Wildlife Conservation Center - Grand Opening Public Event

Join us for the Grand Opening of the Susquehannock Wildlife Conservation Center on April 12th and 13th, 2025, at 1725 Trappe Church Road, Darlington, Maryland. After a decade of consistent and steadfast commitment to renovating a farmhouse into a state-of-the-art interpretive center, we are excited to open our doors to the public on this very special occasion! The Susquehannock Wildlife Conservation Center features detailed live animal aquariums in realistic settings, engaging exhibits that highlight some of the wildlife and habitat specialities of the Lower Susquehanna Region, intricately designed interpretive signage, as well as indoor and outdoor classrooms. Our property features an outdoor amphitheater, a fire ring with picnic tables and benches, a kid's play area, a wildlife viewing and stargazing platform, and trails that cut through meadows, along a stream, and through a forested hillside.

Our Grand Opening offers a first look at the Susquehannock Wildlife Conservation Center and will consist of an indoor and outdoor tour and a hike around the property. The tour will begin with a brief introductory talk in the outdoor classroom, then we will showcase the exhibits, aquariums, and interpretive signage indoors, then the tour will end with a hike around the property. Tours will take approximately 2 hours to complete and our tour time slots will be held from 10:00 am–12:00 pm, 1:00 pm–3:00 pm, and 4:00 pm–6:00 pm on April 13th, 2025 for the general public with tours for members on April 12th. Please reserve a ticket for your preferred time slot so we can gauge how many people will be in attendance for each tour. We have limited onsite parking, so you must reserve a ticket beforehand. If you arrive at a tour late, you can choose to join the tour late or let us know so we can try to accommodate you on the next tour time slot.

We envision that the Susquehannock Wildlife Conservation Center will be a local headquarters for wildlife education, rescue, and conservation research. Our interpretive signage, live animal aquariums, wildlife and habitat exhibits, and classrooms will provide an opportunity for visitors of all ages to learn about the organisms and landscapes that make the Lower Susquehanna Region unique. The Wildlife Conservation Center will serve as a training center and home base for our wildlife rescue efforts. Our facility will also be our central location for planning research and conservation actions from our office space. Additionally, the Susquehannock Wildlife Conservation Center will be a location for research and conservation projects such as our ongoing efforts for the State Insect, the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly, headstarting efforts for declining species, and projects that have yet to be launched. Our longterm plan is to allow access on a limited basis so our property can remain a place where wildlife is flourishing and where our visitors can come to have unique wildlife and natural history experiences. After the Grand Opening weekend, we will be open for events and special occasions until we can expand our staff, which will allow us to have a consistent schedule for public visitation.

Preparing the Susquehannock Wildlife Conservation Center for its Grand Opening has been a tremendous undertaking and would not be possible without the support of like-minded organizations, local businesses and individuals who made our vision possible by contributing time, materials, funds, and additional means of support. The Grand Opening marks the beginning of a new era and a period of immense growth for Susquehannock Wildlife Society, including our new membership! We will be continuing to rely on the generous donations and sponsorships from our members, local individuals, organizations, businesses and grant funded opportunities.

Host or Publisher Susquehannock Wildlife Society, Inc.