Events

Current Events:

We will be releasing a Red-shouldered Hawk at Mayflower Hills Park on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 12 p.m. Public is encouraged to attend!

Patient 2025-0022 was admitted on January 15, 2025 after being hit by a vehicle. After spending just over 2 months with us we’re happy to announce that is now healthy enough to return back home!

Red-shouldered Hawks are known for their loud, piercing call, often described as a repeated “kee-aah,” which is commonly heard in wooded areas. Their vocal nature makes them one of the most easily identifiable hawks by sound. Visually, they are striking raptors, with a distinctive rufous (reddish) coloring on their shoulders, black-and-white checkered wings, and a banded tail. Unlike many other hawks that prefer open fields, red-shouldered hawks thrive in forests, especially near wetlands, swamps, and rivers, where they find their favorite prey—small mammals, amphibians, and even crayfish. Interestingly, while hawks and crows are often enemies, Red-shouldered Hawks sometimes form unlikely alliances with American Crows to drive off common predators like Great Horned Owls, which pose a threat to both species. These hawks are monogamous and often return to the same nesting site year after year, aggressively defending their territory from intruders, including other birds of prey. As agile hunters, they use stealth and patience to ambush prey and are even known to hover briefly while scanning for food—a behavior more commonly associated with kestrels and other smaller raptors. While primarily forest dwellers, red-shouldered hawks have also adapted to suburban environments, nesting in wooded neighborhoods and even hunting near backyard bird feeders where small mammals and birds gather.

GIVE Roanoke: This yearly 24-hour giving day, perhaps the most important of the year, will run on April 23rd from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. There will be cash match opportunities where your donation will be doubled to help save double the wildlife. This is the perfect time to make a donation to either help us with our legal fees, rebuilding some of our flight enclosures, or for just general operational support.

April 23, 2025
12:00 a.m. – 11:59 p.m.

Earth Day Celebration @ Golden Cactus Brewing – Join us, local businesses, organizations, and nonprofits dedicated to environmental uplift and community outreach for an evening of connection and celebration. This event will feature local vendors, craft beer, and special menu offerings from their neighbors at FoodHut.

April 23, 2025

5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Screamiverse Expo – Indulge your dark side and come visit Roanoke’s first ever Screamiverse Expo!

Presented by Hexed Haunted Attraction and some of the region’s premier artists and creators. Taking place at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia, this first of it’s kind event is accessible to fans all over the region, bringing the horror, sci-fi, and arts communities together under one spooky roof!

There are more than 100 vendors, celebrities, demonstrations, classes, tattooing, and so much more! They have unanimously agreed to select us as their charity beneficiary so come out, get your spook on, support our cause, and see of our ambassadors!

Purchase Tickets!

April 26, 2025

9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

April 27, 2025

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Bubba’s 33 Fundraiser – Come celebrate Be Kind to Animals Week with us! We’ll be at Bubba’s 33 at Valley View with our ambassadors for what will hopefully become a recurring fundraiser. 10% of your check, excluding alcohol, will go directly to us! Guests MUST tell their server they are there specifically to dine for your organization and Bubba’s will take care of the rest!

May 8, 2025

11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Birdies Fore Birdies Golf Tournament – Mark your calendars for the Roanoke area’s most exciting golf tournament! Come join us and our ambassadors for our third annual Birdies Fore Birdies Captain’s Choice Golf Tournament at Hidden Valley Country Club on Saturday May 17th @ 1:30 p.m. It’s going to be an amazing day of golf, games, prizes, food, drinks, and a whole lot more! For more information or to register click HERE!

