Boulder County deeply cares about its surrounding natural areas, and that means caring for and protecting all the creatures inhabiting them as well. Living responsibly and consciously with these critters means respecting and looking out for them and, when one of these little residents needs a helping hand, the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is ready with open doors to provide them the professional care they need.
The mission of the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is to provide professional care for wild animals in the area who are sick, injured, or orphaned. With an focus on humane care, the center works to determine the severity of these critters’ injuries and situations and, in best case scenarios, release these wild animals back into their natural local habitats.
Greenwood focuses mostly on small mammals and birds in the area and emphasizes that they are absolutely not working towards making pets of these wild creatures. Animals are only kept on premises in captivity until they are well enough to be released back into the wild or another long-term solution has been reached for them. Greenwood is committed to providing humane and effective treatment to these animals so they can continue to thrive in their own local ecosystem.
The Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is a nonprofit organization and began as the brainchild of an animal care provider at the Boulder Humane Society in 1982. Originally named “The Natalie Gneiser Wildlife Rehabilitation Center” in honor of a young woman who was killed by a car when assisting an injured animal in the road, the program became incorporated in 1993 and its name was changed to the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Through a bounty of donations of both materials and labor Greenwood began working toward its mission, moving into its current location between Longmont and Lyons in 1998. Today the center includes a new facility, caging areas and “villages” for creatures like squirrels, raccoons, and rabbits, bird aviaries, and a large rural property and setting for its patients. Greenwood today is the largest wildlife rehabilitation center of its kind in the state and cares for thousands of our state’s wild animals annually.
Educating the public about how to interact responsibly with our wild critter neighbors is another goal of Greenwood’s. Through fact sheets, coloring pages, and Wildlife Education Programs, Greenwood provides resources for adults and children alike, giving them information on what to do if they find an animal that is injured and what precautions to take if and when these situations arise.
Greenwood operates largely off of in-kind donations. Whether you want to sponsor an animal, volunteer, or contribute in any other way, you can peruse Greenwood’s wish list of items they’re in need of on their website.
Spring is an especially busy time for Greenwood, as this time of year sees many newborns making their way into the world in the wild. This means that, starting in March, an influx of orphaned or sickly newborn critters have been and will be coming through Greenwood’s doors. Various grocery and paper products are especially helpful at this time of year and, to make a specific Baby Shower Season donation, you can visit the Greenwood website for information. Donations can be dropped off at Greenwood from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM any day of the week, or at the center’s Thrift Shop at 3600 Arapahoe in Boulder from 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM Monday through Saturday and from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM on Sundays.
Help to keep the Colorado and Boulder County ecosystems lively and thriving by supporting the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and their efforts to lend a hand to our state’s critters in need today!
Image Credit: Greenwood Wildlife
