Notables

• Use the time to learn local plants and animals. Every area has different scenery and wildlife, and it’s fascinating when you realize how many species exist in our world. It’s impossible to learn about all of them in one lifetime. Take pics and look them up later at home. The SEEK app is helpful.

Family time camping or hiking is what you make it — intimate family conversations, an outdoor classroom, exercise, or outside entertainment. The experience can also be a time of solitude, a time to reflect and to listen to the distinct sounds of nature. But most importantly, hiking is unadulterated time spent enjoying the purity of our world with benefits galore. Parenting can be tough, especially in these crazy times, but the easiest and most helpful remedy is free and right in front of us in the natural world.

A native of the South, Joshua Savage, his wife, and his two daughters sold their possessions and began traveling the world. They are constantly on the hunt for new adventures. He has written novels, children’s books, short stories and the recent travel guide, “100 Things to Do in Bend, Oregon Before You Die.” Follow his family’s adventures on Instagram & Twitter @savageglobetrotters.

The Bird Watcher

By Tracy Morin | Photography courtesy of Mississippi Wildlife Rehabilitation

Since 1995, Valery Smith has dedicated her life to rescuing and restoring compromised wild animals at her nonprofit, Mississippi Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc.

Hearing the many responsibilities Valery Smith assumes at Mississippi Wildlife Rehabilitation (MWR), not to mention her boundless enthusiasm for the organization, some may imagine her a fresh-faced newbie. This sprightly 75-yearold hasn’t lost an ounce of passion for the nonprofit she created in 1995, where she still serves as founder, executive director, and wildlife director. “I just saw a need for it — North Mississippi did not have any rescue organization for wildlife at that time,” Smith says of her initial inspiration. “I went to the library to learn how to form a nonprofit, got my 501(c)(3), and met with veterinarians to see if they’d donate their time. I got volunteers, started doing programs and education, put together a board of directors — it just kept on growing.” Smith makes her arduous journey sound easy, but taking in injured wildlife and nursing them back to health is a process rife with potential complications, as well as governmental regulations. She is one of only five people in the entire state to have federal and state rehabilitation permits to care for birds of prey. Talented veterinarians in the area help Smith restore these delicate creatures to health. But Smith also works closely with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks; the federally run United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and local organizations like the Mid-South Raptor Center in Memphis and Mississippi’s Jackson Zoo. Smith also personally attends many seminars and courses on wildlife rehabilitation to sharpen her skills further.