Hidden Valley Country Club
May 17, 2025
1:30 p.m. Shotgun Start
$1,000,000 Shootout! (Players who are closest to the pin on holes 3, 7, 11, & 15 will each qualify to get 1 shot from 165 yards out from the fairway of hole 18)
Hole-in-one Wins a Car!
$10,000 Putting Contest!
$600/Team, $150/individual
$1,000 Corporate Sponsor Team
- Company name and logo will be displayed on our website and social media for the month of June (500k+ people reached monthly, 66k+ followers. Company logo will also be displayed in our May newsletter, registration flyer, and on signage at the event. Also includes 4 forward tees, 4 red tees, 4 drink tickets, lunch for 2 non-golfers, 1 hole sponsorship, and 2 golf cart sponsorships!
$250/Hole Sponsorship
$50/Golf Cart Sponsorship
Lunch & Drinks Provided (BBQ chicken and pork, potato salad, cole slaw, etc…)
Door prizes for all golfers
Prizes for closest to the pin & longest drive
Special appearance from Miss Virginia!
Registration due by May 1st! (for business sponsorships please register by April 15th)

Upcoming Public Education Programs:

Our one-hour programs will feature some of our amazing non-releasable animal education ambassadors. We’ll share fun stories, teach history, and provide information on how we can help the wonderful wild animals around us! If you or someone you know is interested in an educational program please email the center at education@swvawildlifecenter.org.

Roanoke County Explore Park Spring Opening!

April 5, 2025 @ 1:00 p.m.

Roanoke County Explore Park Adventure Saturday!

April 26, 2025 @ Time TBD

Past Events:

SML Gives Nonprofit Fair and Early Giving – Come join us and the other nonprofits at Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Moneta, VA to kick off early giving for SML Gives and to see what this special giving day is all about. We’ll be on hand with a few of our ambassadors too!

March 16, 2025

3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Smith Mountain Lake Gives (SML Gives) – Please be sure to MARK YOUR CALENDARS! This is our second year participating in this 24-hour giving day. Last year, we received 541 patients from the Lake and its surrounding communities in Franklin and Bedford counties, and we currently have numerous patients in our care from this area. By donating you’re helping to ensure we can continue to provide care for the patients from this area and beyond. Please share our posts, emails, and good old fashioned word of mouth is still works too.

March 19, 2025

12:00 a.m. – 11:59 p.m.

Yoga with Wildlife @ In-balance Yoga – In-Balance Yoga in Blacksburg, VA will be hosting a yoga session where all proceeds will benefit the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center. This event will showcase our ambassadors and you can come and do some yoga alongside them in the room. This will be be an test all-levels class.

March 1, 2025
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Regal Movie Theaters Fundraising Campaign – From now through New Year’s Day, purchase a Regal Movie Bundle (2 tickets) and 25% of each bundle you order is donated back to our Center! These tickets are redeemable at ANY Regal theater nationwide! Click the photos below or Get your movie tickets here! These make for excellent Christmas gifts too!

Buffalo Wild Wings Fundraiser – It’s going to be a great night if you’ve got case of the Mondays! For one day only from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., 15% of your bill (less alcohol) will be donated to our cause (dine in or take out). Come out to Buffalo Wild Wings on Starkey to have a great meal, see some of our wildlife ambassadors, and watch 2 different Monday Night Football games (Chicago @ Minnesota and Atlanta @ Las Vegas)! Just show a physical or digital ticket, like the yellow and black one here, to your server and make a difference for wildlife!

December 16, 2024 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Pints for a Purpose @ Parkway Brewing Company – Levi, our outreach coordinator, will be there with some of our amazing wildlife ambassadors and $1 from every pint sold will go directly to our wildlife hospital! So, come have a beer while doing some good for our native wildlife!

November 6, 2024 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Pint Night & Blood Drive @ Twisted Track Brewpub – Come see some of our ambassadors at one of the Roanoke area’s most popular breweries and for every beer sold, $1 is donated to our wildlife hospital! If you’re not having a beer you can make a blood donation and $10 will be donated!

November 9, 2024 from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. (pint night runs all day)

Drink and Draw @ Blindhouse Brewery – Come join us for a fun Saturday, November 2nd @blindhousebeer! You’ll get a chance to draw some of our amazing wildlife ambassadors, enjoy some of best beer around, and support our cause all at the same time!

