A Day at the Refuge
From the first feeding before sunrise to the last check before dusk — every hour here is someone's whole world getting a little better.
Before the rest of the world wakes up, we already have.
The barn fills with the soft rustle of wings and the warm smell of hay. Nestlings are fed every 20 minutes. Fawns bottle-fed in near darkness so they don't imprint on the humans keeping them alive.
Found alone on a roadside in Bucks County at three days old. Her mother had been struck by a vehicle. She arrived weighing 4.2 lbs, hypothermic, and dehydrated.
Sponsor Hazel
Every intake starts with listening — to the animal, not the paperwork.
Our licensed wildlife veterinarian examines each new arrival. Radiographs, wound assessment, fluid therapy. The exam room smells of antiseptic and pine. Volunteers learn to read an animal's stillness.
Brought in by a family in Doylestown after their children found her stunned beneath a window. Left wing fracture — radius and ulna. She arrived with fire still in her eyes.
Sponsor Cinder
The first day they lift off the ground, the whole barn holds its breath.
The flight mews — our long recovery enclosures — is where the real work happens. Birds practice short flights between perches. We track distance, altitude, and wing angle. Every foot of flight is logged.
Found grounded in a Philadelphia parking garage at eight weeks old. Likely fell from a nest ledge. After six weeks of care, she achieved her first full-length mew flight on a Tuesday afternoon in October.
Sponsor VesperWho's Here Right Now
Every animal here has a name, a story, and a team of people who showed up before sunrise to make sure they had another day. Meet them.
Cinder
Red-tailed Hawk
Arrived: Jan 14, 2026
Left wing fracture — radius and ulna. Suspected window strike.
Week 6 of flight conditioning. Achieving 40-foot flights in the mew. Target release: late March.
Hazel
White-tailed Fawn
Arrived: Feb 2, 2026
Orphaned at 3 days old. Hypothermia, dehydration. Mother struck by vehicle.
Thriving at 12 lbs. Bottle-feeding 4x daily. Beginning to graze supplemental greens.
Vesper
Peregrine Falcon
Arrived: Jan 28, 2026
Juvenile grounded in urban environment. Malnutrition, minor talon abrasion.
Full-length mew flights achieved. Hunting conditioning begins next week.
Marsh
Great Horned Owl
Arrived: Dec 30, 2025
Vehicle strike. Concussion, right eye trauma. Slow neurological recovery.
Vision improving. Responding to prey stimuli. Cautiously optimistic for release.
You already know their names.
You've read their stories. You've seen where they came from. Now you can be the reason they make it all the way back. Each sponsorship is tied to a specific animal — not a general fund.
Hazel
White-tailed Fawn
Help a fawn find her legs
- Monthly email update from Hazel's rehabber
- Digital photo of Hazel — updated monthly
- Your name on the Refuge sponsor board
- Release notification when she goes home
Cancel anytime · Secure payment
Cinder
Red-tailed Hawk
Give a hawk her wingspan back
- Everything in Nestling
- Handwritten field notes from the exam room
- Printed 5×7 photo of Cinder — mailed to you
- Behind-the-scenes flight conditioning updates
- Invitation to a virtual Q&A with our vet
Cancel anytime · Secure payment
Vesper
Peregrine Falcon
Be there the day she flies free
- Everything in Fledgling
- Private release day invitation (limited to 8 sponsors)
- Framed feather print — signed by lead rehabber
- Annual impact report with your contribution totals
- Named in our annual care report
Cancel anytime · Secure payment
Refuge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All sponsorships are tax-deductible. · EIN 45-2983711
Give something that came
from the field.
One-time gifts for the curious, the grateful, and the nine-year-old who hasn't stopped talking about the owl.
The Field Notes Box
$48Everything you need to sit at the edge of a meadow and pay attention.
- —Illustrated field guide — birds of the Mid-Atlantic
- —Handwritten update letter from a Refuge rehabber
- —Refuge enamel pin — red-tailed hawk in flight
- —Seed packet for native wildflowers
The Feather Print Box
$72A piece of the wild to hang on your wall — made by the hands that care for them.
- —Original feather print — archival ink on cotton paper
- —Signed by the lead rehabber who cared for the animal
- —Story card — the specific animal whose feather inspired the print
- —Linen envelope for gifting
The Classroom Kit
$95For the nine-year-old who went quiet in the barn and hasn't stopped asking questions since.
- —Activity guide — 12 wildlife observation projects
- —Raptor ID poster — 24"×36" illustrated print
- —Magnifying glass and field notebook
- —Letter from Refuge for the classroom wall
- —Virtual field trip voucher for your school
This is what we work for.
Every bottle feeding at 5 AM, every flight log, every careful hand — it all points here. To the moment when we open our hands and they choose the sky.
Ember
Red-tailed Hawk
Help the Next One"She turned on the glove twice before she left. We think she was saying goodbye."
Clover
Eastern Screech Owl
Help the Next One"Released at dusk into the oak stand where she was found. She was gone before we lowered our hands."
Ridge
Gray Fox
Help the Next One"He paused at the tree line for exactly three seconds. Then the field swallowed him whole."
"The hardest part isn't the injuries. It's learning to let go when they're ready — and trusting that you gave them everything they needed."
— Dr. Maren Olsen, Lead Veterinarian, Refuge
Bring your class.
Bring your kids.
Bring your questions.
Field trips are available Tuesday through Saturday for groups of 6–30. Guided barn tours, live animal encounters, and a Q&A with our rehabbers. The kind of morning that makes nine-year-olds go quiet with wonder.
Location
Hillcroft Farm 2847 Creamery Rd New Hope, PA 18938
Hours
Tues – Sat 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Closed major holidays
Field Trips
Groups 6–30 $8 per student Adults free
Bring an Animal
24-hr intake line (215) 883-4401 All species welcome