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Southwind will play at 3 p.m. PHOTOS SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-PRESS

Alliance for Arts kicks off bluegrass series with free concert

Special to Fort Myers News-Press USA TODAY NETWORK – FLORIDA

As a small way of giving back to our community during these trying times, the Alliance for the Arts is proud to offer a free Outdoor Bluegrass concert on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 10091 McGregor Blvd. in Fort Myers. The concert will be held on our Green Market Stage. Gates open at 2 p.m. with Southwind playing at 3 p.m. and Bluegrass Central taking the stage at 4 p.m. Chairs and coolers are permitted.

“Things have not been easy for anyone in the area since Hurricane Ian,” says Bill Taylor, Producing Artistic Director. “This is our way of offering everyone a free and fun way to relax for a few hours.” Reserve your free tickets by going to ArtInLee.org.

The series continues on Dec. 4 in 2022, with performances on Jan. 8, Feb. 5, March 5 in 2023. Tickets for the rest of the season are $15 for members, $16 for non-members and are available online at ArtInLee.org or by calling 239-9392787.

Pre-sale seating is limited to 132 and is first come, first serve. In the case of bad weather, the show will be moved indoors to the Foulds Theatre. Additional tickets may be available at the door, weather permitting. More information, including a list of performers, can be found at artinlee.org/bluegrass.

Bluegrass Central is scheduled to perform at the Alliance for the Arts’ Outdoor Bluegrass concert.

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a very straight-forward process. Always wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from any bird with a pointy beak and long neck. Use a towel to loosely cover the bird’s body and head. Once the head is covered, the darkness will help calm the bird. Gently pick up the bird and place it in the box. Remember, it is either injured or debilitated and weak and that gives you the “upper hand” during a rescue. Having a towel and a cardboard box ensures you are prepared and able to save a life. If you have questions about how to safely rescue and contain an animal, please call the wildlife hospital for guidance.

As people are returning to our area and visiting our local beaches, show respect to wildlife that utilize the beaches as their homes. Many birds congregate in large flocks on the beach as they rest and gain strength after migrating hundreds of miles from various northern locales. They exhausted from migration –do not walk through flocks of resting birds and force them to fly. Flying takes a lot of energy and a bird that is already in a weakened condition does not have any energy to waste. Walk around the flocks of resting birds and allow them to rest undisturbed. It literally can be a matter of life or death for these animals.

A homeowner hired a “nuisance” wildlife trapper because something had dug a hole under his house. The trapper set a live trap at the entrance to the hole and baited it with food. The homeowner called the Conservancy Wildlife Hospital on a Saturday, concerned over the well-being of a Virginia opossum caught in the live trap. The homeowner said the trapping company would not answer his calls. The trap was in the sun and the homeowner was concerned the opossum would overheat. Hospital staff asked the man to bring the opossum to the wildlife hospital so we could remove it from the trap and ensure it wasn’t injured.

The opossum was a female with tiny joeys in her pouch. She had abrasions on her muzzle from rubbing against the wire trap. She was slightly underweight and dehydrated, yet overall was in fair body condition. Staff removed her from the trap and settled her in a large recovery enclosure with access to food and water.

Wild animals often sustain serious injuries when people set live traps. The company that set the trap was breaking state laws by not checking the trap. While many of these traps are labeled humane, there is no way to keep an animal safe from injury when it struggles to escape a live trap. A trapped animal can quickly become frantic and sustain significant injuries when it futilely tries to escape by scratching, pushing or biting at the metal. Imagine being frantic to escape a trap with the current heat index over 100 degrees – that is the very definition of inhumane.

Trapping and removing an animal should be the absolute last option to a situation involving a wild animal and most likely will not resolve the problem. When an animal is removed, the territory opens up allowing another animal to move in which often leads to the same issue.

If you have a wildlife situation you believe warrants the use of a live trap, please call the von Arx Wildlife Hospital staff for advice. There are many wildlife situations that can easily be resolved humanely if the true source of the problem is addressed, thereby eliminating the need to hire a removal service.

Joanna Fitzgerald is director of the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, 1495 Smith Preserve Way, Naples. Call 239-2622273 or see conservancy.org

Two eastern cottontails, an anhinga, two royal terns, three laughing gulls, two northern mockingbirds, three Virginia opossums and two grey squirrels were released recently.

Opportunities to Help

There are many ways to support the Conservancy. If you are holiday shopping online, use the AmazonSmile website operated by Amazon.com. AmazonSmile has the same shopping features, products and prices as Amazon.com. When you choose the Conservancy of Southwest Florida as your charitable organization, 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products is donated to the Conservancy. Every donation supports the Conservancy’s work to protect Southwest Florida’s water, land, wildlife and future. To learn more about the mission of the Conservancy visit our website at conservancy.org.