About the Owner:
From the time I was a young child, nature has played an important roll in my life. Whether observing wildlife, working in the garden, or taking in some beautiful scenery, my favorite place is the outdoors. From the dirt to the stars and everything in-between, our natural world offers us a respite from the rigors of daily life and provides an opportunity for rest and refreshment.
My favorite childhood memories growing up on a farm include wading in streams looking for clams and crawdads, gardening, catching tadpoles in the pond, playing with all sorts of farm animals, walking in the woods, riding my horse, and listening to the coyotes, Whip-poor-wills and Great Horned Owls call at night. Even today, my favorite times are when I’m gardening, playing with my cats, or when I can be outside breathing the aroma of the woods, watching storms come in, feeding birds in my backyard, imagining shapes in the clouds, and observing all sorts of creatures in their natural habitats. Being able to share all of this with my wonderful husband makes it that much more special!
If you look through my photo albums, you’ll find that the majority of pictures I take are not of people and buildings, but of birds and other wildlife, natural scenes and flowers. Would I rather spend money on buying clothes or bird books? Bird books. Do I have collections of Barbie dolls? No, but rather of sea shells, fossils, rocks and hand painted collector horse figurines.
My Grandmother, whom I was very fortunate to be able to grow up next door to, as well as my Mother, always enjoyed feeding the wild birds. My Grandma gave me my first bird feeder (a thistle feeder) when I was 14 years old or younger. Now I have approximately 15 bird feeders of various sorts and mix my own food. I love waking up to the crisp, clear, energetic song of the House Wren or being serenaded by a Brown Thrasher or listening to the Baltimore Orioles chant as they come to drink out of my hummingbird feeder!
Being in the Audubon Society has opened up the world of birds to me like I never imagined. I was familiar with the backyard birds, but had no idea there were so many more species to be found in my area. I have also met some great people and have been able to combine my love of the outdoors and nature, and my love of taking day trips in the country, with this wonderful, educational hobby of bird watching.
I liken bird watching to sea shell collecting. There are so many different species; so much variety in colors, shapes and sizes; different species to be found in different locations; and, of course, both hobbies get you out into our wonderful natural world. While shells are the jewels of the ocean to me, birds are the jewels of the land and sky. It doesn’t matter that I’ve seen hundreds of Lettered Olive shells and American Robins, and dozens of Queen Conches and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. I still smile each time I see another one. Each one is it’s own unique creation- no two are alike in any way- and each is still beautiful and fascinating to me even if I’ve seen many other of that same species before. Though my sea shell life list still outnumbers my birding life list, I suspect it won’t be long before that changes!
I have a passion to teach others how to care for and enjoy our natural environment and its inhabitants, as well as how to care for and enjoy domestic animals. All of these creatures are at our mercy for their survival, just as much as we depend on them for our survival. As an only child growing up on a farm, much of my time was spent with cats, horses, cows, chickens and other wonderful domestic critters. Even as an adult I've had hamsters, freshwater fish, a rabbit, cats and a horse. I love all animals, and it’s my hope to incorporate care and conservation ideas into my website, along with the products I sell. There is nothing that sickens me more than for domestic or wild animals to undergo abuse. They are so innocent and only want to be respected, loved and cared for. One of my favorite animals in my life right now is my cat, Peppy, who is curled up on my lap as I write this. I’ve had her since she was a kitten over 15 years ago! She is so much company for me and is very responsive to attention and love just like humans. Ebony, my other kitty that I got with Peppy, sadly died when she was a little over 12 years old. I miss her dearly! It breaks my heart when ruthless people mistreat innocent, loving animals such as these.
AND MY TWO PLEAS? SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS! There are so many orphaned animals that need homes. The world doesn't need more dogs and cats to be breeding! And if you want a pet, go to your local animal shelter FIRST before unnecessarily spending money on an expensive registered animal. Like I said, there are so many unwanted critters in the world that need to be adopted and that would make just as good of pets (if not better) as a 'store/breeder-bought' animal. But, if you must go to a pet store, ask if they have any animals for adoption. Frequently, pet stores will sell/adopt out animals that they've rescued for a nominal fee. This is how I got my girls. The adoption fee might cover shots, exams, spaying/neutering and other health care that the pet has undergone before being eligible for adoption.
It is out of my love of animals and nature, and a desire to educate others, that I decided to pursue my dream of starting my own company. Integrating many of the things I have a passion for with owning my own business is a combination I’ve always dreamed of. After working for unappreciative employers and working jobs I'm really not all that excited about, I felt like I was wasting my life away in an office and not doing anything of real and lasting significance. So, I decided to change that. I became determined to be in a career that I'll love and that will make a lasting difference in our world. Therefore, for me, this career had to be something nature-related.
Through my company, Wild Birds & Beyond, LLC, I have a sense of accomplishment, pride and achievement, as well as an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people and animals. My goal for this company is to make a lasting positive impact on nature, the environment, wildlife and domestic animals and to educate others to do the same.
Thanks for visiting Wild Birds & Beyond, LLC and God Bless!
Mary
This site is dedicated to the memory of my Mother, who loved all creatures, from the tiniest insect to the largest mammals. Everything that came to her house or yard got a meal, shelter and a chance at life.