Each spring, the Wildlife Center admits dozens of injured and orphaned fawns; these high-maintenance patients require a lot of care! As the fawns grow, they begin eating "browse"—leaves and twigs on shrubs and trees. The wildlife rehabilitation team spends a lot of time gathering browse each day; if you're local and are able to gather and donate this food, the humans and fawns at the Wildlife Center would greatly appreciate it! Please note that only trained personnel are able to care for fawns at the Wildlife Center; this request is strictly about gathering and bringing an important food source to the Wildlife Center.
Although there are many trees and shrubs on which fawns browse, we have focused this list on including the six most desirable species based on edibility and nutrition. Please only collect the species below for donation. We have provided some of the most helpful characteristics for identification. All of the species listed have simple leaves.
Please be considerate when cutting:
- Never cut more than 1/3 of the branches of any plant.
- Always ask permission before browsing on private land.
- Leave as little impact on the habitat as you can.
- Never collect browse from trees/plants within 50 feet of a roadway, train track or other areas of exhaust or heavy chemical usage.
Our fawns need small to medium leafy branches, cut from the base of the limb. Try to deliver your branches to us as soon as you can after cutting them (no more than eight hours)—the longer they are separated from the plant, the less nutritious and delicious they are. Keep your branches out of the sun with the cut end in water to help reduce wilting.
Black Willow
Habitat: Along streams and in wet low-lying areas
Form: Twisted, often multi-stemmed tree
Leaves: Alternate, 3-6 inches long and lance-shaped, with finely toothed edges
Twigs: Slender, orange-brown, with a bitter aspirin taste
Dogwood
Habitat: Hardwood forest understories
Form: Small tree with short, low-branching trunk
Leaves: Opposite, 3-5 inches long and oval shaped, smooth or wavy edges, veins curve along leaf edges
Twigs: Slender, often with a waxy coating
Lowbush Blueberry
Form: Small shrub reaching 2-3 feet in height
Leaves: Alternate, 1-2 inches long and elliptical, very finely toothed edges, dull green above and pale beneath
Twigs: Slender, zigzag, green with some red, very finely fuzzy when new
*May have small blueberries present after mid-summer*
Sassafras
Habitat: Open woods and abandoned fields
Form: Small tree with a flat-topped crown, often in thickets
Leaves: Alternate, 4-6 inches long, shaped like an oval, mitten, or 3-lobed
Twigs: Slender, green with a spicy-sweet aroma when broken
The following are two, non-native species of shrubs (no worry about taking too much—hack away!) that are very common.
Honeysuckle
Habitat: Common everywhere particularly in disturbed areas
Form: Most are twining vines or shrubs
Leaves: Opposite, simple, oval, that taper to a point
Twigs: Woody
Berries: Dark (often red), fused pairs
Autumn Olive
Habitat: Common in any wooded area
Form: A deciduous large shrub or small tree
Leaves: Leaves are about 2-3 inches (6-7 cm) long with dark, green tops and silver-white bottoms. Leaves are simple, alternate and have smooth edges.
Twigs: Silvery to brown, often with thorns
Berries: Red with silvery specs, always as a single fruit-- not fused with other berries
