Bridgewater College Partners with Wildlife Center for Hands-On Turtle Care

New program gives students experience handling and rehabilitating box turtles

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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Bridgewater College has established a partnership with the Wildlife Center of Virginia to bring live box turtles to the campus, allowing students interested in wildlife rehabilitation to gain hands-on experience caring for the animals. The program aims to provide students with valuable training while also helping the Wildlife Center manage its seasonal influx of patients.

Why it matters

The new program at Bridgewater College helps address the growing need for wildlife veterinarians and rehabilitators, as the demand for these services continues to increase each year. By giving students the opportunity to work directly with live animals, the program prepares the next generation to enter this specialized field.

The details

Through the partnership, the Wildlife Center of Virginia will provide box turtles to the Bridgewater College campus, where students can learn proper handling techniques and rehabilitation practices. Unlike pets, the animals are not named but instead given ID numbers to maintain a distinction between wildlife and domestic animals. One of the biggest challenges for students is adjusting their mindset to work with wild creatures rather than pets.

  • The new partnership between Bridgewater College and the Wildlife Center of Virginia was established in 2026.

The players

Bridgewater College

A private liberal arts college located in Bridgewater, Virginia.

Wildlife Center of Virginia

A hospital and shelter that provides critical care for injured and orphaned wildlife with the goal of returning them to the wild.

Riley McDonald

A senior student in the program at Bridgewater College.

Ryan Duncan

A senior student in the program at Bridgewater College.

Connor Gillespie

Director of outreach for the Wildlife Center of Virginia.

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What they’re saying

“This helps because it is hands-on and I learn the best hands-on. This will also help with the connections that Bridgewater builds with others and being the initial person to this would help the outreach with this program.”

— Riley McDonald, Senior student (WHSV)

“Being a kid, picking them up and catching them. There's a lot more procedures with them. You want to make sure you're safe and they're safe, manage their stress levels. You have the best intentions for it, but you want to do it in a safe environment.”

— Ryan Duncan, Senior student (WHSV)

“It's interesting when you think about it, there's a lot of careers. You can go to school and learn accounting, business. There's not a lot of opportunities to learn about wildlife, there's not exactly a degree program for that. This is something that is very unique that we sort of offer on so once they graduate, they can enter our field and be that next generation that takes care of these animals.”

— Connor Gillespie, Director of outreach (WHSV)

What’s next

The program at Bridgewater College is still in its early stages, but the plan is to eventually expand beyond just box turtles to include other species like aquatic turtles. The Wildlife Center of Virginia also has no immediate plans to establish similar partnerships at other colleges, instead focusing on improving the program at Bridgewater.

The takeaway

This new partnership between Bridgewater College and the Wildlife Center of Virginia provides a valuable opportunity for students interested in wildlife rehabilitation and conservation to gain hands-on experience working with live animals. By training the next generation of wildlife caretakers, the program helps address the growing need for these specialized professionals.