November 2, 2024 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Eat, Drink & Meet Wildlife @ Treehouse Tavern – Join us and some of our wildlife ambassadors at Treehouse Tavern on Bent Mountain! Enjoy some of the best food around and have a relaxing beverage while getting to meet our wildlife ambassadors like Captain Jack Sparrow an American Kestrel or Zombie our Eastern Screech Owl just to name a few!

October 26, 2024 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.A Night Owl on the Town – The Night Owl on the Town Gala, hosted by the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center, is thrilled to invite over 150 influential philanthropic community leaders to come together for a memorable evening in support of the medical services for the more than 2,700 patients that we see each year including threatened and endangered species. This year’s gala aims to raise funds for wildlife conservation and rehabilitation, furthering our mission to protect and preserve our local wildlife.

Join us for the 2024 Night Owl on the Town Gala where you will:

Meet our amazing wildlife ambassadors during cocktail hour like a Red-tailed Hawk, Great Horned Owl, or American Kestrel just to name a few…
Enjoy a delightful chef prepared seated dinner with choice of filet mignon, chicken, fish, or vegetarian dishes
Participate in exciting silent and live auctions
Be entertained by special guest WSLS anchor, John Carlin
To top it all off, we have an unforgettable After Party planned, featuring live music by The Kings!
And, as always, a few surprises that you’ll have to come see for yourself!

You don’t want to miss out on this incredible opportunity to make a difference and have a fantastic time. Mark your calendars and join us at this year’s Night Owl on the Town Gala. It’s going to be a hoot!

*(Black tie optional)

September 28, 2024
6 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Jacktoberfest – Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint is donating $1 for every seasonal Sierra Nevada beer sold during the month of September! We’ll also be there with some of our education ambassadors on the 21st so you can get an up close experience with some amazing wildlife!

The entire month of September & September 21st @ 4 p.m.

August 17, 2024
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

GiveLocalNRV – Our final giving day of the year, focuses on the work we do in Montgomery, Floyd, and Giles, Pulaski, and Radford! Did you know ~1/3 of all our patients come from this area?!?!
Early giving begins June 1
Donate Today!

Wildlife Education Program @ Salem Public Library – Come meet some of our wildlife education ambassadors, learn about the important roles they plan in the environment, and the importance of wildlife conservation.

July 13, 2024
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Join us for a Gander Reveal Party! Seven ducklings from the Virginia Tech Duck Pond arrived at our doorstep this spring and are now big enough to fend for themselves and go HOME. This event also serves as a kick-off to #GiveLocalNRV, a 24-hour virtual giving day that celebrates non-profits serving Montgomery, Floyd, Giles, Pulaski, and Radford! Donate Today!

12 p.m. June 26 – 12 p.m. June 27

BOCO Wild – Botetourt County and the Department of Wildlife Resources are hosting this event at the Buchanon Fairgrounds. We’ll be there with some of our amazing ambassadors to discuss their roles in the environment and things we can do to help our local wildlife. More information about BOCO Wild.
June 8, 2024
9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Birdies Fore Birdies – Come join us and our ambassadors for our second annual Birdies Fore Birdies Captain’s Choice Golf Tournament at Hidden Valley Country Club on Friday, June 14th @ 1 p.m. It’s going to be an amazing day of golf, games, prizes, food, drinks, and a whole lot more! For more information or to register click HERE!

