Meet Edna, a Hemlock-eating North American albino porcupine who works at the Center for Wildlife in Cape Neddick, Maine. Children of all ages will love reading Edna’s story while they learn about the habits and habitats of the North American porcupine. Edna’s touching story is told with humor and compassion through the words and illustrations of the students in the York, Maine schools. The story includes fascinating facts about North American porcupines, some tips for approaching and rescuing animals in the wild, and Edna’s own story of her separation from her mother and the new friends she makes at the Center for Wildlife – and in classrooms all across the United States. The book closes with fascinating porcupine facts and with a reflection of what wildlife and humans can learn from each other.

2. The Story of Edna, The Albino Porcupine
Illustrations by the Children of the York, Maine School System
Story by Hannah Gennaro, Grade 5,
assisted with data provided by the Center for Wildlife
Front cover illustration by Julianna Kiklis, Grade 5
Back cover illustration by Joshua Gennaro, Grade 3
Edited by Kate Headen Waddell
Graphics by Julie Garman, Pipedream

3. Copyright © 2012 Center for Wildlife
All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 978-1481020510
ISBN-10: 148102051X

4. The Story of Edna, The Albino Porcupine
Chapter One: Edna is Born
Chapter Two: Edna Gets Found
Chapter Three: The Center for Wildlife Raises Edna
Chapter Four: Edna’s Enclosure
Chapter Five: Edna Goes for Walks
Chapter Six: Edna Educates
Chapter Seven: Porcupines Help Forests
Porcupine Fun Facts
What We Have Learned from One Another

6. 1Ambassador Series, Vol.2
Edna is Born
Hi, my name is Edna. I am a North American porcupine. Notice anything super cool
and unique about me? Look close… need any hints? Oooo you are lighting fast!
Yes, I am not a boring brown, black or gray porcupine, because I am an albino.
That means I am white with pink eyes – and that makes me extra special! I live at the
Center for Wildlife in York, Maine, a place with nice people who take care of me.
This is the story of how I came to live here.
Hannah Gennaro, 5th Grade

7. 2 Center for Wildlife
I was born in the spring of 2009 in a cozy spot that my Mom made for us. Can you tell
which one is me? Come on, it is kind of obvious don’t you think? I’m the cute one on
the right!
I traveled around the forest with my Mom, feeding on her milk. Just add some mud
and you have some yummy chocolate milk! Delicious! Ah, those were the good old
days I tell ya, just cruising along singing my favorite tune. Guess what my favorite tune
is? It is by Lady Gaga… yup, Born This Way.
Alea Galbadis, 3rd Grade

8. 3Ambassador Series, Vol.2
Grazing around in woods and meadows… long walks with my Mom… man, life was
good!
My Mom sometimes needed to climb trees to find food so she could have the energy
to feed me milk all the time. When she did, she would leave me at the base of the
tree to wait for her. I knew how to stay very still and safe just like a statue. One time
while I was waiting, I got very tired, and before I knew it… snore, snore, zzzzzzzzz…
Brooke Parsons, 2nd Grade

9. 4 Center for Wildlife
Edna Gets Found
I remember I was dreaming of the delicious food my Mom was getting for me up in
that tree. Visions of hemlock needles and yummy leaves danced in my head. I never
worried when she left me because I always knew she would come back with treats.
Well, maybe I’d worry just a little bit and that is why I always practice my ninja moves.
Aiiii-yah, back off now, I have quills and I’m not afraid to use them!
Evan Rankin, 3rd Grade

10. 5Ambassador Series, Vol.2
That is my battle cry that I practice yelling as I spin through the air shooting quills at
the enemy. Just kidding, we can’t shoot our quills, silly, but sometimes I wish we could!
As I dreamed of the sweet taste of hemlock, something made a noise. I felt like
something strange was near me. I heard it, I smelled it, I sensed it. It was too bad,
because I was just in the middle of a really tasty dream!
Jay Gardoqui, 3rd Grade

11. 6 Center for Wildlife
When I opened my eyes, I saw a giant figure reaching down to grab me. He pried
me from my spot at the bottom of the tree. I knew he was taking me someplace, but
where? Is he the enemy? Should I use my ninja moves? He better watch out, my Mom
is going to be mad. Don’t mess with Moms in the wild! They are pretty protective of
their babies. If you think my ninja moves are scary you should see my Mom’s. She is a
black belt!
Mary Kocev, 4th Grade

12. 7Ambassador Series, Vol.2
The Center for Wildlife Raises Edna
It turns out the guy was not the enemy, he was just trying to help me. He brought me
to a hospital for wild animals called the Center for Wildlife. Other people just like the
nice man put me in a covered box so I couldn’t see the tall predators. They tried to
help me feel safe.
Caitlin Edminster, 2nd Grade

