Helping animals get Back to the Wild

Back To The Wild is a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing injured and orphaned wild animals as well as to provide community outreach. Each year, we rescue around 2,000 injured and orphaned wild animals with the ultimate goal of returning them to the wild where they belong. Unfortunately, some animals end up with permanent disabilities that make release impossible. These animals are given sanctuary at Back To The Wild and become wildlife ambassadors. Our wildlife ambassadors help us provide high-quality educational programs for our community and beyond! We have people from all over Ohio that participate in our conservation education presentations and even some from other states and other countries. From Ohio elementary students to monks from Tibet, we've had visitors from all over come to us to learn about wildlife, conservation and to build a connection with the natural world. Building these connections is extremely important to our mission. Many of the injuries we see are not due to nature, but rather to human impact. From animals tangled in litter and fishing line to animals struck by vehicles, there are many ways we humans unintentionally cause harm. Luckily, through education, we can prevent some tragedies before they happen! Kids, and adults, learn about how their actions can impact the natural world and how we can all come together to truly make a difference. The visitors get to meet our wildlife ambassadors up close so they can form real connections and understand why we need to protect these species and their habitats. It is our job to share this amazing world with people so they can learn to love, respect, and protect our unique and beautiful natural spaces. During the pandemic, many rehab centers shut down which has led to a steady increase in the number of animals admitted to our hospital. As things have started to return to normal, another outbreak — this time among birds rather than humans — has pushed admissions even further. The spread of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza among wild birds has made us realize we may need a few additions in the future. We need a dedicated quarantine space to help prevent the further spread of disease outbreaks among wildlife patients and more flight aviaries for recovering birds of prey, like bald eagles, hawks and owls. We are sincerely grateful to everyone lending their support to our mission of conservation and community outreach. Without our supporters, there would be no us for them! There are many ways the community can help us with the increase in patient admissions and the housing and care of our wildlife! How to help • Donations: Donations are extremely helpful as some things, like medications and specialized formulas, can only be purchased by wildlife rehabilitators. We are always grateful for all donations! People can also purchase items off of our Amazon Wishlist and choose us on Amazon Smile for donations. • Volunteering: We can always use more volunteers. Anyone hoping to become a volunteer can get more information at volunteers@backtothewild.org. We even have homecare volunteer positions open! • Address: 4504 Bardshar Road, Castalia, OH 44870 • Contact information: Phone, 419-684-9539; Email, staff@backtothewild.org • More information: Visit backtothewild.org