When a fawn is hit by a car or an emaciated sea lion is found on the beach, Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation opens its doors to treat these injured creatures no matter how big or small.
But saving lives costs money – and that’s where fundraising steps in. For 17 years, the Bite of Orcas, a culinary event, has helped Wolf Hollow continue to come to the rescue for birds, mammals and reptiles.
“Wolf Hollow is there for people if they hit a fawn or owl and need help,” said education coordinator Shona Aitken, emphasizing that they not only repair broken limbs, but lift the human spirit after an accident has harmed an animal.
This year on Saturday, May 26 on the Village Green from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Bite of Orcas offers a delicious menu of foods like seafood chowder, cupcakes, ice cream, sushi rolls, steak fajitas, steamed clams, chicken chipotle salad and Chicago-style hot dogs.
The wide sampling of flavorful and eclectic cuisine comes at a price that is hard to beat. Tickets are sold in $1 units and can be used at any of the participating restaurants underneath the big white tent on the Village Green.
More than a dozen local food purveyors are contributing delicacies (and donating 33 percent of their profits) to the Bite of Orcas. The restaurants include: Orcas Village Store, Lily, Cafe Olga, Chilada’s, Agave, Deer Harbor Inn, Doe Bay Cafe, Mia’s, New Leaf Cafe, Passionate for Pies, Rosario/The Mansion, Inn at Ship Bay, Castings and Sugar Baby Speciality Cakes.
Proceeds from the event go to Wolf Hollow, a nonprofit organization that not only rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife, but also provides public education and conducts non-invasive research.
About Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabiliation
Wolf Hollow is located on San Juan Island, but has served all of San Juan and Skagit County for the past 30 years. The 40-acre property hosts 40 animal enclosures, including an eagle flight enclosure, seal pools, a deer enclosure, and a songbird aviary.
So far this year, Wolf Hollow has treated 150 animals and the residents are constantly changing. Some are with Wolf Hollow for only a few days, while others need care for several months. Right now, the facility is home to a red-tailed hawk, four fawns, mallard ducklings, a raven, a big brown bat, a great blue heron, a sea lion and a baby long-tailed weasel.
“Baby season has hit,” said Aitken. “And it puts a huge strain on our costs.”
The animals are cared for at the facility on San Juan, but trained volunteers on the other islands respond to calls, assess the nature of each animal’s problem and, when necessary, capture it and arrange for its transport to the center.
Wolf Hollow has to be prepared for any new arrivals, which means they have to stock their shelves with anything from meal worms to herring to baby bunny formula.
Aitken said a combination of a poor economy and cuts to grants and federal funding have left Wolf Hollow more dependent on events like the Bite of Orcas, now in its 17th year.
“We’re hoping that hoping the event will bring in some money during this busy season,” Aitken said. “It has been a tough year financially. This year we need more help than ever.”
