Wildlife education, brought to you

We bring wildlife education to classrooms, scout troops, libraries, camps, garden clubs and community groups across the Memphis area. Most of what we teach is the same thing we tell people on the phone at 11pm — what these animals actually are, what they actually need, and what to do when you find one.

What a visit looks like

We tailor the session to the group's age and how long you have got. A typical school visit runs 30 to 45 minutes and covers:

  • Who lives here. The mammals, reptiles and birds that share a Memphis backyard, and the ones people are surprised to learn are neighbours.

  • What wildlife rehabilitation is. What happens between "someone found an animal" and "the animal goes home."

  • Myth-busting. Whether a mother rejects a baby you touched, whether opossums carry rabies, what happens if you feed a baby squirrel cow's milk. Students love this part and it is the part that actually changes outcomes.

  • What to do if you find one. A simple, memorable protocol that works whether you are eight or eighty.

Live animals

We hold a Tennessee Class II educational wildlife permit, which allows us to bring specific non-releasable animals to programs. These are animals that cannot survive in the wild — usually because of a permanent injury — and that have been assessed as suitable for education work.

Availability depends on the animals in our care and on their welfare on the day, so we confirm closer to the date rather than promising a specific animal months out. If live animals are not possible, the presentation stands on its own with photos and video from our own patients.

Who we work with

  • Elementary, middle and high schools

  • Scout troops working on animal or conservation badges

  • Libraries and summer reading programs

  • Homeschool co-ops

  • Camps and after-school programs

  • Garden clubs, civic groups and neighbourhood associations

  • Veterinary and pre-vet student groups, where we go considerably deeper

What it costs

We do not charge a fee for school programs. We are a small nonprofit and every hour spent presenting is an hour not spent on patients, so if your school or group has a budget for speakers, a donation goes straight into formula and vet bills. If it does not, we would still rather come. Mileage help for anything well outside Shelby County is appreciated.

Booking

Text 901-340-6534 or use our contact form. Tell us the age of the group, roughly how many, the date or range you are considering, and how long you would like us for. Baby season runs hard in spring and again in late summer, so if you are looking at March through September, ask early.

Who we are

Out of the Woods Wildlife Rescue & Rehab is a wildlife rehabilitation nonprofit in Memphis, Tennessee, permitted by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. We have been covered by WREG, the Daily Memphian, ABC24 and others.

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