The Wildlife Center of Virginia has launched a new partnership with Bridgewater College – a wildlife rehabilitation program that blends academic instruction with hands-on experience. Through coursework, lectures from Wildlife Center staff, and supervised care of wild animal patients on the Bridgewater campus, students are gaining a comprehensive introduction to wildlife rehabilitation.
This collaboration has been years in development. Wildlife Center President Emeritus and Co-founder Ed Clark, a Bridgewater alumnus, first helped initiate conversations about creating a formal academic–clinical partnership. Center Senior Vice President Amanda Nicholson, also a Bridgewater graduate, has remained involved in the program’s development as the Center secured approval to include Bridgewater College’s campus as a permitted satellite site for patient care.
The program began in fall 2025 with the launch of the “Introduction to Wildlife Rehabilitation” seminar, taught by Dr. Tamara Johnstone-Yellin, Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Science. Throughout the semester, Wildlife Center staff members — including veterinarians, permitted wildlife rehabilitators, and outreach and education staff — traveled to campus to teach sessions on husbandry, natural history, diagnostics, and rehabilitation best practices.
This coursework prepares students for the practicum experience that will follow next spring. The program is beginning with Woodland Box Turtles, a species of conservation concern across much of their range, with populations declining due to habitat loss, vehicle collisions, and other human-related pressures. As part of the practicum, students will care for recovering box turtle patients on campus, under Dr. Johnstone-Yellin’s supervision and with clinical guidance from the Wildlife Center’s Veterinary Director, Dr. Karra Pierce. Students will be responsible for daily feeding, maintaining husbandry standards, and monitoring patient health as the turtles recover from injuries or illnesses. While the program is beginning with box turtles, both institutions anticipate expanding to additional species and training opportunities in future semesters.
“Our goal is to teach students the ins and outs of wildlife rehabilitation and have them get hands-on experience,” Dr. Johnstone-Yellin says. Turtles will be returned to the Center for final evaluation before release.
“Teaching and training have always been core to our work at the Wildlife Center,” says Dr. Karra. “This partnership advances the profession of wildlife rehabilitation while providing students with a unique opportunity to prepare for future careers caring for wildlife and the environment.”
Wildlife rehabilitation has become increasingly specialized during the past two decades, with greater emphasis on biosecurity, clinical decision-making, and evidence-based practices. Yet formal academic programs remain limited. By combining structured coursework with supervised care of real patients, the Bridgewater–WCV partnership provides students with meaningful, hands-on exposure to wildlife rehabilitation — whether their interests lead toward veterinary medicine, conservation, biological research, or environmental education.
The program also directly supports the Wildlife Center’s mission of “teaching the world to care about and to care for wildlife and the environment,” including training future wildlife professionals.
As the partnership develops, the Wildlife Center and Bridgewater College look forward to creating even more pathways for students to learn, contribute, and support wildlife conservation.