About Us

Turtle Ridge Wildlife Center is a wildlife rehabilitation and care center located in South Salem. The center was founded by Mary Bliss in 2005, in response to the alarming number of calls from the public for help. Operated on five acres of land donated for its use, Turtle Ridge cares for all species of Oregon’s injured or orphaned native wildlife until they can be safely released back into the wild. We are the only full species rehabilitation center serving Marion, Polk, Yamhill counties and the Portland area.

The mission of TRWC is twofold: 1) to provide treatment and care of sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife and return them to their natural habitat, and 2) to enhance awareness and appreciation of the environment and foster a connection between humans and Oregon’s native wildlife through education programs.

The center is operated by 5 employees and 25 volunteers. We are open 365 days a year.
We care for over 2,000 animals a year, with a successful release rate of orphans over 90%. Many of these animals are injured or orphaned due to human intervention in their world. Babies are usually orphaned because their mothers are killed by cars or nests destroyed when trees are cut down. Cats catch birds and rabbits, fishing lines and hooks hurt waterfowl and development has destroyed food sources for all.

We hold a core belief dear – it is our responsibility to give back what we inadvertently took away.

Volunteers are not just animal caregivers. Many volunteers gather and grow food to supplement our food budget. Some breed mealworms as the birds eat more than 30,000 a year! Several volunteers do rescue work and others take care of the property – planting, building, fixing and trimming. The volunteers serving on the board of directors take care of administration duties. It is a phenomenal team at Turtle Ridge Wildlife Center who work hard – just for their love of Oregon’s beautiful wildlife.

TRWC is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and relies only on donations from the public receiving no federal, state or county funding.