I am writing in hopes of drawing awareness to a most caring, effective and committed group, Protect Our Wildlife Vermont, which seeks to offer better protections for Vermont’s wildlife. To mention everything POW accomplishes in service to wildlife would require volumes, so listed below is just a sampling:
•  Serves as Vermont’s only wildlife watchdog group.
•  Monitors legislation and rule-making specific to wildlife and notifies the public.
•  Operates as an all-volunteer, grassroots nonprofit.
•  Assists volunteer wildlife rehabilitators with donations of formula for orphaned animals, enclosures, and other needs.
•  Serves as a resource to the public with questions about solving wildlife conflicts humanely.
•  Protects beavers and wetland in Marlboro by having financed the installment of water flow control devices to prevent beaver damage.
•  Performs outreach and education on the cruelties of leg hold trapping and the hounding of bears and other wildlife.
•  Distinguishes themselves as a lead organization successfully advocating for a ban on coyote killing contests (2018).
It is important to note that they are not opposed to hunting for subsistence and, in fact, hunters (and gun owners) are among their many proud members. POW aims through outreach, advocacy, education and legislation to address wildlife cruelty and to make it easier for our state’s wild creatures to live their lives free of unnecessary harm whenever and wherever possible.
POW’s website may be found at protectourwildlifevt.org, and to subscribe to their interesting and informative emails go to protectourwildlifevt.org/subscribe.
Susan Burns
Middlebury