Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Has Impact Close to Home and Far Beyond

By David Lillard
Photo by Jennifer M. Lee

I was standing in the lobby of the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, peering through a door window into the Ronald M. Bradley Learning Center, watching a wood turtle trying to climb out of a plastic bin on the floor. With her two front feet holding firm to the rim of the bin, she hoisted herself up high as she could — alternately trying to get a back foot up to push herself over and trying to lean forward enough for gravity to take effect. I watched for five minutes as this little gal, Jesse, I would later learn, tried all manner of techniques until eventually she tumbled six inches onto the floor. She looked around, as if to say, “Yeah! Did you see that!” Then she strutted slowly — she’s a turtle, after all — with no apparent destination in mind.

When I pointed out her great escape to the staff out front, Jesse was gently placed back into the bin with her food. Jesse’s tank was being cleaned, so she was hanging out in the bin until she could go back to her happy place. When the staff went outside to feed other animals, Jesse made another successful break. I really liked her persistence to explore new places.

Since its founding 25 years ago, BRWC has grown from a wildlife assistance hotline to the region’s premier wildlife animal hospital and rehabilitation center. In 2024, the wildlife center served patients from 40 counties across four states and the District of Columbia at its home on the Burwell-van Lennep Foundation’s conservation easement

Most of the animals who come to the center — 70 percent according to BRWC executive director Annie Bradfield — are able to be released back to their original ranges after surgery and rehabilitation. Despite the heroic efforts of BRWC wildlife veterinarian Jen Riley and rehabilitation director Jess Andersen, Jesse wasn’t eligible for release. She wouldn’t be able to survive on her own because of an eye problem. Also, no one knew where she had been found, a key to survivability. So Jesse is now an ambassador and member of the education team, living the good life as a teaching animal in a safe space replicating her natural habitat at the center. She accompanies BRWC staff to schools and events, where people of all ages can see animals up close and learn about the interconnectedness between their lives and ours.

Like nearly all the roughly 4,000 patients who come to BRWC each year, Jesse had arrived courtesy of a concerned person who found her, in her case at the urging of a BRWC volunteer. There are raptors and reptiles, Rodentia and amphibians, bunnies and bats — 172 species were patients in 2024. Ninety-nine percent of their injuries are caused by humans or domestic animals, said Bradfield. They are injured by cars, lawnmowers, weeders, and cats or dogs. Or sickened by lead or other toxic contaminants.

They often arrive after intense trauma, both from their injuries and from relocation from their habitat to a strange new world. This means BRWC serves as an Emergency Room for thousands of animals before they are rehabilitated. “You never know what you’re going to get,” said Bradford. “Wildlife doesn’t make appointments.”

BRWC is one of only two wildlife veterinarian teaching hospitals in Virginia. Training future wildlife vets and rehabilitators is an integral part of the center’s mission, said Bradfield. Wildlife ER is much different from treating large animals or domestic pets. Take, for example, a turtle that arrives with a smashed up shell. Medical staff have to figure things out as they go, using epoxy or glues or whatever the reconstruction calls for. “There is a lot of MacGyvering in wildlife medicine,” said Bradfield.

The breadth of impact

It takes a staff of 16 and 50 volunteers, and a budget of about $1.5 million to treat, rehabilitate, and release the animals, and to provide veterinary and rehabilitation training and education programs.

Staff and volunteers offer educational programs to schools and civic groups. Medical staff train next the generation of wildlife vets and rehabilitators, and conduct research that few organizations in the region can do. None of the money comes from state or federal funds. Nor is BRWC allowed to charge for its services. All services are free, from diagnostics to surgery to rehab.

Nearly all BRWC revenue comes from dues, donations, family foundations, and programs. Bradfield says roughly 2,000 people contribute between $40 and $500 each year. Clearly, a lot of people care about wildlife and the work of Blue Ridge Wildlife Center.

A cynic might ask why. Billions of birds and mammals die every year through collisions with cars and windows and run-ins with pets. Why do so many people care so much about saving the ones that can be saved? “Compassion,” says Bradfield. “And it really can have an impact to wildlife populations,” she added.

For some species, maintaining breeding populations is key to survival. “A lot reptile populations are threatened,” she said. “One breeding-age release can make a difference.”

Beyond the direct impact on thousands of injured animals, BRWC has a special role in research and training. It’s also about contributing to wildlife science and fostering an awareness and appreciation of the world around us. The center takes on work that no other organization in the region can do.

Wildlife rehabilitation. The goal is get all patients who survive their injuries back into the wild. Remember, wild patients are not pets. They are fed, cleaned, and cared for, but care is taken to keep the wild in the animal so that when it is released it can return to its natural ways of surviving and thriving. Rehabilitators are permitted and certified to minimize human interaction to improve the chances of post-release survival.

Research. “Every patient contributes data to research,” said Bradfield. Data on avian flu, Covid 19 in wild animals, tick-borne illnesses, and more — including the Allegheny woodrat, whose enthusiasts insist is the world’s cutest rodent. While we humans get bloodwork to check things like cholesterol and blood sugar, BRWC patients are tested for a variety of pathogens. Certain woodrats, for example, are susceptible to a pathogen carried in a specific flea. BRWC staff can run animal-specific tests to contribute data to ongoing studies, and they can test for pathogens that are not species specific — such as SARS-CoV-2.

BRCW takes a One Health approach to research, a field in which multiple sectors work together to attain optimal health for people, animals, and the environment. One Health is a global movement that addresses complex, interdependent health challenges through a collaborative, multisectoral approach.

Training. The wildlife center hosts one veterinary intern each year. The program is designed for veterinary graduates placed by their universities to complete an annual rotation at a hospital. With only two teaching wildlife hospitals in the Commonwealth, this position is critical to bringing along new wildlife veterinarians. Wildlife medicine is so specialized that only facilities like Blue Ridge Wildlife Center can prepare a new doctor for such a challenging career.

BRWC also hosts an annual wildlife rehabilitation fellowship offering advanced training for experienced rehabilitators,

summer rehabilitation internships, and other professional training programs. These are competitive, paid positions with housing provided — funded entirely by donations.

Public awareness and education. BRWC and their ambassadors present curriculum in schools within an hour’s drive, reaching nearly 12,000 people through on and offsite programs. Popular programs include Wild Virginia, Wildlife in Winter, Turtle Takeover, and World at Night. The center now is collaborating with

Shenandoah University on a virtual reality training program to bring wildlife education into college classrooms.

On my way out, I detoured into the learning center to say goodbye to Jesse. It might have been my imagination, but I’m pretty sure she winked.

From wildlife medicine and rehabilitation, to research and training, to education, there is so much going on at Blue Ridge Wildlife Center. Learn more about their work, programs, and events at https://blueridgewildlifectr.org, where you can also become a member and donate to this important Clarke County institution that is making a difference in our region and beyond. Visit sometime and get to know Jesse and the other charming ambassadors. Say hi to Jesse for me.

Thanks to BRWC executive director Annie Bradfield for sharing the story of Blue Ridge Wildlife Center. Annie volunteers for other great causes, including serving on the board of directors of the Friends of Blue Ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains.