Do you know that human-created obstacles (like old fences) are the cause of thousands of needless deaths to wild animals every year?

Welcome to FAWN

Friends Aiding Wildlife in Nature

FAWN’s primary mission is to play a part in “RE-WILDING” areas that wildlife inhabit and travel. There are things humans can do to protect wildlife, but it will take human understanding that wild animals need to be MOBILE for their very survival. With education and understanding, humans can play a part by REMOVING OBSOLETE OBSTACLES that are death traps to our wild friends. THIS IS OUR MISSION.

Learn how you can be part of a this new movement to help REMOVE THE UNNECESSARY BARRIERS to wild animals that inhibit their ability to pursue the things they need for SURVIVAL and which can lead to injury, death and separation among wild species - mostly unseen by humans!

Native wild animals need MOBILITY - whether its for seasonal migrations or local travel within their historic territories. Human impediments, such as FENCES, ROADS, and HIGHWAYS can determine their survival. The sad reality is that wildlife confront OBSTACLE AFTER OBSTACLE in their daily search for food, water, mates and shelter. Some of these obstacles serve no purpose and should be REMOVED in order to help the future of Nature’s wild species!

WARNING!

Some of the photographs throughout this website are very graphic and show evidence of suffering and death of innocent wildlife. These images are intended as a wake-up call to humans. Proceed at your own risk.

About FAWN

FAWN is NOT a rescue organization - there are already excellent wildlife rescue organizations in our greater area. FAWN’s primary goal is to identify OBSOLETE fencing and, with property owner permission, REMOVE IT.

Human occupation has forced wildlife out of their native habitat and blocked their historic wildlife corridors. Efforts to navigate leads to EXTREME CHALLENGES as native wild animals confront human obstacles not only from modern human sprawl, but from the LEFTOVERS OF PREVIOUS HUMAN OCCUPATION.

It’s not just obsolete fencing that blocks wildlife mobility - modern fencing designs in residential neighborhoods are also TRAPS. So, as part of our mission, we want to offer education on the negative effects of fencing - PLACEMENT, DESIGN, AND NECESSITY. *Visit our Goals tab for more details.

Our Goals

Educate

Educate private and public property owners, government agencies and the public about fencing hazards and “wildlife-friendly” solutions where fencing is needed through tabling, speaking, media coverage, outreach to civic groups and governmental agencies.

Identify Opportunities

Identify candidate properties and seek landowner permission to remove obsolete fencing. Work with willing landowners to remove obsolete fencing to improve the mobility of our native wildlife.

Outreach to Property Owners

Outreach to government agencies about creating wildlife-friendly fencing standards and guidelines. Some counties and municipalities have little or NO fencing guidelines.

Organize Volunteers

We’ll seek volunteers who can devote time and labor to help us protect threatened wildlife. We hope to copy a model being used in the state of Oregon where volunteer work parties are formed, educated, equipped and sent out in the field to physically remove obsolete fencing.

Background

Fences cut across historic migratory routes. Hundreds of thousands have died along these routes because they couldn’t get access to seasonal grazing and fresh water. Our area was once home to pioneer farms and ranches - the REMNANTS of which can be seen in open spaces, recreation areas, land trust holdings, undeveloped rural areas and even in residential neighborhoods. When abandoned, obsolete fencing often lays fallen from their posts, twisted and tangled on the ground, creating PERFECT TRAPS for hundreds of thousands of WILD ANIMALS, as you will see in these shocking photos.

Another, often unrecognized, “NAIL IN THE COFFIN” to the success of wildlife survival is SEPARATION of animal families. We’ve witnessed heart-breaking scenes in our semi-rural area like the twin fawns trying to follow their Mother who had leapt over an obsolete barbed-wire fence, then crossed a road leaving behind the PANICKED FAWNS helplessly running up and down the fence line in a desperate attempt to find an opening. Unable to keep up with their Mothers, fawns will often curl up and die of exposure and dehydration. In Placer County, a local fawn rescue group rescues an average of 200 fawns per year!

SPREADING HUMAN POPULATION, human demand for fencing and lack of county fencing regulations has created a grid of impediments, leaving the only remaining corridors for wildlife movement - CREEKS and ROADWAYS. We’ve all witnessed the horrific consequences to wild animals lying in DEADLY SILENCE along roadways.

Who We Are.

Roger and Irene Smith, Founders of FAWN live in rural Placer County, California and have spent years in efforts to protect open space for the benefit to humans and wildlife alike. Together they have promoted preservation of open space and wildlife habitat through direct involvement with municipalities and agencies. Their “defining moment” in starting FAWN was when they found a dead doe hanging by one foot from a fence on their adjoining neighbors fence. Having heard of community efforts in the State of Oregon to protect wildlife from obsolete fencing hazards, they were inspired to duplicate this effort in California. Our hope is that by raising awareness, these kind of efforts will become common and effect policy changes for the protection of our wild friends.