Audubon’s efforts give injured animals new hope

Wildlife Rehab Volunteer Zoe Sheehan tube feeds a nestling Mourning Dove.
Provided
Wildlife Rehab Volunteer Zoe Sheehan tube feeds a nestling Mourning Dove.
SHARON — The Sharon Audubon Center located just off of Cornwall Bridge Road is made up of 1,149 acres of mostly woodland habitat and has helped countless animals return to the wild.
The refuge acts as a temporary home for injured and orphaned songbirds, birds of prey, small mammals and reptiles. Nationally it serves as one of two Audubon centers with an animal rehab clinic and, as stated by Director of Wildlife Rehabilitation Sunny Kellner, “is always busy this time of year.”
Kellner, who has been in the role since June 2015, grew up in the area and started working as a volunteer at age 13. It was at the Sharon Audubon that she discovered that helping animals could be both her career and lifestyle.
When asked about the rehabilitation process, she emphasized that every situation is unique and that there is “no one size fits all” for patient care. The process often starts with a report that an animal has been found either injured or orphaned and images are then taken of the animal to determine age, condition, and species.
Once brought in and a full examination is complete, patients are stabilized and treated for any life-threatening issues while also being slowly re-hydrated and fed. It is at this point that staff members and veterinarians will treat all other issues and administer any antibiotics. Continued care is provided up until the patient shows signs of self-reliance for two weeks (self-feed, weatherproofed feathers, ability to move freely).
A North American Porcupine rehabilitated at the Sharon Audubon Center.Provided
The most common injuries seen in the clinic are derived from human impact, while toxicities and pathologies follow as other contributors. Examples of human impact injuries include motor vehicle/window strikes, attacks by house pets, and entrapment.
In the past few years, woodpeckers and nuthatches have been disproportionately affected by the sticky tape being wrapped around tree trunks. Put up in an effort to repel spongy moths, trunk space is now taken up by this plastic that is simultaneously trapping and killing bark-climbing birds.
The overarching goal of the clinic is to return the patients back to their natural environments as quickly as possible, but more importantly, in a viable state. For some patients this may mean being in the clinic for a few days while others need to stay closer to a year. Of the small mammals that the Sharon Audubon does take in, porcupines are at the forefront.
Kellner, who specializes in porcupine rehab, explained that the babies typically stay over winter and are released in the spring. The release rate for all species falls between 40-43%.
Animals that are “non-releasable” due to human imprinting or permanent injury typically become residents. Current resident animals include the reptiles on display in the Education Center and the raptors in the outdoor aviaries.
Three fledgling American Robins getting ready to move into an outdoor aviary.Provided
Though the clinic is animal-centered, it is human-dominated. The amount of help and the speed at which animals receive it, is dependent on the number of people ready to jump in. The summer months, commonly referred to as “baby season”, are especially busy. Volunteers and staff work around the clock feeding and caring for baby birds of all species, but specifically Chimney Swifts.
“They need to be fed about every 20 minutes for at least 14 hours,” stated Kellner.
Volunteers learn just about everything - how to feed, handle, identify, and care for patients. They are welcomed year-round with no prior experience required, just the desire to help.
The sprawling property is home to 11 miles of trails, two ponds, raptor aviaries, the Pollinator Garden and a working sugarhouse. In addition to animal rehabilitation, it functions as a community nature center where people of all ages have the opportunity to engage and educate themselves on local wildlife.
The Sharon Audubon has plans to extend their premises in the coming years, providing a larger space for wildlife rehab. Though still in the works, the goal is to have waiting, triage, and isolation rooms, as well as more aviaries and storage areas. It is anticipated that this building will be separate from the public areas, allowing more privacy for patients. The planning of this project comes at a “great time” as pressing illnesses and more regulations are being brought up.
LAKEVILLE — Rhys V. Bowen, 65, of Foxboro, Massachusetts, died unexpectedly in his sleep on Sept. 15, 2025. Rhys was born in Sharon, Connecticut, on April 9, 1960 to Anne H. Bowen and the late John G. Bowen. His brother, David, died in 1979.
Rhys grew up at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, where his father taught English. Attending Hotchkiss, Rhys excelled in academics and played soccer, basketball, and baseball. During these years, he also learned the challenges and joys of running, and continued to run at least 50 miles a week, until the day he died.
In 1982 after graduating summa cum laude from Harvard College, Rhys returned to Hotchkiss to teach biology, where he met his wife of 35 years, Rebecca (Becky) Snow. After two years of teaching, he worked at a research field site in Borneo, then went on to the University of California, Davis where he earned a PhD in Animal Behavior in 1995.
Rather than follow an academic tenure track, Rhys preferred the solitary focus of field ornithology, and he spent several decades researching the ecology of bird species in California and on Cape Cod and the Islands. Rhys believed passionately in supporting biodiversity through habitat preservation. His proudest achievements, therefore, came through his work for the Lakes Region Conservation Trust, in New Hampshire, where he served on committees and the Board of Trustees for twenty years, including three years as Chair.
Deeply intellectual and curious, Rhys learned Homeric Greek so he could read The Odyssey and The Iliad in their original language. An amateur Melville scholar, he would wax poetic about reading Moby-Dick for the umpteenth time.Rhys’s spirit was filled by the performing arts. Concerts by the Handel and Haydn Society and Boston Early Music Festival often brought tears to his eyes, while Boston Bluegrass Union shows delivered toe-tapping fidgetiness.
