On a sunny afternoon in April 2010, Betsy Shank was mowing the grass in front of her home in Millersville. After seeing what initially appeared to be a dead baby squirrel, Shank cut the engine and rushed to take a closer look. The little kit was still alive, so Shank raced to her computer and searched for advice on how to best help the animal. Sixteen years later, Shank has dedicated her life to rescuing local wildlife as the founder and executive director of Acorn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation.

Located at 2100 Stone Mill Road in Lancaster, Acorn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation is a nonprofit organization that rehabilitates native prey species and Virginia opossums, in addition to educating the community on the animals it serves. At the facility, Shank and a team of volunteers provide medical stabilization, nutrition and housing for injured animals such as squirrels, rabbits and groundhogs to help them recover and return to the wild with minimal human imprinting.

After severe storms and a tornado tore through Lancaster County in August, local residents began sifting through debris to find the extent of the damage and clean up their yards. Many people discovered they weren't the only ones affected by the destructive weather; hundreds of animals were left injured or displaced in the storm's wake, including mothers that left behind nests of their young. Within a few days, the lobby of Acorn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation was packed with leaf-covered locals who halted their storm cleanup to bring baby rabbits, squirrels and mice in need of care. Although the rehabilitation facility had just closed its intake office, Shank contacted Red Creek Wildlife Center in Schuylkill Haven as soon as she heard a major storm was about to hit the county. "I said 'Hey, I'm closed, but trees and houses are going to come down. People aren't going to drive over an hour to bring these animals to you,'" Shank said. "They said if I took the animals in and got them stabilized, I could transfer them to Red Creek. So we just opened the doors."

Within two days, Acorn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation took in more than 100 animals affected by the storm. Assisted by a team of volunteers, Shank and her husband, David Aichele, stabilized as many of the animals as they could before transferring them to Red Creek Wildlife Center. Any of the rescues still in need of medical attention remained at Acorn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation to recover. "People were in the middle of cleaning up what happened to their homes, but they were compassionate enough to prioritize helping these baby animals. It was just amazing," said Aichele, Shank's righthand man and steadfast supporter who's helped with everything from construction projects to emergency rescues since she founded Acorn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation in 2021.

Acorn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation moved to its current location in November 2024, an expansion that greatly increased the organization's capacity for rescued animals and the specialized equipment necessary to care for them. Although a major fundraising campaign made the expansion possible, Shank continues to rely on community support to cover the rehabilitation center's expenses, as well as help from volunteer staff members. In September, Acorn Acres Rehabilitation Center launched Second Chance Circle, a community of monthly donors who can contribute any amount to support the organization. "It's a whole lot of people giving a little bit that are going to make a whole lot of second chances possible," said Shank. "Every donation helps us give another animal a second chance."

In addition to joining Second Chance Circle, community members who wish to support Acorn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation may become volunteers to assist with various aspects of the operation. "People can help with animal care or other things that are crazy important for us but don't require contact with the animals," said Shank.

To learn more about Second Chance Circle or volunteer opportunities at Acorn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation, visit https://acornacreswr.com or stop by the facility's annual open house on Friday, Nov. 20, at 5 p.m.