By Jessica Almy

When my horse Shadow died, his companion of ten years, Zorro, spent days running along the paddock fence tossing his head and whinnying. His caretakers were relieved when he stopped and surprised to learn he’d made a new friend—a tiny chipmunk! The two stood close together in the barnyard, and Zorro even let the chipmunk share his grain. I have a photo on my desk of the chipmunk within an inch of the big horse’s muzzle.

Good friends come in all shapes and sizes. Some of our newest friends at the center are Tatiana, Benjamin, Lauren, Sara, and Karlie.

I met Tatiana and Lauren at a Girl Scout meeting, and they stopped by one day with Tatiana’s brother Benjamin to say hello. I told them we were almost out of newspapers to line cages. An hour later they showed up with a wagon full of newspapers. They came back a few weeks later with even more supplies and a promise to take our brochures to the library so more people could learn about our work.

Sara and Karlie also wanted to help. When their neighborhood planned a yard sale, these nine-year-olds baked and sold cookies and brownies. Rather than spend their proceeds on a new CD, they bought us bleach, paper towels, dog food, and pillowcases.

There are more small heroes we have yet to meet. I recently learned of a family tradition in Orleans—the kids go on an early evening walk to listen for coyotes. This is where it all starts: appreciation for our wild neighbors brings us all together, rehabilitators and advocates, adults and kids alike, all caring, all helping, all making our community a better place.

Jessica Almy is the Cape Wildlife Center's Wildlife Advocate and Educator