13. 8 Center for Wildlife
The people at the Center for Wildlife told me that the man was a kind-hearted
person who thought I was abandoned. Silly man, doesn’t he know anything about
porcupines? He didn’t know that my Mom was just up in the tree. They explained
to the man that this behavior is normal for a porcupine, and they went back to the
woods to try and return me to my mother. But she couldn’t be found. I think my Mom
would be happy to know that I am in good hands.
Luke Healey, 1st Grade

14. 9Ambassador Series, Vol.2
We headed back to the Center for Wildlife. My new friends gave me proper nutrition
and milk that was almost the same as the milk my Mom would give me! We albinos
can get sick very easily, so they knew to take extra special care of me. I could get
used to this!
Did you know that porcupines love to dance? I’m not kidding. Just have an adult
search for “Albino Porcupine Dance by Edna White” on YouTube and I’ll show you
my moves! The music was added afterwards silly, they don’t play music at the
Center because we need it to be nice and peaceful.
Ella Grace Abisi, 3rd Grade

15. 10 Center for Wildlife
Edna’s Enclosure
My Center for Wildlife friends realized that I would be safer living with them because
I wouldn’t survive as an albino in the wild without my Mom to protect me. I was also
very sick a few times because of my special albino genes, and they knew they could
give me medicine if I ever needed it again. So they got right to work setting up my
enclosure. I got my own outdoor room! Yea, I love this place!
Tyson Mathews, 4th Grade

16. 11Ambassador Series, Vol.2
My new space was so cool! They tried to make it like my natural habitat, with trees
for me to climb and everything! I even got to nibble on the bark. Yum! Do you have
treats and climbing trees in your room? I didn’t think so!
Kathryn Fountain, 2nd Grade

17. 12 Center for Wildlife
Humans can be scary (my Mom taught me that they are predators!), but being
around them all day let me get used to them. I later learned that they can actually
be pretty nice. They feed me and clean my enclosure. (I can be pretty messy.) Now
I trust humans! Especially my Center for Wildlife friends! I still practice my ninja moves
and you should too because you just never know when you might run into a predator.
Riley Short, 3rd Grade

18. 13Ambassador Series, Vol.2
Edna Goes for Walks
Porcupines need to exercise, just like humans! I pump iron at the gym and sometimes
break a sweat! Just kidding. But my friends do take me for long walks, just like Mom
used to do.
Lily Feugill, 2nd Grade

19. 14 Center for Wildlife
Even though I like my enclosure, I sure do love going into the woods for walks. When
I’m in the woods again, my body recognizes that I am still a wild animal! I sniff around
looking for food, just like my Mom taught me to do. My friends let me wander, but not
too far. I can always find them by their scent. Pheew! I think humans are kind of stinky,
poo tinkey! Just kidding, you humans don’t smell that bad.
The humans always come with me on my walks. I think they’re worried I might run
away.
Samara Kern, 1st Grade

20. 15Ambassador Series, Vol.2
I really can’t run very fast, I mostly just waddle around like a duck and sniff around like
a beagle, looking for treats and other interesting things. But I am excellent at climbing
trees! Ah, fresh air! This is keeping me healthy!
Are you a klutz sometimes? Come on, you can admit it. Well I’m sort of klutzy and
sometimes I wipe out when it gets steep, whoaaaaa… and just roll and roll and roll
until I hit flat ground. Imagine if I could shoot my quills? How cool would it be if I went
rolling down a hill shooting my quills? I’d yell, “cowabungaaaaa!” and all the
predators would run away as fast as they could.
Jillian Dorazio, 4th Grade

21. 16 Center for Wildlife
Edna Educates
I love going with my friends from the Center for Wildlife to the schools, teaching kids
about animals and especially porcupines. Learning about me will educate kids, and
teach them what to do if they come across a wild animal. But I think some of you are
wild animals!!
Colleen Daly 3rd Grade

22. 17Ambassador Series, Vol.2
I love seeing all of the kids’ wonderful smiling faces when they meet me. I make lots
of new friends when I travel to the schools. I don’t know how to count, but I bet that
I’ve met thousands of children and helped them to understand me better and learn
about protecting wildlife.
But I still don’t understand why no one ever wants to give me a hug! Maybe it’s
because I have 30,000 quills all over my body. But don’t worry, I can’t shoot them silly!
Will Orso, 2nd Grade

23. 18 Center for Wildlife
When kids ask questions, it gives everyone more knowledge about porcupines and
other animals. Like, did you know when porcupines prune trees they keep them from
getting sick or having too many insects live in them? I love it when everyone raises
their hands all at once to ask questions, because the audience looks like one giant
porcupine! Get it?
Billy Bachelder, 3rd Grade

