Acorn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation

Give Wild. 

Give Hope. 

Give Lancaster County's Wildlife a Second Chance.

Founded in 2020 and incorporated as a nonprofit that same year, Acorn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation has grown from a vision into a vital community resource. In November 2024, we opened the first-ever commercial, non-residential wildlife facility in Lancaster County, a space built entirely through community support, compassion, and determination.

Our mission is simple: quality care for our patients means quality of life for our wildlife. 

As human expansion continues to reshape natural habitats, it's more important than ever to learn how to coexist with the wild neighbors who share our backyards. Every animal plays a vital role in our ecosystem, and through rescue, rehabilitation, and education, Acorn Acres is ensuring that Pennsylvania's wildlife, and the people who care about them, can thrive together.

🐿️ What Makes Acorn Acres Unique

🌰 Specialized Expertise: We are the only facility in Pennsylvania specializing in the rehabilitation of squirrels, groundhogs, and eastern cottontails. We are also the only facility in Lancaster County that rehabilitates squirrels, rabbits, Virginia opossums and other prey animals (chipmunks, mice, flying squirrels)

👩‍⚕️Certified Excellence: Our founder and lead rehabilitator is one of only 5 internationally designated Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator™ (CWR) in the entire state, and the only one in Lancaster County.

🏥Advanced Care: Our state of the art facility features an education room for live animal programs and modern medical tools like x-ray and fluoroscopy.

🤝Community Powered: Acorn Acres is 100% volunteer-run. There's no payroll, meaning every dollar you give directly supports animal care, nutrition, housing, and medical treatment.

🌳Safe and Secure: We offer a predator-free environment, the only one of its kind in the state of Pennsylvania, where our patients can safely grow, recover, and prepare for release back into the wild.

🌾A Resource for Lancaster County’s Wildlife and Community

Acorn Acres serves as a vital resource for both wildlife and people across Lancaster County and beyond. Our founder has dedicated the last 15 years to wildlife rehabilitation, bringing unmatched experience, compassion, and leadership to the organization and the animals we serve. We provide species-specific nutrition, expert medical care, and enrichment opportunities to ensure each animal’s full recovery and successful release.

Our founder also serves on the Board of Directors for Wildlife In Need (WIN), Pennsylvania’s only statewide capture and transport network and shares her expertise at state and national wildlife rehabilitation conferences.

We are proud to collaborate with local veterinarians, community businesses, and respected wildlife organizations nationwide, ensuring that the animals entrusted to our care receive the best possible outcomes.

Your support sustains every rescue, every recovery, and every release. Together, we’re creating a future where humans and wildlife thrive side by side.

  

🏫 Welcoming the Public: See Wildlife Rehabilitation in Action

Thanks to our new facility, we can finally invite the community inside to see what wildlife rehabilitation truly looks like; the skill, compassion, and dedication that go into every patient’s recovery.

Through open houses, guided tours, and educational events, visitors can experience the process firsthand: from medical treatment to feeding, enrichment, and release preparation. This transparency helps demystify what we do and builds a deeper understanding of the challenges and rewards of caring for Pennsylvania’s wildlife. These opportunities will be further expanded in 2026.

By opening our doors, we’re strengthening the connection between people and the wild, showing that coexistence is not only possible but essential.

🎓Educational and STEM Programs

Education is at the heart of our mission. Through STEM-based programs for schools, community organizations, and individuals, Acorn Acres connects learners of all ages with the natural world.

Our educational ambassadors, rescued animals who cannot be released help teach respect, empathy, and environmental stewardship. Students engage in hands-on learning experiences that align with STEM standards and encourage a lifelong appreciation for wildlife and conservation.

💚How You Can Help

This ExtraGive, your gift fuels:

• Critical medical care and rehabilitation for injured and orphaned wildlife.

• Expansion of our education and outreach programs.

• A safe, predator-free environment where recovery leads to release.

When you Give Wild, you’re not just donating — you’re giving life, hope, and freedom to Lancaster County’s wildlife.

Because when you give, they live. 🐿️🦫🐇🌿

 

Join us on Friday, November 21st from 5-9pm for our ExtraWILD ExtraGIVE party. 

Live animals from both organizations, photo booth, crafts, merch, owl pellet dissections, and snacks and sips.