MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mississippi Wildlife Rehabilitation founder Valery Smith lost her battle with cancer on April 23, 2023, but conservation efforts continue in the place she helped to build in Coldwater, MS.
“Valery started Mississippi Wildlife 26 years ago. She decided you know something needs to be done for our native wildlife. She started out doing garage sales, and raised money, and started taking in about 20-30 birds per year. Now we're up to over a thousand, and without her that would have not been possible,” said Debra Crum, Executive Director of Mississippi Wildlife Rehabilitation.
By keeping Smith’s dream alive, the group is helping kids learn about nature.
“It’s always been our goal, and Valery’s dream to get kids outside into nature, so what we do is we educate, and rehabilitate anything that's a native species to Mississippi. Sometimes we get them in as babies, and raise them as babies, and we get to see every stage of their life, and then when it's time to leave they are gone and we never see them again, so it is bittersweet,” said Crum.
“We do have a bald eagle nest, and on the day Val passed away, and took her last breathe at 12:48 pm, at 12:47 I got a text message from one of our team member saying, ‘I know you are busy but this timing seems significant,’ and at 12:47 the two juvenile bald eagle fledged the nest for the first time. So Val was able to take her trip followed by eagles,” said Crum.