Living West Michigan
Feathers and Futures: Welcome to Albatross Aviary
Clip: Season 1 | 5m 49sVideo has Closed Captions
At Albatross Aviary, their passion is committed to rescuing, rehabilitating, and conserving birds!
Animal conservation is an important part of maintaining all the various species still thriving across the world, with West Michigan being instrumental in bird preservation. At Albatross Aviary, their passion is committed to rescuing, rehabilitating, and conserving birds in our community. Join me as I visit the space and see the home of many wonderful birds.
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Living West Michigan is a local public television program presented by WGVU
Living West Michigan
Feathers and Futures: Welcome to Albatross Aviary
Clip: Season 1 | 5m 49sVideo has Closed Captions
Animal conservation is an important part of maintaining all the various species still thriving across the world, with West Michigan being instrumental in bird preservation. At Albatross Aviary, their passion is committed to rescuing, rehabilitating, and conserving birds in our community. Join me as I visit the space and see the home of many wonderful birds.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(birds chirping) (gentle bright music) (birds chirping) (bright music) - Somebody asked me, about two months ago, if I would've known how hard this was going to be getting into this, would I have still done it?
Absolutely not.
(laughs) But it has been the most fulfilling thing.
And now that I'm doing it, there's nothing else I would absolutely do.
This has been the most rewarding job I've ever done.
But with being able to make differences both in people's lives that are struggling and at their wit's end on what to do with certain animals that have behavioral problems or that they just don't understand how to take care of, and the individual birds and creating relationships with them and watching them come in scared and tired, and watching their personalities bloom.
It's the biggest cause that I've ever truly believed in, as far as with saving the birds.
'Cause I get people like, "Why birds?"
And it's because not very many people are doing this, and there's not really a voice for these guys.
As loud as they are, they're kind of voiceless creatures.
With the commodity of them, but also they are the only animal on the face of the planet that actually occupies every continent and holds almost each biome from swamps, to desert, to Antarctica, they're all intricate in each of the ecosystems so heavily that when we're talking about the planet that we live in and we're able to prosper, and birds were the ones that kind of developed it.
And so if we were to focus in on saving the birds, we'd end up saving the planet ecologically.
And so I'm like, yeah, birds.
(laughs) (birds chirping) So the birds come to me, because there's actually a pretty big crisis of unwanted birds, especially in the Midwest, where a lot of people in the '80s ended up buying birds.
But these birds will live like 60 to 80 years, and so they're outliving a lot of people.
Along with birds that are impulsively bought, end up not being cared for very well, and then you end up seeing a multitude of behavioral problems.
And so a lot of the birds that we get in come in with aggression, and self-mutilation, and antisocial behaviors.
And we actually start working on physical and mental rehabilitation to create a stable environment for the health and safety of the bird.
I try to create a place, not just to take in the birds, but to educate people that are struggling with caring for birds, because nobody adopts or buys a bird to torture an animal.
There isn't a lot of information out there on how to care for them.
And so I'm trying to do my best to set a good example and offer accessible educational processes to actually live and cohabitate with a bird, 'cause they don't make very good pets, but they make fantastic companions.
(birds chirping) So there's a lot of hormone fluctuations that a lot of people aren't, A, aware of, and, B, equipped to actually handle and understand.
So that's why we actually have 'em on an 12-hour cycle, and 8 to 8.
And that's to, A, regulate their hormones, but also to keep it on a routine.
Because of the issues with communication that we have with the birds, that if you're on a routine, it's a lot easier for them to recognize what's going to happen and not be afraid, and the communication structure just gets a whole lot better.
And this is where even with new volunteers coming in, the first month, it's like, do not engage with the birds.
Let them understand you, be a calm environmental difference.
Let them understand who you are before you engage, so that, A, we're able to elicit attention and interaction when it's appropriate so that they're not screaming for attention or being aggressive for attention, that they can be patient on the times that it's going to happen.
We have our Bird Behavior Solutions program.
