Steve Kiessling - Nature's Nursery

Nature’s Nursery Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation Education is a non-profit organization located in Whitehouse, Ohio. They provide medical care to injured, orphaned or ailing wild animals, and conduct conservation educational outreach programs for children and adults.

Their mission is to improve the well-being of Northwest Ohio wildlife populations and habitats through public education and rehabilitation, with an emphasis on coexistence.  They serve the entire surrounding region of 18 counties in Northwest Ohio. Staff and volunteers answer over 200 emergency calls per week, and provide care to over 2,500 native animals per year; rehabilitating and releasing over 50% of them back into the wild.  As important as their rehabilitation services is their community education programming.  They reach over 15,000 children and adults through their education animal ambassadors, teaching them the importance of our local wild populations, how to protect their habitats and how best to live in harmony with the wildlife in their own backyards.

As a privately supported organization, Nature’s Nursery relies on the generosity of the community through memberships, individual and corporate contributions, grants and community support organizations, such as Northwest Ohio Community Shares.  Operating with a small staff, they are grateful for their dedicated volunteers who donate thousands of hours every year.  Through donor philanthropy, volunteerism and community activism, Nature’s Nursery is able to educate the public about conservation issues, the value of wildlife and how to live in harmony with our wild surroundings to reduce human/wildlife conflict.