23956 Green Acres Road
Dow, Illinois
618-466-2990

The TreeHouse Wildlife Center sits on approximately eight beautiful acres near the rural town of Dow in Jersey County. It's become an ideal environment for injured or orphaned animals that need time to recuperate. The property features large outdoor cages for animals ready to be released, indoor havens for permanents residents, and a pond for waterfowl. Visitors will be able to see Bald Eagles, a variety of hawks and owls, foxes, coyotes, and other mammals as well as some reptiles in the center.

Veteran Wildlife Technicians give urgent assessment and professional care to all animals that come to the site and volunteers feed the animals, clean their cages and refresh their water daily. In addition to world-class animal care, the Center provides programs and interpretive information to those interested in learning more about their wild neighbors. For 13 years the Center has been providing tours to thousands of children on school field trips, to scout groups working on wildlife badges, clubs, organizations, and groups of senior citizens. Those attending our spring and fall open houses have learned about wildlife and the constantly changing problems facing wildlife.

The center got its start in 1972 when Adele Moore and Richard Evans found and rescued an injured cottontail rabbit found on a local road. They took the animal to a local vet, who despite not having an knowledge on working with rabbits, treated the animal. The rabbit was taken home by Adele and Richard who nursed it back to health and returned it to the wild. After this success Adele and Richard decided this was what they wanted to do with their life. Richard would attend school at the University of Illinois College Of Veterinary Medicine where he helped start the first wildlife ward.

After Richard graduated in 1979 he and Adele moved back to Brighton along with their current patients, which included a rough-legged hawk and several orphaned raccoons and squirrels. Cages and other structures were erected in the back yard to house the animals. From there they created a non-profit organization named TreeHouse because the first nest box used for orphaned raccoons was Adele's nephew's former tree house. In 1983 the Center took in the first of its many veterinary and biology student interns and in 1986 volunteers were accepted for the first time. By 2003, with approximately 36 outdoor cage complexes for patients and permanent residents, it was realized that the Center needed a new home.

In 2010 the present property in Dow was located and was purchased with the help of a grant from a local private foundation. This new property provides outdoor cages for birds and mammals, indoor cages for permanent residents and other animals, an indoor infirmary, housing for interns, and a gift shop. The TreeHouse Wildlife Center offers outreach programs that can be specifically designed for school assemblies, classrooms, senior citizen centers, service organizations and clubs for all age groups. The site offers group tours for people of all ages and educational programs for children.

Visiting the TreeHouse Wildlife Center
Visiting Hours
10 am - 3 pm daily
For volunteer guided tours please call 618-466-2990 or email treehousewildlifecenter@gmail.com to schedule an appointment.
There is no charge to visit the TreeHouse Wildlife Center, although donations are appreciated.