Rhys will be missed by his wife, Becky Snow, his mother, Anne Bowen, extended family, friends, and anyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.
A service will be held at The Hotchkiss School chapel on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 at 1 p.m..
In honor of Rhys’s memory, donations can be made to the Lakes Region Conservation Trust.
LAKEVILLE — Kelsey K. Horton, 43, a lifelong area resident, died peacefully on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut, following a courageous battle with cancer. Kelsey worked as a certified nursing assistant and administrative assistant at Noble Horizons in Salisbury, from 1999 until 2024, where she was a very respected and loved member of their nursing and administrative staff.
Born Oct. 4, 1981, in Sharon, she was the daughter of W. Craig Kellogg of Southern Pines, North Carolina, and JoAnne (Lukens) Tuncy and her husband Donald of Millerton, New York. Kelsey graduated with the class of 1999 from Webutuck High School in Amenia and from BOCES in 1999 with a certificate from the CNA program as well. She was a longtime member of the Lakeville United Methodist Church in Lakeville. On Oct. 11, 2003, in Poughkeepsie, New York, she married James Horton. Jimmy survives at home in Lakeville. Kelsey loved camping every summer at Waubeeka Family Campground in Copake, and she volunteered as a cheer coach for A.R.C. Cheerleading for many years. Kelsey also enjoyed hiking and gardening in her spare time and spending time with her loving family and many dear friends.
In addition to her husband and parents, Kelsey is survived by her two beloved children, Hunter Horton and Aryanna Horton, both of Lakeville; a step-brother, Jason Tuncy of East Hartford, Connecticut; her mother-in-law, Frances “Fran” Horton and her brother-in-law, Benjamin D. Horton III and his wife Penny of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and their son, Alec, and several aunts, uncles, cousins and many dear friends. She was predeceased by her father-in-law, Benjamin D. Horton, Jr. in 2017.
There are no calling hours. A Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Millerton American Legion Post # 178, Route 44, Millerton, NY 12546. A time to celebrate Kelsey and share stories and memories. Memorial contributions may be made to The Jane Lloyd Fund. Please make checks payable to Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation (please note in memo line, The Jane Lloyd Fund) and mail to: Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, 800 N. Main Street, Sheffield, MA 01257.
To send an online condolence to the family, flowers to the service or to plant a tree in Kelsey’s memory, please visit www.conklinfuneralhome.com
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Scott D. Conklin Funeral Home, 37 Park Avenue, Millerton, NY 12546.
SHARON — On Sept. 27, Eliot Warren Brown was shot and killed at age 47 at his home in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a random act of violence by a young man in need of mental health services. Eliot was born and raised in Sharon, Connecticut, and attended Indian Mountain School and Concord Academy in Massachusetts. He graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He and his wife Brooke moved to New Orleans to answer the call for help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and fell in love with the city.
In addition to his wife Brooke, Eliot leaves behind his parents Malcolm and Louise Brown, his sisters Lucia (Thaddeus) and Carla (Ruairi), three nephews, and extended family and friends spread far and wide.
Normally at this point one might list some interests, but in Eliot’s case, it’s easier to list what he wasn’t interested in: watching sports.
Eliot made a living as a fine craftsman and carpenter, but at heart he was an artist. He was well versed in music, painting, literature, biking, travel, Mardi Gras costumes, poker, pranks, street performance and on and on and on.Having previously hiked the entire Camino de Santiago in Spain and Portugal, he recently achieved another dream of summiting the highest stratovolcano in North America.
Eliot’s creative ability was astounding. His creations were designed to bring joy to others. He didn’t seek recognition or praise, and a large part of his work was anonymous. Pieces of art would appear in the community, encouraging people to think, connect and enjoy.
From the precociously funny and determinedly defiant boy that grew up in the Northwest corner of Connecticut, Eliot grew into a brilliant, gentle souled, boundlessly creative, ever mischievous, perpetually scraggly, and astoundingly wise and caring man who made an indelible impact on those who were lucky to have him in their lives.
In honor of Eliot, please consider making donations to organizations that work to end gun violence, support the arts, or provide mental health services. A service will be held at the Congregational Church in Salisbury on Sunday Oct. 26 at 2 p.m.
SHARON — Randall “Randy” Osolin passed away on Sept. 25, 2025, at the age of 74. He was born on Feb. 6, 1951, in Sharon, Connecticut to the late Ramon (Sonny) and Barbara (Sandmeyer) Osolin.
He was a dedicated social worker, a natural athlete, a gentle friend of animals, an abiding parish verger, an inveterate reader, and an estimable friend and neighbor. He was a kind-hearted person whose greatest joy was in helping someone in need and sharing his time with his family and good friends.
He was the beloved husband of Karen LaChance Osolin; the loving brother of Bruce Osolin and the late Gail Osolin Leo; the devoted uncle of Kyle and Andrew Osolin and Taylor LaChance; the brother-in-law of Debra LaChance; and the cousin of Brenda Curran, Jay Pickering and Audra Salazar.
To honor Randy’s memory, do a good deed for another or send a donation to the Little Guild, 258 Sharon-Goshen Road, West Cornwall, CT 06796. The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.