Mission

The mission of New England Wildlife Center is to give animals and people a place to thrive. We value the vital role animals of all species play in the natural world, the ecology of our community, and in our own personal well-being. We believe in the power of kinesthetic learning to help people of all ages discover their individual potential to positively impact their lives and all living things. Our programs and services provide the critical link between animals and people to inspire environmental awareness and to provide the skills necessary to make a significant contribution to preserving nature for future generations.

Organization Overview

Founded in 1983, New England Wildlife Center is non-profit care-based science education organization dedicated to giving animals and people a place to thrive through veterinary medicine and rehabilitation, hands-on educational opportunities, and interactive community programs. 

Our key programs and services include:

• The Jane Carlee Wildlife Hospital
• The Odd Pet Vet, an affordable exotic pet clinic
• The NEWC undergraduate internship program
• Award-winning STEM educational curricula for elementary, middle, and high schools
• The Weezie Nature Center, tree house, and nature trails, open to the public year-round
• The NEWC wildlife rehabilitation certification program
• Community meeting space for science educators, reptile enthusiasts, animal control officers, wildlife caretakers, folk musicians, and habitat-based artists.

Quick Facts/At-a-Glance

Founded: 1983

Critical services: The ONLY wildlife veterinary hospital in Massachusetts that treat vector 1 rabies species

Number of wild animals who receive veterinary treatment and rehabilitative care since 1983: 120,000

Number of species NEWC can treat: 400

Sampling of wild animal species:

• Raccoons
• Swans
• Opossums
• Foxes
• Hawks
• Woodpeckers
• Ducks
• Rabbits
• Squirrels
• Turtles
• Owls
• Turkeys

Local non-profit organizations NEWC supports with affordable veterinary care for wildlife and exhibit animals:

• Cape Wildlife Center
• Institute of Contemporary Art
• Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary
• MSPCA Nevins Farm
• Museum of Science Boston
• South Shore Natural Science Center
• Local school-based science and nature centers

Number of undergraduate interns trained at NEWC: ~2,500

Colleges and universities represented: 120 Colleges and Universities from around the world

• MIT
• Roxbury Community College
• University of Massachusetts
• Colby College
• Southhampton
• Bucknell
• Mt. Ida
• Massasoit Community College
• University of California
• Tufts-Cummings Veterinary School

Number of prison inmate job training graduates: 50

Number of wildlife rehabilitators trained: 100

Turn of the Lights and Eat Your Peas, STEM education curriculum 

STEM Educational Curricula:

• Clear as Mud
• Turn Out the Lights and Eat Your Peas

Number of students served in our history: More than 25,000 and counting

Annual visitors to the Weezie Nature Center, treehouse, and trails: More than 2500