South Keswick Volunteering

Volunteering in South Keswick

South Keswick Safety Volunteers

Motto:

When Wanted and Needed, Lending Each Other a Helping Hand.

Mission:

To promote a greater sense of community, connectedness and cooperation within South Keswick.  

To create opportunities for members of SKOA to explore options for increasing safety and preparedness within our community.  

Please contact a current safety volunteer if you'd like to join this group!

Resource for promoting safety of elders:

- youtube.com/watch?v=SByTKf2rrlg            

Resource for information on internet safety for kids:

- http://www.safekids.com/kids-rules-for-online-safety/

Resource for information on internet safety for teens:

- http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/internet_safety.html

Resources related to safety in times of emergencies:

SK Safety Suggestions:

- Secure a corded phone for power outages.

- Turn "Alerts" on (vs off) on your smart phones (under settings --> notifications) for warnings; eg Tornado's.

SKOA Safety Volunteers: Safety and Wildlife:

The following tips may help you avoid potential conflicts with wildlife near your home:

Do not feed wildlife.

Feeding wild animals makes them dependent, and can cause them to lose their natural fear of humans. It can also be potentially dangerous and place you in a greater risk to be bitten. The feeding of any wildlife, including birds, may inadvertently attract unwanted animals, which then attract other animals to prey on them. Bird seed and hummingbird feeders are known to attract bears and raccoons. 

Keep pet food out of their reach and secure garbage cans.

Many wild animals are opportunistic and will make a meal of pet food or table scraps that are left in unsecured containers. If a dog or cat is fed outside, bring uneaten food inside as soon as the pet has finished eating. Place trash in a secure container so that it is unavailable. Some wild animals have even been known to use “doggie doors” to get food inside. If this is a problem, block the door for a week or two, if possible, until the wild animal learns it cannot get inside. 

Leave wildlife alone.

Often times, you may see young wildlife, like baby birds or fawns all alone. It is not lost or abandoned. Most likely, the parents are nearby and may be feeding, or watching their young from afar. Baby birds in this situation are often learning to fly, and will be fine if left alone to discover their wings on their own. Wildlife is best tended to by its natural parents.

Contact a wildlife rehabilitator with injured wildlife.

Even with the best intentions, it is against the law to try and rehabilitate injured wildlife yourself, unless you are licensed by the state. If you come in contact with injured wildlife that needs assistance contact the Virginia Wildlife Center (www.wildlifecenter.org) 540-942-9453. 

Keep your yard clean and neat.

This will help prevent critters from taking up residence too close to your home or garden. Wildlife often looks for places to take cover and find shade. 

Avoid letting dogs and cats roam freely.

Coyotes kill and eat small dogs and house cats. When outside, cats averaged about one kill for every 17 hours outdoors or 2.1 kills per week. It was also surprising to learn that cats only brought 23 percent of their kills back to a residence. House cats will kill a wide variety of animals, including: lizards, voles, chipmunks, birds, frogs, and small snakes.

Slow down when you see road kill.

Many birds of prey, like the rough-legged hawk may not move out of the way from road kill if a car is coming. Slow down to avoid injuries to these birds. 

Learn to live with and enjoy the wildlife in the area – but from a distance.

Binoculars are great ways to keep a safe distance from wildlife and yet enjoy all they have to offer.

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