Blue Mountain Wildlife

Wild Birds Unlimited was greatly needed in this area. Their store helped me feed the birds that don’t migrate. They are experts at bird care and helped me get feeders, bird seed, suet, nest components and a waterer. They saved birds here, I’m sure. So glad they’re here!

They drive constantly to help injured birds and while they are healing feed and take care of them and also teach kids about the avian population. Wonderful people.

I have been a BMW groupie starting the year I came to Washington to work with Americorps Vista. I have seen Lynn raise baby bats in her office, train interns in the work she does, and demonstrate the dedication needed for her and Bob to take the education raptors to all the schools to which they have gone over the years. Their presentations offer education that is interesting for all ages and a glorious introduction to the world of raptor rehab. I have never seen a human who was not impressed by what they do and there seems to be no challenge that they can't overcome! After I moved to the area in 2006, I was able to observe them sharing with groups all over the area, including McNary Wildlife Refuge, many schools across three states, and libraries in multiple counties. Their enthusiasm is never low, and their efforts are consistent and always exciting for the audience! Professional and encouraging to anyone interested in raptor or any other sort of wild birds, Lynn and Bob do such a stimulating job of introducing people to birds! Not an easy job at all, they make it look easy and their passion sparks a real desire to learn more about what they have learned in their years of experience. Definitely an asset to the communities that they serve!

I have known Bob and Lynn for many years. They provide knowledgeable and effective care to the critters that cross their door step, their specialty being Birds of Prey. They also provide education programs all over Eastern Oregon and Western Washington.
They have built an amazing group of volunteers, offer internships and have built a great following. Their dedication to rehab work, education and training over the past 30+ years has been nothing short of phenomenal!

Absolutely cracking at educating the public! They provide details on wildlife brought into their facility. Type of bird, nature of injury, prognosis, and outcome.

I have been a sustaining donor of Blue Mountain Wildlife for several years. The work they do with injured wildlife is amazing. While they specialize in raptors Lynn never turns away an injured animal be it a fawn or a song bird. They also put great effort into educating the public with their traveling education team. And unlike many non-profits I know the majority of my donation goes directly to help the birds and animals in their care, not to "overhead" or into someone's pocket.

I work for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and we get calls every week about injured or abandoned wildlife. We direct all the calls to BMW. What they are able to do with limited staff and resources is truly astounding.

We are so lucky to have Blue Mountain in our area. The folks who operate it are incredibly dedicated to helping save animals and to educating the public.

I have taken injured birds, a squirrel, and even a snake to them and all were accepted with open arms.

They not only help rehab the animals, they help keep statistics and gather information that contributes to research.

They have an open house sometimes where community members can learn about the facility and about the raptors under Blue Mountain’s care.

I spent a summer as an intern at Blue Mountain Wildlife and could not be more impressed by the dedication and hard work everyone in the program puts forward. They take on so many animals that the region would be at a loss without them.

I attended their Spring meeting to find out more about the organization and possibly do some volunteer work. This is an amazing organization with a small but incredibly dedicated core group of folks who donate countless hours at their own expense to transport injured birds to the clinic in Pendleton where they receive amazing care in hopes of not only saving their lives but return them to the wild. They do a great job of community outreach in educating the public, taking birds to demonstrations.

Blue Mountain Wildlife is amazing. They cover a huge territory in Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington. Thousands of hours are spent each year by volunteers who drive hundreds of miles to rescue sick, injured and orphaned raptors. When staff aren't administering care they and the education birds are providing programs in OR and WA to school children and other interested groups. They need all the help we can give them.

Blue Mountain Wildlife is dedicated to sharing their passion for protecting beautiful creatures of the world. Their hard work is so inspiring and so appreciated.

