What raising an orphaned owl taught me about our broken bond with nature

Guiding a young bird back into nature showed that, if we want to prevent the world’s destruction, we must value lives that aren’t human

“What kind of bird is this?” The text from my wildlife rehabilitator friend had asked. I had to squint at the photo. Was this a dirty rag? No, a nestling. In very bad shape. A screech owl. Found dragged and dropped on someone’s lawn. I figured she was about two weeks from being old enough to fly.

A freshly rescued Alfie, recovering from falling from her nest