Happy 20th Anniversary to Sequoia
Happy 20th WildCare Anniversary, Sequoia!
Sequoia is WildCare's beloved Wildlife Ambassador Northern Spotted Owl.
Twenty years ago today, she arrived at WildCare as a wide-eyed, still-fluffy baby with an injured wing.
Click here to read the WildCare Newsletter from Autumn 2005 that tells Sequoia's story!
She had fallen from her nest during the “branching” phase—a risky stage in young raptors’ lives when they begin hopping and flapping among tree limbs, testing their wings before they’re truly ready to fly.
For this little owl, a fall from the canopy ended in a damaged Patagialis longus tendon in her left wing. By the time she reached us, the tendon was too dry to repair.
The injury didn’t ground her completely—she could still fly! But she had lost the ability to fly silently, a critical adaptation for hunting in the dense, echoing redwood forests Northern Spotted Owls call home. Without stealth, her prey would always hear her coming.
Knowing she could never survive in the wild, we gave her a new role as a Wildlife Ambassador. We named her Sequoia to remind everyone who meets her of the towering trees of her native forest.
For the past 20 years, Sequoia has been a treasured part of WildCare. Her calm presence, soulful dark eyes, and striking plumage have captivated thousands: visitors to our Courtyard and Wildlife Ambassador Zone, students in classrooms, and guests at so many events over the years.
Sequoia has also contributed to science by participating in multiple studies to help her wild kin. Most notably, in 2011 researchers from the California Academy of Sciences took samples of Sequoia's blood to compile a complete Northern Spotted Owl Genome with gene annotation. Hers was the first genome from the order Strigiformes, and the data is available with complete genome alignments in GenBank databases
Through her story, countless people have come to appreciate the fragile majesty of redwood forest ecosystems and the diverse species that call them home.
Sequoia remains healthy, curious, and dignified in her aviary—and we are so lucky to have her.
Here’s to two incredible decades of education and inspiration. Happy 20th Anniversary, Sequoia!
Photo © Mary D'Agostino
Visit Sequoia in our Wildlife Ambassador Zone!
Click for directions to WildCare's transition location and visit us between 10am and 3pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