It's just a small counseling program that I was doing through Covid where people with bird behavior problems, whether it be from plucking, to dietary changes, to biting, that, yeah, I would love to, I can't take on every bird, that I would like to keep the birds in their home.
'Cause, like I was saying, actually, them being in a safe and secure environment, a stable environment, is one of the healthiest things I can do.
And so I would like to help people keep their birds in their homes and actually work on the healthiest way to build a habitat for them, 'cause they are smart enough to adapt into the homes that we create for them, it's just not always the healthiest.
And so working towards getting more healthy interactions and healthy behaviors inside the home for individuals, including that like fulfilling relationship, is one of the key goals that I have.
(gentle music) (upbeat music) - Celebrating vibrant people, captivating places, and remarkable things, this is "Living West Michigan."
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Flowers to Feast On - Living in Bloom with J Schwanke
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Clip: S1 | 4m 9s | Life in Bloom's J Schwanke makes a delicious-looking flower arrangement! (4m 9s)
Designing Education: A Closer Look at Rep4 at GVSU
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Clip: S1 | 7m 43s | What would it look like to have a learner-designed education system? (7m 43s)
Behind the Curtain: This is Circle Theatre
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Clip: S1 | 6m 21s | Get your popcorn ready, because today we’re headed to the theatre – Circle Theatre that is. (6m 21s)
Artful Escapes: Let's Go to The Mud Room!
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Clip: S1 | 6m 52s | From pottery to painting and glass fusing, the DIY art studio has folks letting their spirits soar! (6m 52s)
The Silent Crisis: Caring for Eastern Hemlocks on West Michgan's Coast
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Clip: S1 | 9m 14s | Learn about the treatment plan the Michigan DNR are putting into effect to keep these trees alive! (9m 14s)
The Future of Freshwater: This is the Annis Water Resources Institute
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Clip: S1 | 10m 52s | This next organization is working hard to ensure natural resources like the Great Lakes are safe. (10m 52s)
Bringing the Sunshine - Living in Bloom with J Schwanke
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Clip: S1 | 4m 36s | Life in Bloom's J Schwanke shows us how to bright up the household with a yellow flower arrangement! (4m 36s)
Wheels of Wonder: Let's Go to Food Truck Fridays in Grand Rapids!
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Clip: S1 | 5m 1s | Join us as we take a look at the Food Truck business in Grand Rapids! (5m 1s)
Spirited Strolls: This is Ghost Tour Grand Rapids
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Clip: S1 | 8m 55s | Jennifer Moss teamed up with Candice Smith from Tours Around Michigan to learn about Ghost Tour GR! (8m 55s)
On the Frontlines of Rhythm: Meet the Northern Lights Drum & Bugle Corps!
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Clip: S1 | 6m 47s | This group marches to the beat of their own drum…literally! (6m 47s)
It's Tulip Time! - Living in Bloom with J Schwanke
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Clip: S1 | 4m 47s | Life in Bloom's J Schwanke and Kylie Ambu explore the teenagers of the flower world: the tulip! (4m 47s)
It's All Real Life at Dreamgoats!
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Clip: S1 | 7m 1s | DreamGoats offers West Michiganders a chance to join the herd! (7m 1s)
Gerbera Daisy Extravaganza! - Living in Bloom with J Schwanke
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Clip: S1 | 4m 23s | Life in Bloom's J Schwanke and Jennifer Moss make a dazzling centerpiece comprised of gerberas! (4m 23s)
From the Depths: Exploring the USS Silversides Museum
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Clip: S1 | 6m 52s | We’re taking a trip through history at the USS Silversides Museum! (6m 52s)
Feeding the Wild: Inside John Ball Zoo's Commissary & Horticulture Teams
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Clip: S1 | 7m 1s | Join Shelley as she takes us on an exclusive journey behind the scenes at John Ball Zoo! (7m 1s)
What's the Secret Rose Code? - Living in Bloom with J Schwanke
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Clip: S1 | 5m 15s | Life in Bloom's J Schwanke and Shelley Irwin get together to crack the rose code! (5m 15s)
Saddles, Stables, and Soulful Connections: Discovering Legacy Stables and Karin's Horse Connection
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Clip: S1 | 7m 59s | Legacy Stables offers horse lovers an array of activities, from riding lessons to therapy. (7m 59s)
Now PlayingFeathers and Futures: Welcome to Albatross Aviary
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Clip: S1 | 5m 49s | At Albatross Aviary, their passion is committed to rescuing, rehabilitating, and conserving birds! (5m 49s)
A Bark Above: Let's Go to The Pack Indoor Dog Park!
