Our Mission
Volunteers for Wildlife, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit Wildlife Hospital & Education Center dedicated to the preservation of Long Island's wildlife & natural habitats through education & rehabilitation since 1982.
Our Center is located on the grounds of Bailey Arboretum in Locust Valley, New York. Each year we accept over 2,000 patients to our Wildlife Hospital who are in need of our care. Our patients are comprised of a variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, & amphibians native to Long Island.
Volunteers for Wildlife strives to educate the public about Long Island's native fauna and the importance of preserving these species along with their habitats. Through our education programs, we have been able to reach thousands of adults and children to foster a love and appreciation for Long Island's wildlife.
Our History
Volunteers for Wildlife, Inc. was founded in 1982 as the first Wildlife Hospital on Long Island. Co-founders Sallie Rupert, Joyce DeGeorge, and Marilyn Forman first began caring for injured & orphaned wildlife out of Sallie’s garage! Our operations quickly expanded and we established a professional Wildlife Hospital & Education Center. Our Center was previously located on the grounds of the Nature Conservancy in Cold Spring Harbor and then Caumsett State Park in Lloyd Harbor where we resided for over 20 years. Our Center is currently located at Bailey Arboretum in Locust Valley.
Where Are We Now?
Volunteers for Wildlife has grown exponentially over the past 35+ years!
Our education department works all throughout NYC, Nassau, & Suffolk Counties to teach people about Long Island’s wildlife. Throughout the years, we have been able to connect with hundreds of thousands of children and adults.
Our rehabilitation department has experienced tremendous expansion over the years. We operate the largest Wildlife Hospital on Long Island, admitting well over 2,000 injured & orphaned animals each year. Since 1982, we have been able to help over 30,000 animals representing more than 300 species of native birds, mammals, and reptiles!
Wildlife admissions from 2015 to 2019, a 94% increase over five years!