Giaquinto Wildlife Center

12/02/2025

💚 Today is Giving Tuesday, and we would be so grateful for your support. 🙏

The Giaquinto Wildlife Center is a small family run nonprofit built on love, compassion, and the belief that every creature deserves a chance. This year we offered more than 60 FREE wildlife education programs across our community and surrounding towns, touching the hearts of children and adults and inspiring a lifelong love of wildlife.

Our ambassador barn owl Bella helps us teach people why wildlife matters and why every animal has a place here. Behind every program and every life we help there are real costs that we quietly cover because we believe so deeply in this mission.

Your donation today directly supports the care of injured and orphaned wildlife, the safe housing and enrichment of Bella, and our free educational programs that reach families across our community.

If our work has touched you, if you have met Bella, attended a program, or simply believe in protecting the wildlife we share our home with, we would be honored for your support.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for standing with us on this Giving Tuesday. Your kindness truly makes a difference. 💚🦉

Support the Giaquinto Wildlife Center Inspiring Compassion.… Alyssa Giaquinto needs your support for Support The Giaquinto Wildlife Center's Mission

12/01/2025

This holiday season please consider helping local pets in need. FAH will be hosting a pet food drive until December 19th. We are accepting any unopened pet foods and treats 🎄🕎🎁

12/01/2025

Thank you to the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History for welcoming our family and our program into the museum this year. We were honored to present 10 programs and had such a wonderful time meeting the staff, exploring the museum, and teaching visitors of all ages about our native wildlife.

We’re already looking forward to next year! 🦉🤍

12/01/2025

(Sound on)

One of my favorite feelings in the world is watching children’s and adults’ faces light up the moment they meet Bella for the very first time. When I open her travel carrier and hear the gasps, see the wide eyes, and watch those smiles spread, it reminds me exactly why I do this work. Moments like these inspire the next generation. Children who meet Bella grow up understanding the beauty of owls and wanting to protect them.

And if you listen closely to this video, you can hear a little child softly say, “Happy Thanksgiving, Bella.” It was one of the sweetest, most heartwarming moments. This clip is from our most recent program at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, and it captures the magic of what we are so grateful to do every day.

12/01/2025

Hello, December! Chilly temperatures bring fascinating experiences in nature, from catching a glimpse of a snoozing owl to ice needles forming on trails.

What are you looking forward to?

Download, print, and screen read our Outdoor Almanac: massaudubon.org/almanac

12/01/2025

Giving Tuesday is tomorrow, and we’ll be running our fundraiser through tomorrow night. As a small family-run nonprofit, every donation, no matter the amount, holds real weight for us. Our fundraiser is still far from our goal, but we are deeply grateful for those who have already given. Your generosity keeps our mission moving forward. ♥️

Each contribution helps sustain the heart of our work: offering free educational programs across our communities that inspire a love of wildlife, caring for Bella, our ambassador owl, and providing critical supplies and medical care for the injured and orphaned wildlife who arrive at our door. These animals depend on us, and we depend on the kindness of people who believe in conservation, compassion, and education. 🦉

All donations are tax deductible, truly needed, and profoundly appreciated. Thank you for standing with us, for believing in our work, and for helping protect the wildlife that make Massachusetts such a special place to call home. 🌲💚

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-giaquinto-wildlife-centers-mission?attribution_id=sl:ff0d2db1-0f0d-4f45-a588-4af656f2c60f&lang=en_US&ts=1762200175&utm_campaign=man_sharesheet_dash&utm_content=amp17_ta&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&fbclid=IwZnRzaAOaYOdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeQU6JI5di6ixRnftk-N9u4W0BlpLX3TLqveJeA6jKSZkclZ2vzpOjtzf27oM_aem_b2ZL_q3ltxXPI4RDfVo9pQ&brid=vHIes4u_AQmy515R3eDMlg

Support the Giaquinto Wildlife Center Inspiring Compassion.… Alyssa Giaquinto needs your support for Support The Giaquinto Wildlife Center's Mission

11/30/2025

Ever wonder what we mean when we say Bella, our ambassador owl, is spoiled?

Even though barn owls are native to Massachusetts, we make sure Bella stays extra cozy during the winter months. Her aviary is heated to a steady 45°, but her owl box, where she likes to spend most of her time, is even warmer and ridiculously comfortable.

On this cold and snowy/rainy day, her owl box is a toasty 57°, and the walls are lined with warm heat pads that keep her feeling even more warm, safe, and snug. They feel nice and warm to the touch, but never get hot, perfect for an owl who loves comfort. You can even see in the photo how she likes to snuggle right up against them on the wall.

We closely monitor the temperature and humidity throughout her entire aviary; every corner, perch, and her owl box, as well as her transport carrier when we bring her to programs. The carrier is currently in the cold garage, which is why you see that chilly reading on the monitor.

