This story began when founder Carmen Shaw cared for wildlife before the wildlife rehabilitation field really started. Her generation set the stage for many organizations and citizens to emerge who cared for our wildlife with the hopes of seeing it return to its natural environment where it belongs. Carmen spent most of her life caring for wildlife, and, in June 1989, Back to Nature Wildlife, Inc. was born.
This humble little refuge started out in Bithlo, Fla., behind David Shaw’s Automotive Garage. Carmen, along with husband David and their family, lived onsite, helping the injured and orphaned wild animals inside their home until, eventually, they trickled out of the house and into the back yard, and so it began.
With wood and wire cages that sat on pallets and stilts and were held closed with eye hooks and cinder blocks; a refrigerator under a tree with donated food; a metal container that held grains and dry food staples; an old washtub that served as a sink; a concrete patio table used for food preparation; a truck topper that held extra kennels, and a small shed with a roll-down door that became the first “baby room.”
Family assisted in building the first enclosures, and a few non-releasable animals began to come to stay as well, creating the need for more licenses. People came along to assist throughout the years, but it was difficult because everything was reliant on donations and volunteers, and making a living for them took precedence over volunteering consistently, though Back to Nature has always had longevity with their people.
Many of their supporters have stood by them through the ups and downs, but it has always been mostly through the generosity of public donations that kept them afloat somehow. Through their struggles, their faith, and their belief that anything was possible, they have never given up and fought with a lot of hard work, blood, sweat, and many tears to get to where they are today.
From the beginning, Carmen’s dream was always to move the refuge someplace bigger and better in a more natural environment, giving the animals more space and educating through the environment. She would always say, “Something wonderful will happen,” and somehow it always did.
The Back to Nature family of volunteers and supporters never gave up on the dream, and in 2007, that dream became a reality as they signed a lease to move onto one of Orange County’s GreenPlace properties in a partnership to provide a rehabilitation and educational facility. In March 2014, Back to Nature relocated to Eagle Creek onto 20 acres, part of a 232-acre parcel of the wildlife corridor named Eagles Roost, which is home to nesting eagles and other species of wildlife visiting as well. By 2020, new buildings will be underway through the “Invest In Our Home For Life” program that former Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs initiated in which District 4 Commissioner Thompson invested $3.5 million of her program funds for Back to Nature’s future buildings during her term.
In June, Back to Nature celebrated its 30th anniversary, and they are growing at a very rapid pace, thriving for the first time in their history. The consistent development has minimized our wildlife’s natural habitat with natural ecosystems, displacing them and creating more consistent interactions with humans and wildlife as they frequent populated areas and creating a need for a facility like Back to Nature. The refuge cares for over 3,000 injured and orphaned wild animals annually while serving as a public facility, sharing their non-releasable “educational ambassadors” on the Wildlife Walk, including bobcats, birds of prey, prairie dogs, fox squirrels, and even rescue bees along with picnic tables for a great family-friendly experience.
It is open to the public, $5 per person, Tuesdays-Sundays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (closed on Mondays and major holidays). Hosting many events each year to help raise funds to keep the facility going, Back to Nature is always in need of financial donations and wishlist items. Annual passes, monthly donor programs, habitat, sidewalk and corporate sponsorship opportunities, as well as legacy giving information are available also. Volunteering, internships, corporate work groups, and Scouting projects are available.
To learn more or to donate, visit BTN, 10525 Clapp Simms Duda Rd., Orlando, 32832. Call 407-568-5138, or visit www.BTNwildlife.org.
Debbie Helsel is the Executive Director of Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge and Education Center. Born in Pennsylvania, Helsel grew up playing in the woods across the street from her home. She always knew she wanted to work with wildlife. In early 1990, she took a job working for Orange County Animal Services where she would also have the opportunity to work directly with Carmen Shaw, founder of BTN. Helsel spent the next nine years volunteering most evenings after work and almost every weekend at BTN. In 1999, she snatched up a rare opportunity to become paid staff at BTN and left her position with the county, following her heart to the refuge.
