The Conservancy of Southwest Florida prepares to open new von Arx Wildlife Hospital to enhance care for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife
Over the past week alone, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida has treated 76 animals and released 17 back into the wild. Each with its own story, these animals represent just a few of the 2,500 animals treated every year at the Conservancy in the current outdated, cramped quarters originally built to treat 600-800 animals. To expand its ability to provide the most advanced care to wildlife in Southwest Florida, the Conservancy will soon open the new von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Nature Center in Naples. Near completion, the von Arx Wildlife Hospital will allow the Conservancy to greatly enhance the care and treatment of native wildlife.
The region’s largest wildlife facility, the 5,000-square-foot von Arx Wildlife Hospital will include separate recovery areas for mammals, reptiles and birds, an animal nursery, and new operating and X-ray rooms. The hospital will also feature a new education center, the Sapakie Classroom, where guests can attend special wildlife programs and watch behind-the-scenes treatment via closed circuit television.
To celebrate the anticipated opening of the von Arx Wildlife Hospital, Conservancy of Southwest Florida leaders, donors, volunteers and state, city and local officials gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The lead donors and the hospital’s namesakes Dolph and Sharon von Arx led the ceremony by cutting ribbon with surgical scissors to illustrate the commitment of the Conservancy and von Arx Wildlife Hospital staff and volunteers to the care and rehabilitation of sick, injured and orphaned wildlife in Southwest Florida.
“Dolph and I were compelled to establish the new Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy because of the organization’s dual role in treating animals and educating the community about the importance of protecting wildlife,” said Sharon von Arx. “With the opening of the new hospital, the Conservancy staff and volunteers now have the adequate space and resources to enhance the care for native wildlife.”
Once construction of the new facility is completed, the von Arx Wildlife Hospital will receive a certificate of occupancy and open for business. The hospital will be one of the first new buildings to be completed as part of the Conservancy Nature Center renovation and represents the organization’s commitment to positively impacting the environment through sustainable building and operation practices.
“From the beginning, we envisioned a wildlife hospital and Nature Center at the Conservancy that would utilize technologies and building practices that reflect the organization’s mission of protecting our land, our water and our wildlife,” said Dolph von Arx, former chairman of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida Board of Directors. “Critical to this effort has been our partnership with Johnson Controls, a global leader in delivering solutions that increase energy efficiency in buildings. The company will be integrating the energy systems across the Nature Center to reduce costs and ensure optimal performance. By instituting innovative, sustainable building practices such as geothermal solutions, PV solar panels, and energy management system and LED lightning, the von Arx Wildlife Hospital sets the standard for green construction and design. We highly anticipate the von Arx Wildlife Hospital will receive a Gold LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council this year.”
“Our energy efficiency expertise is built upon a commitment to the environment, sustainability, and helping organizations like the Conservancy achieve.” said Thomas Walther, general manager, Johnson Controls. “Just as this hospital treats animals with compassion, we must treat our environment with compassion by making buildings more efficient.”
During the event, Andrew McElwaine, president and CEO of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida announced a new corporate partnership with Arthrex, a leading provider of surgical products and services for orthopedic care. Arthrex will partner with the Conservancy by providing surgical products that can be used to help injured wildlife.
The von Arx family donated $1.5 million to the “Saving Southwest Florida” capital campaign, providing the lead gift to fund the new hospital. Other major donors helping to fund the new wildlife clinic include Barbara W. Moore, Sidney and Nancy Sapakie, Fred and Sue Schulte, Deki Stephenson, Edward and Susan Yawney and one anonymous donor. Additional support was provided by Dr. Robert Schultheis, and Chuck and Jean Zboril. The total cost of the new hospital is $2.1 million.
“The von Arx Wildlife Hospital is a significant enhancement to the Conservancy Nature Center, enabling us to provide the most advanced care in a state-of-the-art facility to increase their chances of being released into the wild,” says McElwaine. “Made possible through the generous lead gift of Dolph and Sharon von Arx, as well as support from other major donors, the new facility greatly expands our ability to care for sick and injured wildlife as well as to provide an enhanced educational experience for visitors.”
To highlight the von Arx Wildlife Hospital’s focus on education, local schools submitted essays to the Conservancy on the importance of wildlife in Southwest Florida. During the event, Sadie Wilson, a Pine Ridge Middle School student shared an essay, reflecting on an encounter with a rehabilitated red-tailed hawk and the importance of protecting our wildlife and pledging her support.
“One of the best ways for me to stay involved with this effort is to volunteer at the Conservancy,” said Wilson. “Although I am not old enough right now, I plan on volunteering when I turn sixteen. Several of my friends have also already made this decision. We now understand that we are the future and me must do all that we can to help preserve this beautiful environment.”
About the Conservancy of Southwest Florida:The Conservancy of Southwest Florida began in 1964 when community leaders came together to defeat a proposed “Road to Nowhere” and spearheaded the acquisition and protection of Rookery Bay. The Conservancy is a not-for-profit grassroots organization focused on the critical environmental issues of the Southwest Florida region with a mission to protect the region’s water, land and wildlife. This is accomplished through the combined efforts of environmental education, science and research, policy and advocacy and wildlife rehabilitation. The Conservancy Wildlife Clinic treats more than 2,400 injured, sick and orphaned animals each year and releases about half of them back into their native habitats. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida and Nature Center is located in Naples, Fla. at 1450 Merrihue Dr., off Goodlette-Frank Road at 14thAvenue North. For information about the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, call 239-262-0304 or visit www.conservancy.org.
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