Wildlife admissions up, donations down: Blue Ridge Wildlife Center plans virtual fundraiser November 1st to 7th

With sick and injured wildlife flooding into the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center (BRWC) by the score – a record 2,600 already, with three months still to go this year – newly appointed executive director Annie Bradfield is coming up with ‘novel’ projects to secure much-needed funding.

New Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Executive Director Annie Bradfield – Courtesy Photos/BRWC

The novel Coronavirus-19 pandemic, Bradfield told me after less than 48 hours on the job, has given more people more time to deliver more sick and injured wild things, from birds to animals to reptiles, for medical treatment or, in some cases, for permanent residency at the Boyce hospital complex.

During a tour of the outdoor “Wildlife Walk” where rehabilitated permanent residents, called “animal ambassadors,” are on public view, Annie revealed her plans for a virtual auction November 1-7 and group yoga sessions in the enclosure.

Details will be announced shortly, or visit <blueridgewildlifectr.org>

While her last position was with Blue Ridge Hospice, Annie’s passion for wildlife, particularly birds, was captured during five years at the American Bird Conservancy at The Plains, Va. She happily introduced me to a Peregrine falcon called Goose (also the name of one of my dogs!) and hosted a re-visit with longtime center residents, an Arctic Fox named Snow and Rufio, a happy-go-lucky squirrel,

Above, Goose, the Peregrine Falcon, one of many raptors admitted with injuries. Goose’s injuries precluded his release back into the wild; below, Snow the Arctic Fox. Snow Photo/BRWC+Katie Hertrich

The Royal Examiner reported in 2017 on the new million-dollar hospital site that replaced a small and aged nearby house, The Cottage, that was the home of BRWC since its founding in 2001.
When she has gotten her feet beneath her desk at the Boyce facility, Annie may be expected to emphasize a need for education in her new professional sector, including how members of the public should properly react to wild animals in distress. Her plans also include expanding an already successful program of offsite educational programs.

She resides in Winchester with her husband, Neil; her daughter Mickey; and three stepchildren, Eva, Jack, and Ainsley. Annie received her undergraduate degrees in History and Psychology from Shenandoah University.

Another longtime Center resident Rufio, the squirrel