I first saw Blue Mountain staff bringing raptors to events around Pendleton. I so enjoyed hearing their amazing rescue stories, but also learned so much from them about hunters can make a big difference by using copper instead of lead bullets so that birds don't ingest lead when feeding on coyotes, squirrels or other animals that have been shot and left behind. Made us feel guilty but changed how we bought ammo. Then, a friend told us they had an injured owl in their yard in Weston. We took it down to Blue Mountain and they took it in, talked to us in such a caring way about the injury (ran into an electical wire) and told us the prognosis wasn't very good. Still, I knew they cared so much about the birds they cared for and I knew they would do all they possibly could. Since then I've donated to BMW, but so wish they could get larger grants to fund their fabulous work. People bring injured wild birds from long distances, and BMW will even give them info about putting the birds on a bus to get help! Unbelievable. Lynn and her crew are amazing people. We, and our wildlife, owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to them.

Blue Mountain Wildlife does an amazing job traveling the region to educate people about birds of prey, thier challenges, & how people can help. They bring live birds to school groups & all kinds of fairs, and they are THE resource for helping found birds that are injured, sick, & poisoned.
I would love to visit their center!

They are available 24-7 to take in an injured bird or support education in the community. There are no fancy offices or administrative staff. They just get the job done with minimal resources. An outstanding non-profit others should emulate. Keep up the good work!

I've volunteered, donated and worked with Blue Mountain Wildlife for years. I am in awe of what this group accomplishes; be that public education with their non-releasable raptor ambassadors, willingness to do whatever it takes to retrieve, fix and work to releasing critters that come under their care. Lynn and her hubby are the most dedicated people I know to rehab wildlife. They classes they provide to the community, both in Oregon and Washington are informational, educational and awesome for adults and kids. Go visit them at one of the events listed on their web site. Take a photo of a live owl, red-tailed hawk and other ambassador raptors.

Thank you for doing all of this hard work helping our feathered friends. I saw your story on OPB and it was inspiring, that is why I donated for your cause.

Lynn is doing a ton of good with a very small non profit. Aside from rehabilitation and release of a ton of birds (over 1,000), she has permanently housed many that were too severely injured to allow release. It’s a true labor of love, tucked away in the hills outside Pendleton. If you have an opportunity to take a tour or get involved in a school educational event, do it! Kudos to Lynn and her team of volunteers and interns!

Blue Mountain Wildlife does incredible work, not only in wildlife rehabilitation but also in community outreach and education. I make a point to read every one of the weekly email updates about their new intakes and the progress of patients. The release photos are the best. Blue Mountain Wildlife is an organization everyone should consider supporting.

Blue Mountain Wildlife gives weekly reports on all the admissions to the facility, complete with pictures. They are so responsive! When I had a baby squirrel in my yard that was immobile, a volunteer was there within 15 minutes to take it to get care. Such caring, compassionate people!

Blue Mountain Wildlife has an amazing team. They provide first class care to injured birds and they are wonderful ambassadors for all animals. Their excellent communication skills help school children and the general public to learn about the birds in our area. I appreciate the weekly newsletter Lynn puts out each Monday that keeps me up to date with the "who - what - when" happenings. Reading about the different injuries and how they are treated is so educational, and the best is when we see the pictures of the healed birds being released!

Thank you BMW!

Blue Mountain Wildlife is wonderful nonprofit organization. They truly do care about society and regularly demonstrate successful rehabilitation of various birds. You can see their successes and compassionate attempts in their consistent email/website publications.

You can trust and see where your donation support goes with Blue Mountain Wildlife. I would encourage you to support them for our feathered friends.

Clint

I happened to stumble across BMW online about two years ago. I made a donation, and since then I look forward to their frequent updates. BMW is across the country from me (I'm in Michigan) but their sense of outreach and advocacy is incredible. I hope to one day visit their site but in the meantime will continue to support their good work.

My husband and I have been volunteers for almost two years. We've seen first hand the high level of commitment by the other volunteers, interns, and Lynn and Bob to the mission of rescue, rehab, and education. We are also donors, and have no doubts that our dollars are being stretched to the max. It's very rewarding to see the positive results of the work being done by Blue Mountain Wildlife.

