Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center Celebrating our 20th anniversary By Linda Searles
An oasis in the desert-‐SWCC has guided tours of the nature center throughout the entire year.
“Saving our wildlife, one life at a time”
It’s been 20 years since SWCC accepted its first orphaned coyote pup
wildlife conflicts. In order to prevent many of the conflicts that caused these animals to need rehabilitation in the first place, it was apparent more education was needed
Over the last 20 years, SWCC has had the privilege of caring for thousands and thousands of amazing animals while implementing its mission to rescue and rehabilitate injured, orphaned, and displaced wildlife. We have saved lives, eased suffering, returned wild animals to freedom, and restored dignity and happiness to abused animals.
Each patient we saw had a story, a message to send in hopes of preventing these things from happening in the first place. The animals themselves could not tell these stories, but we could be their interpreters and they the ambassadors of their species. So education became an important part of the SWCC program, and our Nature Center was born, one habitat at a time.
It has been a journey that has challenged us every day. It has brought immense joy. It has brought the deepest sorrow one can imagine. Volunteers, dedicated staff, and our donors have taken SWCC from its homegrown beginnings in Linda Searles’ kitchen and back yard to a state-‐of-‐the-‐art wildlife center.
Education
Leonardo living happily ever after-SWCC sanctuary animal rescued 2011
As time went on, the number of wild animals needing our life-‐ saving assistance increased. We soon realized that most of the casualties were related to human-‐
Today our Nature Center provides education programs for thousands every year. Through these programs, we have educated and inspired both young and old.
Sanctuary There are some animals who simply cannot be returned to the wild because the repercussions of their injuries prohibit them from being able to survive on their own. Yet, their quality of life is good. We couldn’t put them down after working so hard to save them and they fought so hard to live.