Wildlife

NORTH ISLAND WILDLIFE RECOVERY CENTRE

Founded in l985 by Robin and Sylvia Campbell, this centre has grown into a world class rehabiliation centre for injured, ill and orphaned wildlife. Visit the centre's website at www.niwra.org to learn more.

Black Bear Rehabilitation

"The goal of this study is to enable us to confidently take into care wild black bears, and rehabilitate them back to the wild."Robin Campbell Wildlife Manager

NIWRA is instrumental in building and managing the V.I. Black Bear Rehabilitation Program where bears are successfully rehabilitated and released back into the wild.

Wildlife and Environmental Education

Guided tours of the center are available March through October. The center offers visitors the Museum of Nature, with hands-on exhibits, and a live nature walk through with a waterfall; the Eagle Flight Cage where eagles can be viewed through one-way glass, the extensive Public Viewing area that houses all our non-releasable wildlife, and a Nature Trail around the center’s release pond, depicting B.C. flora.

Over the yars, NIWRA, has developed its expertise having dealt with oil spills, wildlife rehabilitation, short term rehabiliation of bear and has developed extensive educational programs for the public.

History
Many people ask how NIWRA began. In 1984, Robin Campbell, NIWRA's founder, discovered a Great Horned Owl entangled in a neighbor's fence, its wing mangled and in need of emergency care. It was Christmas day and the Christmas dinner would have to wait. Spirit, as the Owl was later named became our first of many casualties at the Buckley Bay Wildlife Recovery Centre (by the Denman Island Ferry.

Later in l986,the newly formed association

moved to an eight acre parcel of land in Errington, BC, and changed its name to North Island Wildlife Recovery Association, hoping to serve the north end of Vancouver Island, B.C., not knowing at the time we would be receiving animals from as far away as Saskatchewan.

We are proud to have the largest eagle flight cage of its kind in Canada, which has housed hundreds of eagles being readied for release.

In 1995, the Arthur Knowles "Museum of Nature", a mortise and tenon timber frame structure was built and in 2001 the May Neish "Wildlife Learning Centre" was constructed, in keeping with NIWRA's mandate of education for the public. NIWRA is instrumental in building and managing the V.I. Black Bear Rehabilitation Program where bears are successfully rehabilitated and released back into the wild.

In 2005,a 30' x 30' treatment centre was constructed by donations from caring individuals, service clubs, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and the Vancouver Foundation. The centre has been named after Dr. Malcolm McAdie for all his donated time spent helping wildlife here at the centre. In 2012, The ECO centre was built for public education, volunteer orientation meetings and board meetings. The room was dedicated to Dorothy Curry, an outstanding volunteer.