Blue Mountain Wildlife cares for an incredible number of animals for an organization of their size. I really enjoy the weekly newsletters, and keeping in touch with their work. I proudly support BMW and know that every dollar is well spent. Keep it up BMW!

Lynn and her crew of volunteers do an incredible service for injured/sick wild birds from Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Through their dedicated caring efforts, many birds have been restored to health and released back into the wild. A few with injuries too serious to release, have been relocated to zoos and wildlife centers for education and a good quality of life in captivity. Their tireless efforts continue to prove their desires to heal and restore wild birds to their rightful place in the wild. They demonstrate an amazing commitment to the restoration of injured, abandoned, sick and misplaced wild birds.

I have been volunteering with BMW for only a few months but it has been so fulfilling and educational. The amount of care that this organization does for injured and sick animals is incredible. They do amazing work!

To Whom it May Concern:

Lynn and Bob Tompkins of Blue Mountain Wildlife (BMW) are two of the most special people I have ever met. They are absolutely dedicated to their cause to rehabilitate wildlife and educate both children and adults about the need to care for wildlife and to promote conservation of wildlife. They have been mending injured and gunshot wildlife for decades and represent a beacon of hope in this world of senseless destruction.

A friend of mine and I once found a gunshot Great Horned Owl and brought it to BMW for treatment and care. With a broken bone in one wing and two steel pellets in the body, Lynn was able to use an adjacent wing bone as a splint to allow time for the broken bone to heal before releasing the bird back to the wild. If she had not professionally repaired the damage to this bird she would have had to destroy it, but because of her skill and care we have one more live owl to hunt our gophers and mice in our pasture.

As one of the founding members of the Pendleton Bird Club, I have asked Lynn on several occasions if she and Bob could give a presentation to the club and not once have they turned down our request. In fact, they ALWAYS bring injured birds of prey to share with our membership and to educate us on how each species interacts with our environment and the dangers that they routinely face here in Umatilla County from car strikes, gunshot wounds and other dangers. Lynn and Bob schedule visits to our local schools to educate our school children on the dangers these birds face and how important it is to never harm these special creatures

I would give Blue Mountain Wildlife a score of 10 out of 10 for all they do to help our wildlife and to educate the public about the need to care and protect wildlife whenever the opportunity presents itself. Lynn and Bob are some of the finest people my wife and I have ever met and we do not hesitate to encourage others to support and donate money to their programs for wildlife care and rehabilitation.

Sincerely yours,

Jack and Sharon Simons
Pendleton, Oregon

Blue Mountain Wildlife organization is an exceptional example of people working together to accomplish what agencies cannot or will not do. People care about every species of wildlife when it is in peril in their own backyard and will go to extremes to 'save it' . People of all ages and beliefs will pick it, try to care for it or find someone who will. If they look for someone to take it to, they will find that ONLY Blue Mountain Wildlife will take it, no matter how hurt, or where in northeastern Oregon it is. Lynn will enlist her network of transportation volunteers to bring animals for hundreds of miles . She offers advise to the 'rescuer' for safe transport of the animal. She gives all equal and fair treatment and care. I am amazed at how this is done with a shoestring budget. They deserve state funding for what they accomplish. She and Bob do this along with offering any who wish to learn, help or volunteer an opportunity to do so . This organization is a shining example of kindness, caring and professional treatment of our wildlife species. Thank you Blue Mountain Wildlife!

Blue Mountain Wildlife is amazing. We have volunteered and also donate. Lynn and Bob are always ready to help with any bird or any creature that needs help. This is a group that you can donate to and know it will be put to the best possible help for all wildlife no matter what kind.