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Clip: S1 | 5m 18s | Check out The Pack, West Michigan’s only indoor dog park and eatery! (5m 18s)
Unleashing Creativity at Pinspiration!
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Clip: S1 | 5m 55s | We get messy and have fun at Pinspiration, where community meets creativity! (5m 55s)
Spiking Success: Meet the Grand Rapids Rise
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Clip: S1 | 7m 25s | We meet West Michigan's first professional women's volleyball team, the Grand Rapids Rise. (7m 25s)
Having a Ball with the West Michigan Whitecaps!
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Clip: S1 | 7m 13s | Shelley's taking you out to the ball game with the West Michigan Whitecaps! (7m 13s)
Breakaway Brilliance - Living in Bloom with J Schwanke
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Clip: S1 | 4m 18s | J Schwanke and Kylie Ambu create centerpieces using random containers found around the house! (4m 18s)
The Little Red Bouquet - Living in Bloom with J Schwanke
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Clip: S1 | 4m 48s | J Schwanke and Shelley Irwin put together a little red bouquet! (4m 48s)
Kids Have a Blast at the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids!
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Clip: S1 | 6m 39s | We check out the YMCA, who are strengthening the community through youth devlopment. (6m 39s)
How High Can You Jump? Let's Go to Rebounderz!
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Clip: S1 | 5m 42s | 🆙 We bounce around at Rebounderz, an indoor trampoline park in Jenison. (5m 42s)
Hope and Home: Inside The Deborah House
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Clip: S1 | 8m 14s | ❤️We visit The Deborah House, a special place that offers a bit of hope to those who feel hopeless. (8m 14s)
The Short Cut...Shortcut! - Living in Bloom with J Schwanke
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Clip: S1 | 4m 38s | Life in Bloom's J Schwanke demonstrates how a "short cut"! (4m 38s)
Going for the Gold with Special Olympics Michigan
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Clip: S1 | 7m 55s | We meet those at Special Olympics Michigan, who work with athletes that are going for the gold! (7m 55s)
Gluten-Free is the Way at Papa Chops Eatery
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Clip: S1 | 6m 54s | We visit a spot in Grand Rapids with an entirely gluten-free menu: Papa Chops Eatery! (6m 54s)
Changing Lives, One Dog at a Time: Paws with a Cause
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Clip: S1 | 7m 22s | We visit Paws with a Cause, a nonprofit organization that trains and provides service dogs! (7m 22s)
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Clip: S1 | 9m 33s | Meet Johnny and his father Jeff, members of Team Agar, who deliver a powerful moving message. (9m 33s)
Let's Make a Blue Flower Arrangement! - Living in Bloom with J Schwanke
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Clip: S1 | 5m 32s | We talk and learn with everyone’s favorite neighborhood flower guy, J Schwanke. (5m 32s)
Let's Explore the Kalamazoo Air Zoo!
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Clip: S1 | 5m 22s | Let’s go imagine, explore, and discover with Caroline and Kylie at the Air Zoo! (5m 22s)
Have Some Afternoon Tea at High Tea Grand Rapids!
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Clip: S1 | 6m 24s | We take you to a beautiful spot in East Grand Rapids. (6m 24s)
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Living West Michigan is a local public television program presented by WGVU