Hidden Valley Country Club
June 14th, 2024 @ 1 p.m. shotgun start
$1,000,000 Shootout! (3 players from the field will automatically qualify for a chance to take 1 swing at winning 1 million dollars by being the closest to the pin on the 1 of the 3 par 3s that don’t have a car as a prize)
Hole-in-one Wins a Car!
$10k Putting Contest!
$600/Team, $150/individual
$1,000 Corporate Sponsor Team
- Company name and logo will be displayed on our website and social media for the month of June (200k+ people reached monthly, 55k+ followers. Company logo will also be displayed in our June newsletter, registration flyer, and on signage at the event. Also includes 4 forward tees, 4 red tees, 4 drink tickets, lunch for 2 nongolfers, 1 hole sponsorship, and 2 golf cart sponsorships!
$200/Hole Sponsorship
$50/Golf Cart Sponsorship
Lunch & Drinks Provided (BBQ chicken and pork, potato salad, cole slaw, etc…)
Door prizes for all golfers
Prizes for closest to the pin & longest drive
Special appearance from Miss Virginia!
Registration due by June 1st! (for business sponsorships please register by May 15th)

Great Horned Owl Release @ the Roanoke Star –

Please come join us at the Roanoke Star to watch us release this nationally recognized Great Horned Owl!

A Roanoke City police officer brought us this patient all the way back on March 14, 2023! Several unsuccessful attempts were made to locate the nest (owls at this age can often be renested with great success), and since it was far too young to fend for itself we had no choice but to admit it into our care. Owls at this age are highly susceptible to imprinting and for this reason staff had to wear an owl mask when interacting with the patient.

This patient underwent surgery over the weekend to repair some damaged feathers – owls make no sound when flying and if their feathers aren’t just right they lose their stealth advantage when hunting which significantly impacts their ability to find food and sustain themselves. For this reason It’s imperative that this owl be released within a couple of days after the surgery (imping procedure). Now, after more than a year in our care, it’s a healthy adult and ready to finally spread its wings in the wild for the first time!

April 16, 2024
7 p.m.

Owls!!! – Join us at the Roanoke County Explore Park to learn some interesting facts about these fascinating and somewhat mysterious birds of prey. Find out which owls live in the Roanoke area and how to identify them by sight and sound. Learn how and why they raise their young in the winter. Discover the secrets of these intriguing birds, dissect an owl pellet to learn even more, and meet one or two of our owl education ambassadors! Cost is $7 and goes to the Explore Park.

March 2, 2024
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

*POSTPONED* – Buzz on Buzzards! – Come meet Sable, our Black Vulture at Roanoke County Explore Park and learn about the wildly interesting and often misunderstood world of these birds.

March 16, 2024
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Walmart Meet & Greet – Come see what we’re all about and meet the dedicated individuals behind our successes and some of our wildlife ambassadors!

April 6, 2024

12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

March 30th, 2024
4:30pm – 5:30pm

Red-Tailed Hawk Release – To celebrate SML Gives we just so happen to have a Red-tailed Hawk from Bedford County that’s ready to go back home! When this patient arrived back in September (2023) its chances at making a full recovery were pretty slim. Given the nature and location of the break, and it’s associated wound, we almost never see this type of injury heal. However, our staff was unwavering in their determination to see this hawk fly again. After months and months of attending to its wounds, countless bandaging, medicating, and physical therapy we slowly introduced flying in a controlled environment to gradually build up the strength necessary to withstand the forces of flight. After nearly 6 months in our care, we are thrilled to announce that this hawk has made a remarkable recovery and we’d like for you to come join us Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest to watch this beautiful bird makes it’s glorious return to the wild!

March 13, 2024
4:30 p.m.

Smith Mountain Lake Gives (SML Gives) –

“Baby Shower!!!” – Hosted by the Wildlife Warriors for the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center, we invite you to attend this wonderful 2-day event to help us get ready for the spring baby rush. We’ll be at Nature’s Emporium accepting donations from our many wish lists with a variety of our wildlife ambassadors and there will be even be face painting for the kids! Every year we are blown away by the support we receive during this donation drive and the significant difference it makes in our ability to save wildlife. So, please come out and see what we’re all about! Wish lists can be found on our website HERE and at Henry’s Pets!

February 24th, 2024
11am – 3pm
February 25th, 2024
12pm – 4pm

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Southwest Virginia

Wildlife Center

of Roanoke

Events

Current Events:

Upcoming Public Education Programs:

Past Events: