Vision

The Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary’s combination of animal care and public outreach constitutes our commitment to a vibrant, compassionate future for wildlife in Virginia and beyond. We envision a Virginia that teems with healthy, happy wild animals living alongside humans with minimal conflict. Wildlife and their habitats are protected and respected, and injured and orphaned animals receive the timely care they deserve. We envision Virginians of all ages knowing how to recognize a wild animal in need and, more importantly, feeling empowered to step in and help. We see a world where humans understand how their behavior impacts their wild neighbors and make choices that reflect a deep appreciation for those animals. We see a safe and beautiful ecological future, a world where environmental conservation is a cause everyone can and does believe in.

Goals

1. 1.The need for wildlife rehabilitation has increased every year, reflected in our growing annual patient load and rising number of hotline calls. We must ensure we can expand our capacity for care to meet the need for care, including hiring additional personnel, updating our facility, and purchasing essential animal care supplies. Our goal is to continue growing at a sustainable pace.
2. 2.Wildlife education has always been a pillar of our mission, and requests for our programming have greatly increased as our organization has grown. Our goal is to build the financial capacity to hire a full-time wildlife educator so we can improve access to our educational presentations while still providing the highest standard of care for both our ambassador animals and our patients .
3. 3.The Sanctuary is at a critical stage of growth where we must prepare our facility for the decades of heavy use to come. We have renovated one floor already but have additional needs, like a new updated kitchen for prepping animal meals and, eventually, a standalone education and intake facility. These significant, yet necessary, changes require a similarly significant financial capacity.