I’ve had some great experiences working at Marin Humane. One of my most favorites was doing a ride-a-long with one of our amazing animal services officers. It was this time of year — baby wildlife season — which meant I got to take part in one of the many baby wildlife rescues our officers perform.

We were dispatched to Corte Madera, where an observant resident noticed a duck standing around a storm drain and making quite a bit of noise. Sure enough, when she peered inside the drain, she spotted several tiny ducklings that had fallen in. My ride-a-long partner, animal services officer Brett Trumper, and I were joined by officer Adrienne Russo, who quickly and efficiently got the cover open and climbed down into the drain to rescue the babies and carefully hand them up one at a time.

My colleagues gave me the job of keeping them safe and warm in a waiting carrier. One little ducking, in particular, was quite cold so I was instructed to hold the little, fluffy duckling in a towel on my lap for extra warmth.

When all the babies were determined to be healthy, our officers released them in front of mom, close to a nearby stream. Mom and babies took off happily.

During spring, Marin plays host to a variety of baby wildlife — from fawns to ducklings to baby squirrels and opossum babies riding in their mom’s pouch. This means the phone lines at Marin Humane and WildCare stay busy with calls from worried residents. It’s a good time to be reminded of when to help, when to ask experts for help and when to just let nature take its course.

Fawns are often left alone for hours at a time while mom is away foraging for food. Their primary survival mechanism is to stay still and quiet while she is away. Only if a fawn is walking around and crying is it in distress. If you see a fawn, don’t try to move it before calling WildCare or Marin Humane for advice.

While you likely won’t see them, this is also the time of year when coyote pups are born. It’s important to give a wide berth if you suspect a den is nearby, especially when out with your dogs. Coyote parents become more protective during this time and soon after, when pups begin to venture out.

Sometimes, though, wildlife babies can use our help. As she wrote about it a Tails of Marin column, Alison Hermance, of WildCare, reminds us to keep an eye out for fallen baby birds and squirrels, especially after a windy night. “If you do find a fallen baby, call WildCare. Also, do not trim your trees until autumn. Spring might seem like the logical time to trim and prune, but animals are probably already using your trees and bushes as nurseries. Third, checking a hit-by-car opossum on the side of the road to see if it is a nursing mother with babies in her pouch can save tiny lives. Last, consider putting a couple of ramps or floating haul-outs in your pool or pond to help ducklings and other wildlife escape the water.”

To report an animal in trouble, call Marin Humane at 415-883-4621 or WildCare at 415-456-SAVE (7283).

We’re so fortunate to live in a place teeming with wildlife. Let’s try to keep all baby creatures safe and sound.

Lisa Bloch is the marketing and communications director at Marin Humane, which contributes Tails of Marin articles and welcomes animal-related questions about the people and animals in our community. Go to marinhumane.org, find us on social media @marinhumane, or email lbloch@marinhumane.org.