Bella is truly living her best (and warmest) owl life. 🦉💛 ❄️

11/30/2025

Please consider donating to this wonderful waterfowl rehabilitator. She takes in hundreds of orphaned wood ducklings every year, giving these incredibly fragile babies the specialized care they need to survive.

Wood ducklings require highly trained wildlife rehabilitators, and without Sue and Cowan Critters, so many of these special little ducklings would have no one to care for them.

Your support truly makes a difference. 💚

Now with Giving Tuesday upon us, please consider donating to Cowan Critters. (We are a 501c3, so all donations are a tax deduction)This was the longest baby season I have ever been thru in nearly 30 years. We were crazy busy caring for oodles of orphaned wood ducks & a few mallards thrown in. Give me any wood duck in need & Im on it.......but raising money is not my strong suit. This year we ended our season in October in the red by $600.00
If you feel you can donate even a small amount it would be greatly appreciated. Wildlife baby season will again begin next April, it will be here before you know it.

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2JPP43WFUKSBW&fbclid=IwY2xjawOZZwxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETExTjIwRGk1NTdab3hBcFY2c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkMp5dvTJ6JJ2bpNNWL9ew_GgQpy_MQXf5TI8yx_idDV74b3DDwn4jutomCx_aem_i01LTSuPIQNA2HOIcxnKHw&ssrt=1764526013196

11/29/2025

There’s still time to support our mission before Giving Tuesday on December 2nd. We are still hoping to raise funds through our current donation link, and every contribution, big or small, truly makes a difference.

All donations are tax-deductible to our nonprofit wildlife center, where we work every day to rescue and rehabilitate our native wildlife and provide free educational programs to the community. This year alone, we’ve proudly offered 60 FREE programs across Marlborough and surrounding communities. These programs inspire children to fall in love with wildlife, teach families how to coexist safely with the animals who share our neighborhoods, and empower adults with conservation knowledge.

Every single program, every mile driven, every mouse fed, every dose of medicine, and every supply purchased for our rehab patients, is funded out of our own pockets. We choose to offer all programs completely free of charge so that everyone, no matter their circumstances, can learn about and appreciate our native wildlife.

Maybe you attended one of our programs, met Bella, our non-releasable educational barn owl ambassador, brought an injured animal to us, or reached out for help with wildlife in your yard. If our work has touched you in any way, we humbly ask you to consider making a tax-deductible donation this Thanksgiving season.

Thank you, truly, for supporting our mission.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving and please remember to be kind to all wildlife. 🤎

Support the Giaquinto Wildlife Center Inspiring Compassion.… Alyssa Giaquinto needs your support for Support The Giaquinto Wildlife Center's Mission

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.

This Thanksgiving, I’ve been reflecting on the past year, and my heart is immensely full. It’s hard to believe that this was my very first year with Bella as our ambassador owl, and what an unforgettable year it has been.

I am deeply grateful for the falconers and fellow educators who have become my mentors, guiding me, answering every question, and helping me refine and strengthen my work with Bella. Your wisdom has meant the world to me.

I am thankful for every venue that reached out and welcomed us into their community, trusting me to share our message of wildlife conservation. To every family who brought their children to our programs, thank you for allowing me the chance to inspire the next generation to love and appreciate wildlife. To every adult who attended with curiosity and a desire to learn, thank you for caring about our native wildlife and how to protect it.

I am grateful to our city for listening to my concerns and taking action on the dangers of SGARs, helping make Marlborough a healthier and safer place for both wildlife and people. And to everyone who called, messaged, or brought an injured or orphaned animal needing help, thank you for caring enough to act.

But above all, I am thankful for my family. Running a nonprofit with only family, no team, no staff, no volunteers, is not easy. It is long days, late nights, and endless dedication. Yet every day, my family stands beside me with love, patience, and belief in this mission. Without them, none of this would be possible.

Thank you all for being such a meaningful part of this journey.

From the bottom of my heart, I wish you a warm, peaceful, and love filled Thanksgiving. 🤎

11/26/2025

Did you hear? Snowy Owls are back!

Also called "snowies," these birds travel south from the Arctic tundra each winter to hunt and feed in Massachusetts, where it's warmer. They spend their time in open areas like salt marshes, agricultural fields, and even airports before heading back to their Arctic breeding grounds around April.

While spotting them is exciting, it's important to respect their space as spectators prevent these nocturnal birds from resting during the day.

Follow ethical birding, bird photography best practices, and these simple rules:
• Stay at least 50 yards (150 feet) away. Bring your binoculars or zoom camera lens to keep your distance.
• View from one location and never surround or approach the owl.
• Keep an eye out for behavioral clues like an extended neck and widened eyes. If you spot one of these signs, immediately back off.

Learn more about Snowy Owls and how Mass Audubon works to protect them. Link in comments.

Snowy Owl © Pierre Borczuk