The Tale of Six Fuzzy Ducklings

Internship Helps Shape Next Steps in HAI Career

February 23, 2021

June 18, 2020

In April, the Green Chimneys Wildlife Center was contacted by a woman who had found baby ducks in the parking lot of the Danbury Fair Mall in nearby Danbury, Connecticut. The ducks were only a few days old – too young to find water or food on their own. Green Chimneys provided a temporary home for the six Mallard ducklings in a separate enclosure within our duck rehab cage. With a little time, protection, and good care, the ducklings were able to grow. Roughly ten weeks later, the baby Mallards were of good health and size to be released.

On a beautiful June afternoon, a Green Chimneys student along with a couple of our education staff and wildlife experts gathered at the shore of the Great Swamp just across from our Brewster campus. Reluctant at first, the student helped open the carrier and stood careful watch as the ducks eventually came pouring out and headed right for the water. The group marveled as the flock swam away, bopping, dunking, and exploring together.

Green Chimneys’ renowned Farm & Wildlife Center is home to over 300 animals, including 50 birds of prey. An Andean condor; Griffon vulture; Bald eagle; numerous hawks, falcons, owls, and crows are among the permanent residents of the Paul C. Kupchok Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. While our facilities remain closed to the public during the Coronavirus pandemic and in accordance with state and county mandates, our Farm & Wildlife Center continues to be a resource for Green Chimneys students. Through the rehabilitation and care of these animals, students with special needs learn compassion, life skills, and the true meaning of stewardship.

Gracie & Reba

Donkeys Gracie and Reba have been residents of the farm since 1996 and are particularly valuable partners for the children because they offer immediate feedback on behavior. They are patient, shy and headstrong but because donkeys only acknowledge humans who appear calm, this pair helps children learn the skills necessary to approach them gently and quietly. Gracie and Reba also have an extraordinary bond and have difficulty being apart so students must keep this in mind, even for basic tasks such as walking them. If the donkeys lose sight of each other they will start calling to one another so students work together to make sure the pair can see each other for their entire journey outside.