24. 19Ambassador Series, Vol.2
Porcupines Help Forests
People don’t understand much about porcupines, especially albino porcupines! Did
you know that porcupines help the forest, just by being ourselves and doing what we
do? That’s right, we rock! Oh yeah!
Porcupines are pretty important. We help the forest by eating the bark off of trees.
(Now don’t try that at home kids!) This creates holes in the trees for other animals to
live in. Like who? Owls, that’s WHOOOO!
Cameron Dalton, 2nd Grade

25. 20 Center for Wildlife
Porcupines also like to dig pits in the ground. This turns the soil, making perfect spots
for seeds to grow. I may be all white, but I have a green thumb! They call porcupines
“ecosystem engineers.” That sounds important! But you can just call me Edna, Edna
White.
Lily Goldberg, 2nd Grade

26. 21Ambassador Series, Vol.2
I sure hope you enjoyed reading my story, and learned a lot, too! Always remember,
if you see a baby porcupine at the bottom of a tree, run for your lives before they
start busting out their ninja moves! Just kidding. If you see any animal in the wild, it’s
probably best to leave them be – especially during nesting season. If you are not sure
what to do, call my friends at the Center for Wildlife, they will know!
Charley Feugill 3rd Grade

27. We would like to thank Kristen Lamb, Michelle Gorayeb, Susan Hansen and all the
rest of the Center for Wildlife staff, volunteers and interns; Yeoman Technology
Group for contributing the editing and graphic design to make this book happen; and all the students
at York elementary and middle schools who participated in the art contest.
Hannah Gennaro
5th Grade
Alea Galbadis
3rd Grade
Brooke Parsons
2nd Grade
Evan Rankin
3rd Grade
Jay Gardoqui
3rd Grade
Mary Kocev
4th Grade
Caitlin Edminster
2nd Grade
Luke Healey
1st Grade
Ella Grace Abisi
3rd Grade
Kathryn Fountain
2nd Grade
Tyson Mathews
4th Grade
Riley Short
3rd Grade
Lily Feugill
2nd Grade
Jillian Dorazio
4th Grade
Samara Kern
1st Grade
Colleen Daly
3rd Grade
Will Orso
2nd Grade
Cameron Dalton
2nd Grade
Billy Bachelder
3rd Grade
Lily Goldberg
2nd Grade
Julianna Kiklis
5th Grade
Charley Feugil
3rd Grade
Joshua Gennaro
3rd Grade
Thank You!

28. Reader’s Art Contest: Have some fun and color Edna, or draw your own illustration of Edna.
Then upload your art as a photo to the CFW Facebook page
www.Facebook.com/CenterForWildlife to compete in our reader’s art contest.

29. Porcupine Fun Facts
• Porcupines are the second largest rodents in North America, after beavers. Porcupines are
nocturnal, which means they are active mainly at night.
• Porcupines have approximately 30,000 quills all over their bodies - except for their underbelly.
Porcupine quills are actually modified hairs with microscopic barbs on the tip. If lost, the quills
will usually grow back within a couple of weeks. Porcupines cannot throw or shoot their quills;
instead, they will turn their back to a predator and strike out with their quill-covered tails!
• Porcupine quills are covered in a greasy antibiotic layer. This can help prevent infection if a
porcupine accidentally quills itself!
• The porcupine’s number one predator is a fisher, a close relative of weasels and ferrets. Fishers
will circle the porcupine quickly to disorient it, and use quick jabs at the porcupine’s face to
knock it over and gain access to its vulnerable underbelly.
• Porcupines have long claws and are very adept climbers. They spend most of their time
foraging for bark in conifer trees. Porcupines are strictly herbivores, eating only plants, fruit and
bark.
• Unlike other mammals in cold climates, porcupines do not hibernate. The abundance of
edible bark from conifer trees means porcupines are able to remain active all winter long. In
the winter, porcupines will also take shelter in dens, favoring those in rocky cliff areas.
• Porcupines crave salt in their diet, so they sometimes get hit by cars when they try to eat the
salt used on roads for snow removal.
What We Have Learned From One Another
• Porcupines play a very important role in forest ecosystems. Nicknamed “nature’s pruners,”
porcupines help keep destructive tree pests such as hemlock woolly adelgid and emerald ash
borer from spreading. By “pruning” our forests they also prevent overgrowth of certain species
of vegetation and allow for others to flourish!
• Humans can help porcupines by co-existing peacefully with them, and covering trees they
may not want chewed instead of shooting or trapping porcupines.
• Because we rely on healthy forests, eat the same food and drink the same water as wildlife,
paying attention to wildlife health helps to keep humans healthy too!