RiverBend 2000 Welcomes you to the
TREEHOUSE WILDLIFE CENTER, INC.

TREEHOUSE WILDLIFE CENTER, INC. is a non-profit organization founded in 1979 to care for orphaned and injured wildlife. With a secondary commitment to environmental education.

TREEHOUSE is the largest wildlife rehabilitation center in the U.S. staffed exclusively by volunteers.

No previous experience is needed to become a volunteer. You just need to be at least 18 years of age, have a desire to help wildlife, and spare just a few hours a week.

Want to help, but not directly with the animals? Volunteers are needed in other areas such as cage building, transporting animals to the center, fund-raising, building maintenance, and procurement.

Give TREEHOUSE a call for more information about becoming a volunteer. The rewards are not monetary, but many.

TREEHOUSE does not receive governmental funding of any kind, but operates through donations from the public, memberships, and fees from our outreach programs and tours of the center.

TREEHOUSE MEMBERSHIPS are $15.00 a year. Memberships include our periodic newsletter "TreeHouse Droppings", featuring educational articles and stories about our patients. You'll also have the satisfaction of knowing that you helped us give something back to the wild. TREEHOUSE is located near Alton, Illinois on 19 acres of beautiful rolling hills loaded with hickory trees. A 2400 square foot building is the central focus of the facility. Fanning outward from the building are 23 outdoor cages which serve as temporary homes for wildlife in the process of rehabilitation, as well as homes for the permanent residents.

TREEHOUSE operates under permits from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the Illinois Endangered Species Board.

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ORPHANED WILDLIFE
There are many instances where young wildlife are left on their own for several hours a day while their mothers forage for food. Well meaning individuals find these babies and mistake them for orphans. If in doubt, please call TREEHOUSE before intervening. TREEHOUSE will accept orphaned wildlife, raising them wild, and teaching them the survival skills to be released.

Before thinking about taking a wild animal as a pet just remember, you can take the animal out of the wild, but you can't take the wild out of the animal.

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INJURED WILDLIFE
The care and treatment of injured wildlife is our first priority at TREEHOUSE. Release back to the wild is our #1 goal. Veterinarians graciously donate their services toward this effort.


WILDLIFE PETS
TREEHOUSE believes that wild animals do not make good pets. It is against Illinois state law to remove an animal from the wild and bring it into our home as a pet.

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WILDLIFE EDUCATION
TOURS OF TREEHOUSE are available by appointment only of groups of 12 or more, spring through fall. Groups will observe the perm anent residents who were formed patients of TREEHOUSE. An interpretive naturalist explains the history o each animal. Why they are permanent residents, and what roll they play at TREEHOUSE.

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OUTREACH PROGRAMS
Another facet of our commitment education. Programs are tailored classrooms, school assemblies, clubs and organizations for all age groups. These programs utilize primary slides and live animals.

TREEHOUSE hosts an OPEN HOUSE annually in October. This event gives the public a close up at the beautiful wildlife that make Illinois their home.

Please call TREEHOUSE more information on our educational programs.

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