The Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation is a 501(C-3) non-profit organization founded in 1994. The mission of the Foundation is to educate the public about the care and preservation of wildlife and their habitats, both locally and globally. Our mission includes providing quality care, non-invasive research and a loving home for abandoned, special needs and critically endangered animals. The Foundation is supported completely by donations and is operated with a 100% volunteer staff. There are no paid positions in the Foundation.
The Foundation is home to a variety of non-releasable, endangered, and exotic animals. Over 80% of our 100 plus animals have special needs. The Foundation houses a Mountain Lion with a degenerative hip disease, a Black Leopard with a heart valve problem, a blind White Bengal Tiger, a 500 pound Bengal Tiger that is a cancer survivor, African Lions, Servals, a Caracal, Clouded Leopards, Lynxes and Ocelots. The Foundation is also home for Coatimundis, Fennec Foxes, a Wallaby, a blind deer, a river otter and coyote that was hit by a car and an assortment of exotic birds and reptiles.
The Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation provides the communities of Northern California with a valuable educational resource. We offer both on-site and outreach educational programs lead by our trained volunteer animal handlers. The Foundation shares our animals with school classrooms, assemblies, churches, 4-H, scouts, senior citizens, at-risk youth, hospitals, special community functions and events. The foundation is truly a resource that is treasured by many. The foundation has touched over 400,000 students and individuals over the last 14 years
Now the time has come to ask for your help to save this valued organization. Due to the restrictions and location of the current animal sanctuary the foundation has been told to relocate or close. The current sanctuary is in an agricultural area that has grown in population over the last 14 years and it has become necessary to move. We are committed to continue our work caring for our animals, educating our schools and the public with our message of hope, care and love for animals, specifically animals with special needs and the habitats they live in.
The great news is we have found a new location that will allow us to continue our work and better serve the communities throughout Butte County, Northern California and visitors from around the country and the world. (We currently have a five year waiting list for schools due to the one bus per month restrictions) We are now starting our biggest challenge ever and that is to raise the $250,000 to move. This is the amount we must raise to build the enclosures, security fences, educational classroom and infrastructure for our new sanctuary.
To kick off this fund raising drive we are holding a major online auction in early March 2009. We are hoping to raise over $25,000 from this event and this is where we need your help. We are asking for donations of items for our auction. We are looking for items that will get bidders to dig deep into their pockets for this wonderful cause. All donations are tax deductable and receipts for your donations will be sent to you. Cash donations are always appreciated.
Please send your donations to the address below, for local pick-up, more information on additional ways you can help and to learn more about the Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation please call Roberta Kirshner at 530.345.1700 or visit us online at www.kirshner.org.
Thank you for your support and please feel free to forward this to anyone you think might like to help.
The Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation
Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation P.O. Box 841 Durham, CA. 95938 Telephone # 530.345.1700
