Creatures & Caretakers
Pairing Owls

By Edge of Humanity Magazine, June 26, 2022

Burrowing Owl Relocation Project
Martin Farm, Marana AZ

Photographer, Documentary Journalist Alexandra Buxbaum is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this documentary photography. From the project ‘A Place to Call Home – Animal Sanctuaries in Arizona’. To see Alexandra’s body of work, click on any image.

Burrowing owl relation at Martin Farm Marana Arizona in Pima County.
Wild At Heart, under the guidance of Burrowing Owl Habitat coordinator Greg Clark utilize University of Arizona student volunteers to help put up 13 tens for 26 Burrowing owls to be released that day.
Owls get paired up 2 to a tent, male/female combination. The owls are put in time for nesting season which begins in February.
Burrowing Owl Habitat Coordinator Greg Clark reaches into the box where the paired owl awaits to be put into their tents.

A Place to Call Home revolves around 8 Arizona animal sanctuaries and their positive contributions to animal, environmental and community welfare. These organizations support a variety of domesticated and wild animals in the state and include sanctuaries from small independent groups to large well-funded associations.

This photo feature is as much about the animals who have wound up in a sanctuary – their backstories of exploitation and habitat loss – as it is about the caretakers who are dedicated to helping these animals live as naturally as possibly in the world we share.

Each of the sanctuaries in the group of 8 provides their own unique perspective, focus or specialty, and each supports different types of animals such as pigs, raptors, farm animals, horses, factory farm rescues. Plus, native wildlife that includes owls, wild cats, coyotes, skunk, javelina and many others.

As sanctuaries heavily rely on volunteer help with the day-to-day tasks, these images touch upon the selfless service these special individuals and organizations have chosen to dedicate themselves, their time and their hearts.

This is a very special group of people who believe dearly in this cause and want to do everything they can to help these animals that were victims of abuse, neglect, exploitation, habitat loss, or were destined to be slaughtered. They have heard the call to action, the call for help, and they’ve answered that call with their dedication and their service.

A Place to Call Home also addresses this fundamental question…do we as human beings have the unfettered, unrestricted right and authority over all other creatures on this planet and to control, manage and destroy habitats – and even the lives of everything in the path of our wants and needs?

Burrowing Owl Relocation Project
Wild at Heart’s Burrowing Owl Relocation Project was conceived in 1993, and is considered as one of the most successful conservation and habitat restoration projects in the US. WAH has installed thousands of artificial owl burrows statewide, creating new habitat for over 3,000 burrowing owls. Additional habitat is continuing to be built and many more owls continue to be scheduled for relocation. Greg Clark, a former engineer, is the Burrowing Owl Habitat Coordinator, he has helped create protocols for the protection and recovery of this species. He also helps train and certify Environmental Surveyors on the proper methods for conducting field surveys of the Burrowing Owl.

Volunteer feeders are given a box of frozen mice and a five gallon water container and get trained on feeding protocols.The tents will stay up for 2 weeks, and volunteers will feed for five weeks in total. Owl tents on the property of Martin farm. The fabric is sturdy and has been used for 30 years, it is sunlight resistant. A tractor driver brought in soil and prepared the grounds before the tents went up.

All images and text © Alexandra Buxbaum