I first was introduced to Blue Mountain Wildlife rescue many years ago on a camping trip. They came to our campground and gave a lecture on raptors bringing their raptors with them for demonstrations. It was GREAT to see the birds up close doing their thing and to be educated on what Blue Mountain does to rehab and release all raptors they receive plus the other various animals that come their way. I signed up for their news listing and was extremely impressed with all the hard work that Lynne and her staff put in. Most of the service is done by volunteers only! I have been donating to them ever since as I feel that my money goes directly to the services that are provided to the birds. There are no fancy buildings or CEO's making heaps of money. This nonprofit truly uses its money for the birds and I LIKE THAT A LOT!!!!! I know my money goes exactly where it needed and that helps me sleep better at night knowing I made a good decision. With increase education and awareness I feel that more birds are being helped, rehabbed and released. I also hope it will change the way we currently do things like cleaning up the lead from the bullets that lead to poisoning and awareness of baby birds whether to rescue or not. My vote goes to this hard working and great team at Blue Mountain Wildlife!

BMW is my absolute favorite "local" nonprofit, even though they are located 150 miles from me. The work Lynn and Bob do is remarkable, helping an amazing number of birds and animals and teaching hundreds of kids how important the raptors are to our environment. They do so much on such a shoestring budget and with such energy and passion. Please, please help them if you can!!

Blue Mountain Wildlife has been rehabilitating raptors and other wildlife
24/7 for over 25 years that I know of personally! BMW excels in environmental education by taking birds that have injuries that prevent them from being returned to their natural habitat to any group that they possibly can. BMW speaks to innumerable school classes and civic groups. BMW really needs improved medical facilities and equipment! BMW offers the only opportunity for rehab and education within 200 miles of our area.

Blue Mountain Wildlife is a fantastic charity. They are willing to go miles and miles to pick up wounded birds (and other wildlife). They care for and rehabilitate a crazy number of them. Nothing makes them happier than to be able to release a patient back into the wild.

I've had the pleasure to get to know Blue Mountain Wildlife this year and I am truly impressed with their passion and commitment to animals. Not to mention their vast knowledge and their passion to share that knowledge with the community. But what impressed me the most was how much they achieve with the limited resources they have! Please donate to this worthy non-profit that has been able to rehabilitate and release so very many animals. We are grateful, Lynn and Bob, for the work you do.

Over the past few years we've actually taken a few animals to them for help. We live about an hour away in La Grande, Oregon the first time 3 baby raccoons lost their mother, had been hanging around our house for a week, there were 4, but after a few days only 3 were left, we knew that when it was 4 in the afternoon and it was almost a 100 degrees you just don't see them during that time of day, so we took them to BMW with a donation and they took care of them until they were able to be released on their own. And a second time a ring necked Dove flew into our window and broke it's wing, so we drove it to them, but they were unable to save the Dove, but they took the time to xray the wing to check. We love what they do for the animals!

I volunteered for Blue Mountain Wildlife for about 10 years from 203 to 2013. I moved so I no longer can actually help, other than financially. I have never witnessed more hard working individuals than Lynn and Bob Tompkins, the directors of BMW. They take calls 24/7 365 days a year. They help injured birds over a huge area...in Washington the entire Lower Columbia Basin. Lynn and Bob speak to classrooms, community groups, at National Wildlife Refuge groups and have trained many, many interns who went on to become veterinarians and/or wildlife rehabilitates. I wish I could find the words to express my admiration for these folks.

One summer Lynn needed some extra help so I stayed for a week, spending nights in a small camper that they acquired to house interns. We started about 7:00 am every morning, cleaning cages, giving treatments and feeding animals (mostly raptors) and sometimes going to release a raptor in as close an area to where they were found as possible. Lynn hardly even took time to eat during the day. We worked until about 10:00 pm every night when I would retire to the camper. Often as I started to doze off I would hear Lynn in the barn getting food ready for the animals for the next morning. I was truly astounded with her work ethic and wondered where she gets her energy. I guess I really know the answer to that question: She and Bob love wildlife and are dedicated to caring for wildlife and educating kids and everyone they come in contact with about how to do no harm.
Sincerely,
Marilyn Hayes
Helena, MT

As an intern at Blue Mountain Wildlife, I saw the positive impact the organization had on the local wildlife, as well as on the local community. Wildlife gets the care it needs and deserves, and students are so excited to engage face-to-face with raptors. The staff and volunteers are also extremely passionate about their work.