Life & Work with Mysti Tatro of Longmont

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mysti Tatro.

Hi Mysti, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides compassionate care to orphaned, injured, and sick wildlife. We are a trusted and established wildlife rehabilitation center on the Front Range.

Over 200 different species have come through our doors since we were founded in 1982, from hummingbirds to coyotes. We are able to care for thousands of mammals, birds, and waterfowl every year.

Our story begins when the Boulder Valley Humane Society realized the unmet need for professional care of orphaned, injured, and sick wildlife. With the humane society’s blessing, we started a rehabilitation center in closet of their facility. In March 1993, the Center incorporated and changed its name to Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary (now Center) after the first raccoon that was rehabilitated. It had been burned in a chimney fire — “green wood doesn’t burn” was the inspiration.

It’s been quite a journey from a closet, to a Longmont veterinarian’s office, to modular trailers, to our current state-of-the-art facility. More importantly, during these four decades, we’ve cared for over 200 distinct species and rehabilitated and released over 70,000 wild animals in need. The goals of Greenwood since its inception have remained the same: rehabilitation and release of wildlife and education to prevent or minimize human-wildlife conflict.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have been an assortment of trials and tribulations over the years.

Just last summer, our facility was in the path of a blazing wildfire, and evacuated hundreds of animals in a mere 45 minutes. It was a blur of crates, worried faces, and the smell of smoke. Luckily, the building held, and we got everyone back a few days later, a little shaken, but safe.

Right now, we’re in the thick of it with Avian Influenza. It’s hitting our feathered friends hard, and even some of the mammals. It’s not just the extra quarantine areas and mountains of tests; it’s watching these creatures suffer. It’s heartbreaking. And then there’s the cost – all that testing, the protective gear, keeping everything clean – it adds up fast.

In 2022, a local rehabilitator who takes in hundreds of baby rabbits each year announced a well-deserved retirement after decades in the field. Without anyone else to care for these young bunnies, Greenwood opted to open our own Lagomorph Facility that would allow us to take on the projected 500+ baby bunnies in need of care and rehabilitation. It was a huge undertaking, but worth every re-submitted permit and material delay. Last year we ended up taking in a staggering 673 of these cotton-tailed cuties.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We have a unique mission at Greenwood Wildlife. We aspire to provide compassionate care to orphaned, injured, and sick wild animals across Colorado.

We are here to help handle any wildlife situation, regardless of species or location. We can direct your call thanks to a team of seasoned receptionists. We are not only your local experts on the subject, but we also love our work. Helping wildlife in need is rewarding for our crew of animal lovers. We receive hundreds of calls a day during our peak months.

We are the most extensive rehabilitation facility of our kind from the northern outskirts of Pueblo to the Wyoming border. There is simply no one else who can provide the same level of compassionate and expert care in such a wide area.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
The easiest, best, and cheapest thing someone can do to help our mission is to spread the word about us. The main way that animals in need come to us is through members of the public. Whether they find an animal in their yard, their community park, or their favorite trail. We need the community to connect with us in order to help these vulnerable creatures. Share our social media posts, speak up on NextDoor, post a flyer in your mail room. There are so many ways to share what we do. And always call us or visit our website before intervening with wildlife.
P: (303) 823-8455.
W: greenwoodwildlife.org

As a small nonprofit, the Center also depends on the more than 500 volunteers, interns, and seasonal employees who work diligently to care for up to 500 animals daily during peak season. We could not care for thousands of patients each year without the people who feed, clean, and care for our patients.

Lastly, we are not a government agency, nor do we receive funding from national organizations. The costs to rehabilitate an animal can cost between $45 to hundreds of dollars depending on its condition upon arrival. Below is the average cost to rehabilitate several of our most common critters.

-Birds – $200
-Squirrels – $720
-Raccoons – $1,500
-Foxes – $1,000

Donations help us purchase the items we need to provide the best possible care. From medications to hearty meals, to caging, you can rest assured your dollar will contribute to helping the thousands of vulnerable creatures we help each year. In 2024, we cared for just over 4,000 animals.

Pricing:

• $10 – Helps us buy a bag of small berries for baby birds
• $100 – Helps us buy a bottle of medication
• $25 – Helps us buy a bag of nuts for orphaned squirrels
• $250 – Play in our charity Golf Tournament
• $1000 – Buy one month worth of worms for birds

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.greenwoodwildlife.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenwoodwildlife/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenwoodwildliferehabilitationcenter/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenwood-wildlife-rehabilitation-center/
• Twitter: https://x.com/Greenwood_CO
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GreenwoodWildlife
• Other: https://bsky.app/profile/greenwoodwildlife.bsky.social

Image Credits
Mysti Tatro