Wise Choices: Protecting Owls & Other Species Through Sustainable Pest Control

Presenter:  Mikayla Frierson | President and Founder of Rescuing Ocala Wildlife & Certified Wildlife Rehabber

Explore how sustainable pest management strategies can protect Florida’s diverse and often endangered wild species. Emphasis is placed on ecological balance, habitat preservation, and long-term solutions that minimize harm to non-target organisms up the food chain. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with professional rehabbers, rescuers, and relocators from “Wildlife Works” and learn more about animals they may encounter within Parks and neighborhoods – including Cleo, their ambassador corn snake!

Presenter Bio:

Mikayla founded Rescuing Ocala Wildlife (ROW) after moving to Marion County in 2022. She is passionate about humane education, conservation, and values cultivating a love for wildlife and the outdoors within future generations. Mikayla has experience in nonprofit animal welfare as well as veterinary medicine, and has now returned to school to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She has always been particularly enamored with Florida’s wildlife and their welfare and especially loves birds of prey. You can find Mikayla doing anything from field rescues to talking to the community about our wildlife, and loving every second of it!

Thursdays | 6 – 8 p.m.| FREE

Join us for an enriching journey into history at Fort King during our captivating Summer Nights Lecture Series. Delve into Ocala’s and Florida’s past with new topics each week presented by experts in natural and historical resources.