Our Mission
To ensure respect for all wildlife through education and conservation, while providing orphaned, injured and displaced animals with a second chance at life.
Our ultimate goal
is to open an educational center that will allow kids of all ages to come and learn about and appreciate wildlife. This center would enable us to reach out and educate the Jacksonville community by participating with local schools and organizations.The information that we could share through this facility would create awareness about the need to live in harmony with nature to children and adults who may not have had the opportunity to experience wildlife in their everyday lives. We hope that with the addition of an educational center, we can inspire new people, like you, to become volunteers, members, rehabilitators, and sponsors of our organization.
Objectives
- Set up and maintain a system to provide assistance to those who find orphaned, injured and displaced wildlife.
- Facilitate establishment and maintenance of physical facilities to treat and rehabilitate wildlife.
- Identify areas for release of rehabilitated wildlife.
- Recruit and train volunteers and rehabilitators to care for wildlife.
- Educate the community about Northeast Florida wildlife issues.
Our Services
- Wildlife rehabilitation
- Hotline (904) 779-5569
- Advice and support on orphaned and injured animals
- Educational programs to inform the local community
Our History
The Wildlife Rescue Coalition of Northeast Florida began in 1997 in Barbara Y. Tidwell’s backyard. It was evolved out of the express need to find a safe haven for orphaned, injured, and displace native wildlife, who through no fault of their own, were pushed from their homes or injured due to development in the Northeast Florida area.
Over a seven-year period, Barbara worked to establish a designated place to take these native wildlife animals in distress and rehabilitate and release them back into a safe habitat, Barbara met with mayors, city officials, and established domestic animal shelters in the area to no avail. While her idea was considered noble, there seemed to be no funding or real interest in developing such an organization at a city level.
In 2003, as development continued, and more animals were brought to Barbara’s backyard by concerned citizens, she approached the Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council for help since city planning was their mission and development was at the root cause of this animal crisis. They listened and did see the connection. While they had no ability to fund the organization, they did provide a planning team to assist with the development of a 501(c) 3 and support staff to establish this professional organization. Then Barbara applied for and obtained a wildlife rehabilitation permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
