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Goals and Mission | Board of Directors Who are we?
The Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of Rhode Island (WRARI) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that provides medical care and rehabilitation to injured and orphaned wild animals and birds within the state of Rhode Island since 1993. We are the only wildlife organization within the state of Rhode Island licensed by DEM. WRARI serves as the umbrella organization that operates The Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island, the only clinic of its kind to legally handle all wild species in the state, and undertakes the ongoing training and support of most of the state's licensed rehabilitators and subpermittees. 
Currently, WRARI is overseen by a full-time, volunteer executive director , two volunteer veterinarians, and two paid employees-one full-time clinic director and one part-time staff person. WRARI, as the umbrella organization is comprised of the two veterinarians, 10 licensed rehabilitators and 1 certified subpermittee, an exceptionally dedicated group, who volunteer their time and money to accomplish the care for all the wild animals in need of our intervention in the state of Rhode Island. As a result of our trained and licensed rehabilitators and volunteers, tens of thousands of wild mammals and birds have been returned to their natural habitat. Throughout the years, it has become most evident in our work that public education is the key to minimizing unnecessary intake of ani Although we are licensed and regulated by the state and federal government, they provide no funding for our work. WRARI is solely supported by memberships, donations, fundraising events and grants from the Rhode Island and Champlin Foundations. Your financial support is essential. Please help us save Rhode Island wildlife. Goals and MissionThe Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of Rhode Island (WRARI) is a non-profit organization formed for the purpose of providing education for and fostering communication among the wildlife rehabilitation community and the public. WRARI assists established rehabilitators in learning more about caring for wild animals while also providing training for people who wish to learn to work as rehabilitators. We are presently developing educational programs for the public with a focus on helping to create an increased awareness of the needs of wildlife in our state. With the support of animal enthusiasts and concerned citizens, WRARI also raises necessary contributions in order to help purchase supplies and services for rehabilitators such as milk replacers for orphan mammals, worms for birds, other food supplies, drugs and medical supplies as well as veterinary care. A major goal of the Association is to establish a Wildlife Refuge in Rhode Island. We hope to find an area in the state where orphaned animals can be cared for and released in safety and where injured and some non-releasable wild animals can be cared for in a natural surrounding. We would like to have a facility where the people of Rhode Island, especially the children, could learn more about the wildlife in our beautiful state. We are currently fundraising to open Rhode Island's first Wildlife Veterinary Clinic. Board of DirectorsMeredith Bird, DVM, President | ||||
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© Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of Rhode Island Development Team (Bryant University) | |||||
mals at our clinic and to serving the people of the state best, regarding wildlife issues. To this end, members of WRARI gave educational presentations to numerous schools, summer camps, community groups and environmental centers throughout Rhode Island, promoting the importance of open space and our native wildlife. We also provided educational displays and speakers at a wide variety of fairs and gatherings, such as Earth Day at Roger Williams Zoo, The Pet Expo at the conference center, Environmental Awareness Day at Narragansett Beach and Raptor Weekend at The Audubon Center in Bristol. It is our goal to complete a WRARI educational web site by the end of May of this year to offer practical information on wildlife problems frequently encountered by the public and to offer contact information for licensed individuals throughout the state. We will continue to serve Rhode Island residents with our Wildlife
Hotline to answer the ever increasing number of wildlife related calls received annually. We continually work toward achieving our ultimate goal: to establish a wildlife rehabilitation/education program to serve both the wildlife and the people of Rhode Island.