Dear flap.org visitor,

I hope you and your loved ones are keeping safe and healthy in these troubling times.  As we watch and wait anxiously for the coronavirus to run its course, it’s important to maintain our emotional and physical health.

Deprived as we will be of personal contact over the next few weeks or months, we can look to nature to buoy our spirits and support our health.  Spring is here and the birds will be arriving in droves.  We urge you to spend as much time as you can in nature.  Stop and listen to birdsong, be it the raucous calls of jays or the sweet twittering of goldfinches.  Watch them feed and frolic.  Learn about their habits.  Build a birdhouse or a birdfeeder. Even better, come up with creative ways to decorate your windows to prevent bird collisions and share them with us!  Involve your children in imaginative and awe-inspiring connections with nature.

This week, FLAP’s first migrant – an injured American Woodcock – was sent to rehab.  Migration has begun and we will continue to monitor our hotline.  The FLAP office, however, will be closed for an indeterminate period of time as staff follow the recommendations of health authorities to work from home.  The safety and health of our volunteers and staff are of the utmost importance, so we have postponed patrols until further notice.  Some wildlife rehabilitation facilities, such as the Toronto Wildlife Centre and Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge, remain open at this time.  To be certain, we recommend that you call your local wildlife centre before taking an injured bird for treatment.

All public outreach events in which FLAP is involved have been cancelled or are postponed until further notice.  This will unfortunately include our annual bird layout.

We remain optimistic that things will soon return to normal as we continue to do our utmost to protect birds from the built environment and care for each other.  Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions or concerns, or you find a bird in need of care.  We will do our best to help.

Thank you for your continued support and your unwavering commitment to the health of our wildlife.

Stay well. Warm regards,

Michael Mesure
FLAP Canada Executive Director