Looking for a fun family activity that is inexpensive, fun and educational? You should make plans to attend the Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge and Animal Rescue Center located in the Lake Nona area (south Orlando). The eco-awareness center is also a great place to get away from the crowds and enjoy a nice peaceful outdoor time with your family and friends.
The sustainable mission of the Back to Nature Wildlife Rescue and Animal Rescue Center is to helping injured or orphaned native animal species. The center sits on 20 acres of land managed by the Environmental Protection Division and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supported entirely by donors.
Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge – Rescue, Raise, Rehab and Release Mission
At the center there are currently 29 animal species to see. These include native owls, opossum, squirrels, tortoises, hawks, raccoons and even a goat named Jennifer! Due to special unfortunate circumstances, there are also some non-native Florida resident animals including an arctic fox and the crowd favorite non-resident lemurs from Madagascar. The goal is to release animals back to their natural habitat as much as possible akin to the Center’s Mission.
The 29 animals are held in natural captive spaces throughout the conservation park. The facilities at the nature center also include a medical rehab center and an education awareness classroom area for visitors. Most of the outdoor viewing area near the animals is tree shaded. We found ourselves comfortable walking around with the family and children to see all the animals even on a sunny hot day.
The conservation park and refuge area is small enough to get a personal view of each animal. We enjoyed the descriptive signage around the park that identified characteristics of each animal along with their individual circumstances. Our kids enjoyed the bonding created with the naming of each animal including: Whizzer the red tailed hawk, Precious the raccoon, Nubbins the opossum, Spencer the arctic fox, Nigel the fox squirrel, and the Lemur family (Honeybear, Whimsa and Thumbelina).
Since the entire wildlife refuge takes about an hour to tour, we perhaps suggest that this visit be paired up with other animal attractions like nearby Gatorland. The Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge is located due east about 20 minutes from Gatorland. This is about 45 minutes from most Kissimmee vacation home neighborhoods near Walt Disney World®.
Please note that the center was a little hard to find as the center’s address (10525 Clapp Simms Duda Road Orlando FL) did not initially register on our GPS. You’ll travel through Lake Nona off of Narcoosee Road, turn on Clapp Simms Duda Road and then travel all the way until the road ends at the Wildlife Rescue Center.
Stop by and support the Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge for a little educational and natural fun!
Orlando Vacation Homes 360 (OVH 360) is also a proud corporate supporter of the Friends of Florida Parks. Click here for more information on this volunteer citizen advocacy group that supports the preservation of Florida’s natural habitat and wetlands.
