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Our Mission

We help wildlife get back home to the wild.

Many wildlife adapt to living in our urban Ottawa environments, but they face many challenges. Mothers are accidentally killed by cars or illegally trapped and relocated, leaving behind orphaned babies. If they lose their mother while they are young and vulnerable, these babies have no hope except for the care we provide.

Porcupine in the grass
IMG 8615 scaled

Get Involved

We would not be able to help so many wildlife without the help of our dedicated team of staff, interns and volunteers. There are many ways to get involved and help wildlife. We have opportunities for summer student employment, full-time internships, weekly and casual volunteers, and co-op and field placements.

Come join our dynamic and diverse team of people from the community with a passion for wildlife and the environment.

Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

6 hours 14 minutes ago

Happy Valentine's Day from Everyone at RVWS. If you care about wildlife, please send them a heart. Let's see how many they can get!

Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

1 day 6 hours ago

It's Munster, the big brown bat. Thanks for playing. We'll contact the winner privately.

Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

2 days 6 hours ago

Volume up! Who's making this sound? Anyone who guesses correctly will have their name entered in a random draw to win an RVWS prize! The

Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

1 week 1 day ago

Meet Guacamole, an orphaned red squirrel, who came in on a rainy day in July after being found soaked in a puddle. Thankfully the finder

Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

1 week 5 days ago

Happy Groundhog Day!

Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

2 weeks 3 days ago

A throwback to Cookies N' Cream...Cookies for short. She came in at just 60 grams, the youngest and smallest skunk RVWS has ever had! She

Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

3 weeks 1 day ago

Meet Sin, our juvenile snapping turtle who's overwintering with us before his release in the Spring. Unlike many other turtle species, snapping turtles cannot fully

Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

3 weeks 6 days ago

RVWS is now hiring for 2026 summer positions! Detailed job descriptions and application instructions on www.rideauwildlife.org/jobs. It's first come, first served so apply early.

Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

1 month 2 days ago

A throwback to Penny, our porcupine from the summer.