environmental education program.

• Boise Cascade – Funding for Wildlife Center plans

• Coastal Conservancy – Funding of 17+ acres for Wildlife Center site/marsh mitigation

• California Department of Fish & Game –Environmental License Plate funding to construct Wildlife Center

• City of Suisun City – Mitigation on SMNHA property to return degraded wetland to tidal marsh

• Exxon Corporation – Funding for Wildlife Center plans and first public viewing wildlife enclosures

• United Way – As designated donor agency since 1994

• Solano Community Foundation – To develop in home care manuals for Tree Squirrels, Raccoons, and Jackrabbits

• California Waterfowl Association/Fairfield-Suisun School District – To develop “Wild About Wetlands” kits for 3^rd to 6^th grade classes

• Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District – To develop a Water Pollution Prevention presentation for middle school classes

• Pyatok Architects, Inc. – To create plans for the Environmental Education Wing

• Aggreko LLC – Funding/volunteer labor for squirrel caging

• Home Depot Fairfield – Funding/volunteer labor to rebuild large bird of prey aviary

• Shell Martinez Refinery – Funding/volunteer labor for cages and storage sheds

• Solano County Parks & Recreation – Fish & Wildlife Fines funding for materials for the Environmental Education Wing

• Shell Martinez Refinery – Funding and volunteer labor for the Environmental Education Wing

• Travis Air Force Base 60^th CEF/CEM – Volunteer skilled carpenters for the Environmental Education Wing

• US Bank Fairfield – Funding for the Environmental Education Wing

• Travis Air Force Base 60^th CEF/CEM – Volunteer skilled carpenters to install a new Wildlife Center roof

• Sustainable Solano – To create a sustainable food garden at the Wildlife Center for hummingbirds, butterflies and bees

Environment Education starts early

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On Line since 1994 © SMNHA
WAIT!  Before you contact us: if you have found an injured or orphaned wild animal, Please refer to the Tips page...
and please - if you need assistance, do not send an email - call the Wildlife Center at 707-429-4295
Send Email comments or inquires to: contact@suisunwildlife.org
Information subject to change - please call or Email for verification.  Last update - (07/08/18)