FRIENDS OF WILDLIFE

The "Friends of Wildlife" program (formerly "Adopt an Animal") is sponsored by Friends of Stark Parks to support the care  of our program animals and injured or orphaned wildlife admitted to the Sanders Center. Your donation of $20 or more entitles you to a certificate of recognition and a photo of the animal whose care you choose to sponsor. Contributions are tax deductible; make checks payable to Friends of Stark Parks.

Click here to view animals available for sponsorship and a form to send in with your donation. 

Birds

Educational program birds are all non-releasable due to severe wing injuries or other physical impairments. They include a great-horned owl, a red-tailed hawk, a turkey vulture, a screech owl, an american kestrel, and a mourning dove.

Amphibians

Our bullfrog and American toads help to educate visitors and school children about the marvelous world of metamorphosis.

Insects and Spiders

Madagascan hissing cockroaches and rose-haired tarantulas may not be native to our area, but their size and gentle nature help us to calm people's fears about co-existing with the "creepy-crawlies" in our environment.

Mammals

Our two flying squirrels and our Virginia opossum originally came to us as orphans. Although they remain with us as healthy program ambassadors, they were deemed unable to fend for themselves in the wild.

Reptiles

Our collection includes a black rat snake, a pine snake, a garter snake, a red corn snake, a snow corn snake, a uromastyx lizard, a marbled gecko, box turtles, and an eastern painted turtle.

The Friends of Wildlife program is sponsored by the Friends of Stark Parks organization.