About Us

ARC Wild began with a single sick baby raccoon.

In 2009, Sabetha native Sherri McNary was asked to help care for an injured baby raccoon after its owner could not find assistance. During her search for help, she connected with Dennis Dinwiddie of Northeast Kansas Wildlife Rescue (NEKSWR), who encouraged her to become involved in wildlife rehabilitation. Later that year, Sherri became a Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator with NEKSWR.

In 2015, Sherri joined the Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center as an education docent with the Gary K. Clarke Education Center. The following year, after surviving a broken neck and making a remarkable recovery, she became determined to expand wildlife rescue and education opportunities for rural Kansas communities. 

With guidance from wildlife professionals including Dennis Dinwiddie, Rachel Rost, Pat Silovsky, and Vanessa Avara, ARC Wild began to take shape in 2016. In spring 2017, ARC Wild welcomed its first animal ambassador and hosted its first public education program in Hiawatha, Kansas. The program was an immediate success, and within two years ARC Wild had reached more than 10,000 youth through live wildlife education and hands-on learning experiences.

As the organization grew, additional volunteers joined the rescue and education teams. During the COVID-19 pandemic, ARC Wild adapted by streaming educational programs while continuing wildlife rehabilitation efforts without interruption. During this time, Connie King and Daniela Rippe became Certified Wildlife Rehabilitators with NEKSWR, and Sherri became a Certified National Geographic Educator.

In 2022, ARC Wild resumed full programming and officially expanded its services to include wildlife rehabilitation independent of NEKSWR. This transition allowed ARC Wild to better serve the northernmost regions of Kansas and manage local rehabilitators directly. During this period, Dr. Jessica Stallbaumer and Clint Tegtmeier joined the ARC Wild team, while the organization focused on additional licensing, volunteer recruitment, and facility improvements.

That same year, ARC Wild assisted behind the scenes during the Washington, Kansas oil pipeline spill, helping support wildlife response efforts. In 2023, ARC Wild was invited to organize a First Responder wildlife team for future environmental emergencies in Kansas, further expanding its conservation mission.

In 2024, Cheyenne Colborn of White Cloud joined ARC Wild as a wildlife transporter and later became a Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator. ARC Wild also expanded its Ranger youth program to include 4th through 8th grade students with support from educators Kim Shaffer and Ashley Stalder. The organization now offers internships and scholarships for students pursuing careers in wildlife conservation and biology.

In April 2025, tragedy struck when ARC Wild’s wildlife rehabilitation facility was destroyed by fire during baby season. Despite the devastating loss, the ARC Wild team immediately began rebuilding efforts while continuing to care for an overwhelming number of incoming wildlife patients. Support from the wildlife community quickly followed, with partner organizations pledging equipment and supplies for a future facility. More than 780 wildlife were received by the ARC and the education facility was repurposed into a makeshift hospital.

Today, ARC Wild continues its mission of wildlife rehabilitation, conservation education, and community outreach across northeast Kansas and southeast Nebraska. Construction on a new facility is 60% complete. What began with one small raccoon has grown into a regional network of rehabilitators, educators, volunteers, and supporters dedicated to protecting native wildlife and inspiring future generations to care for the natural world.