Mission & Team | Back To The Wild

Caring for Ohio's Wildlife Since 1990

Each year, Back To The Wild admits more than 2,500 injured, orphaned, and displaced wildlife from throughout Northern Ohio. Our rehabilitation team provides medical treatment and care with the goal of returning each animal to the wild whenever possible.

Wildlife rehabilitation is only part of our work. Through education programs, tours, and community outreach, we also help people learn about Ohio's native wildlife and the ways we can safely coexist with it.

Our Mission

Back To The Wild's primary mission is to rehabilitate and ultimately release into their natural habitat, injured, orphaned, and displaced wildlife. Through this work, Back To The Wild's overall mission is to educate and foster in children and adults an awareness, appreciation, and respect of our natural world.

Children, especially, are encouraged to become involved in conservation activities to preserve and protect wild areas and to understand our own interconnection with all living things.

Our Story

Before 1990, Bill and Mona Rutger purchased several acres of former farmland to build their home and raise their family. The property was largely barren cropland, and Mona began transforming it by planting more than 2,500 trees, adding gardens, and creating habitat for native wildlife.

Mona's work with wildlife rehabilitation began with the rescue of a turtle. As word spread, she became known locally as the "Turtle Lady", and people began bringing her other injured wildlife. Before long, the work had edxpanded far beyond turtles.

That work eventually became Back To The Wild. More than 35 years later, the center continues to rehabilitate native wildlife and provide wildlife education throughout Northern Ohio.

Meet

Our Leadership Team

Mona Rutger

Executive Director & Founder

Mona Rutger founded Back To The Wild more than 35 years ago after beginning to care for injured wildlife on her property. What started with the rescue of a turtle grew as more people began bringing injured and orphaned wildlife for her to help.

Today, Mona continues to serve as Executive Director. Over the years, she has helped Back To The Wild expand its facilities, secure state and federal permits, and develop partnerships that support wildlife rehabilitation and education.

Mona's work has been recognized locally and nationally. She has been named a CNN Hero of the Year and an Animal Planet Hero of the Year and has received the Cardinal Award, one of Ohio's highest conservation honors.

Gabrielle Drown

Director of Education & Wildlife Rehabilitation

Gabrielle has been part of Back To The Wild since 2015, when she began volunteering at the center. She joined the staff full-time in 2018 and has worked in several areas of the organization over the years.

As Director of Education & Wildlife Rehabilitation, she oversees wildlife rehabilitation, animal care protocols, ambassador animals, education programming, and staff leadership. She also manages the wildlife permits and works with the team on public outreach, donor engagement, and other day-to-day operations.

Gabrielle holds a Bachelor of Science in Ecology & Conservation Biology from BGSU and has experience in wildlife rehabilitation, conservation education, and nonprofit operations.

Bill Rutger

Maintenance Manager

Bill Rutger has been part of Back To The Wild since its beginning and oversees the maintenace of the center's buildings, grounds, and wildlife enclosures. He handles repairs, construction and improvement projects throughout the property, and helps make sure the facilities remain safe and functional for both the animals and staff.

Much of Bill's work happens behind the scenes, from maintaining existing enclosures to helping build and improve the spaces needed as the center has grown.

Paige Burns

Education & Development Coordinator

Paige first joined Back To The Wild as an intern in 2022 while earning her degree in Wildlife & Conservation Biology from Ohio University. After graduating in 2023, she served with AmeriCorps in Montana, gaining additional hands-on experience in trail maintenance and conservation before returning to Back To The Wild in 2024.

As Education & Development Coordinator, Paige works on grant writing and coordinates Back To The Wild's volunteer and internship programs. She also assists with education programming needs & animal care at the center.