With this latest acquisition, the Bird Alliance of Oregon has expanded its reach. With ambitious intentions to build a cutting-edge animal hospital and nature sanctuary, the nonprofit just purchased a 12.5-acre property on NE 82nd Avenue. At 2800 NE 82nd Ave, the land will undergo major construction to create a wildlife rehabilitation and community participation sanctuary with nature paths, park space, and instructional materials.
According to a statement provided by Bird Alliance of Oregon, the organization located its match on NE 82nd Avenue after sorting through over a hundred possible locations. Their NW Cornell Road site, which was insufficiently large and not easily accessible by transit, has been replaced with a new Wildlife Care Center that is ideally situated to be easily reachable by many forms of transportation. According to Stuart Wells, Executive Director of the Bird Alliance of Oregon, “since the 1930s, locals have depended on the Wildlife Care Center, the busiest rehabilitation facility in the area, to treat injured and orphaned native wildlife and educate the public on how to humanely resolve human/animal conflicts.”
It’s not just the animals that will benefit from the new facility. It will strengthen the Wildlife Care Center’s offerings and increase its ability to care for more than 6,000 animals a year. In order to manage the seasonal rushes and difficulties brought on by major weather occurrences, this expansion is essential. Wells claims that this new structure is a significant advancement in community access and wildlife care, going beyond simply doubling in size.
Furthermore, the new institution will help more than simply wildlife. Thanks to a grant from the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF), a partnership with local partners is currently in place, showcasing a two-acre community solar array. In addition to powering the new Wildlife Care Center, the solar project is anticipated to reduce utility costs for roughly 200 low-income community members over the course of the next 20 years, “providing tangible community benefits to local residents and the environment,” according to Debbie Elliott, President of the Board of Directors for the Bird of Alliance of Oregon.
The site’s past as a quarry and landfill gives the narrative a sense of redemption. With this project, the Bird Alliance of Oregon is putting their long-standing support for the cleanup and beneficial use of brownfield sites into practice. Much to the satisfaction of the 82nd Avenue Coalition, whose Coalition Manager, Zachary Lauritzen, expressed excitement at the planned green space and community projects, the development of this site promises a greener future for the city’s urban landscape.
Another aspect of the site’s basis is remembrance. The alliance credits its visionaries, former Conservation and WCC Director Bob Sallinger, former veterinarian Deb Sheaffer, and former wildlife rehabilitator McKenzie Joslin Snyder, for making this long-term project a success. “Without Bob Sallinger’s unwavering efforts, we wouldn’t have this property,” Micah Meskel, Assistant Director of Urban Conservation, told Bird Alliance of Oregon. The sanctuary is interlaced with their legacies, guaranteeing that their commitment to wildlife protection will live on.
Portland’s dedication to its feathered companions and people who want to enjoy and learn from nature inside the city’s boundaries is demonstrated by the Bird Alliance of Oregon’s new endeavor, which comes amid an increasingly urbanized landscape. In addition to its 172-acre headquarters and other sanctuaries throughout Oregon, this will be the organization’s second facility in the Portland metro region.
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