It’s time to look again on 2023! Test our weblog between Christmas and New Yr’s for quite a lot of tales and recollections of 2023 from the employees and volunteers of the Wildlife Middle of Virginia.

Okay, I’ll bend the foundations just a bit bit, as a result of the reminiscence that stands out for me technically began final 12 months however continued nicely into 2023 and ended with a particular program.

In Could 2022, I found that my neighborhood had bought a Caring for Critter sponsorship of Marigold the Virginia Opossum and ran a narrative about her within the native newspaper. The article, titled “Meet Lake Monticello’s Opossum, Marigold!,” was a full-page unfold of her story. After studying it a number of occasions, I took a photograph and shared it with a few of my coworkers. Like me, they had been all thrilled!

Months later, I had nearly forgotten about Marigold’s newspaper story when one other headline within the paper caught my consideration, “Marigold the Opossum is Doing Properly!” The newspaper had run one other, shorter model of Marigold’s story for anybody who did not catch the primary one. At this level, Marigold was nearly three years outdated. However, because the title so aptly identified, even in her outdated age she was nonetheless doing nicely.

Quick ahead to 2023. I lastly had an opportunity to talk with the Lake Monticello Wildlife Committee, a bunch of fantastic individuals who had been behind Marigold’s newspaper appearances. The group requested if Marigold, together with different ambassadors, might go to the neighborhood for a meet-and-greet program. I mentioned sure, and after touchdown on a date, they posted one last newspaper headline about Marigold, “You have seen her image within the Fluvanna Overview. Now come meet her and two of her mates!” 

This system was on Could 27, 2023. Like all different applications, Marigold shined. She has an uncanny potential to attach with individuals. And he or she’ll proceed to attach with individuals, as a result of the Lake Monticello Wildlife Committee had one last shock. They confirmed me to a room within the clubhouse the place they’d framed and hung up Marigold’s sponsorship so anybody coming by way of might study her story. It was the proper conclusion to Marigold’s year-long saga. 

Marigold handed away earlier this week. At her superior age, she had developed well being points and we made the troublesome choice to humanely euthanize her. Once I look again on this 12 months, I am going to bear in mind how enjoyable it was to learn her sudden tales within the paper, and the way a lot I loved introducing everybody to our pleasant neighborhood opossum.

– Connor Gillespie, Outreach Supervisor 

Take a look at all of our year-in-review posts!