Nebraska's Nia Meyer is spending her summer juggling dozens of furry, feathered, and occasionally fussy patients — and she wouldn't have it any other way.
The senior fisheries and wildlife major from Chadron is gaining hands-on experience at Nebraska Wildlife Rehabilitation, where each shift brings a new challenge and a lot of hungry mouths to feed.
“Each shift is different,” she said. “In general, we take in orphaned, injured or sick wildlife and nurse them back to health or until they grow up, giving them all the food and resources possible to survive and thrive before we release them back into the wild.”
Meyer, who connected with Nebraska Wildlife Rehab through the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources job fair, is commuting to the Omaha-based rescue service five days a week to immerse herself in her passion.
“We have three rooms that are just full of raccoons, so it's a lot to get through in an eight-hour shift," she said. "We clean their kennels, restock their solid foods and then move on to the birds. It’s all super hands-on.”
When tending to all the animals, not every critter is cooperative. Occasionally, Meyer and her colleagues have to get a little creative.
“I’ve picked up on a lot of different techniques if a baby raccoon doesn’t want to bottle feed,” Meyer said. “Some people have figured out that swaddling them in blankets helps. If they're too distracted when they're feeding, you might have to cover their eyes and hold them or scratch their neck and ears. It's really funny, but it works and helps them stay relaxed.”
Though she came to Nebraska thinking she’d pursue a career in criminal justice, Meyer couldn’t shake the feeling that working with animals was her calling. A few classes in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources confirmed her hunch.
“I just fell in love with East Campus and realized I wanted to do more with animals," she said. "They don't have a voice, so I want to be that for them and do my part in helping our environment.”
After completing undergrad, Meyer will pursue a master’s at Nebraska to further her conservation work. But, for now, she’s happy to soak up the rest of her summer experience.
“What I love about this job is how time just flies — that's how I know this is exactly where I'm meant to be and doing what I love," she said. "It's very rewarding.”
