About Us

 ABOUT US

Who

We Are

Rescuing Ocala Wildlife (ROW) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating on a 100% volunteer-basis in Marion County, Florida. Our core objective is to rescue injured, sick, and orphaned wild animals. We accomplish this by using compassionate methods to capture and transport wildlife to licensed rehabbers.


We proudly serve the communities of Marion, Citrus, Lake, and Sumter counties, extending our reach to provide assistance where it's needed most. Our dedicated Wildlife Rescuers literally go the "extra mile", traveling long distances to rescue animals in need, and sometimes driving over an hour each way for a single animal.


We rely solely on the support of individual donations and the invaluable contribution of our volunteers, as we do not receive any funding from the city, state, or federal government. All funds and supplies donated to our work are invested back into our mission, and not used to pay salaries. At ROW, we prioritize the well-being and conservation of wildlife in our region. Through the generosity and unwavering dedication of our supporters, we can continue our vital work in rescuing wild animals, ensuring a brighter future for them and our community.

Board of Directors

Mikayla Frierson

President & Founder

Mikayla founded Rescuing Ocala Wildlife (ROW) after moving to Marion County in 2022 and is proud to serve as Board President. She is passionate about humane education, conservation, and values cultivating a love for wildlife and the outdoors within future generations. Mikayla has experience in nonprofit animal welfare as well as veterinary medicine, and has now returned to to school to obtain a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. She has always been particularly enamored with Florida's wildlife and their welfare and especially loves birds of prey. You can find Mikayla doing anything from field rescues to talking to the community about our wildlife, and loving every second of it!

Leslye Hardin

Vice President

Leslye is a Veterinary Hospital Manager in Asheville, North Carolina. She has studied both Veterinary Medicine and Business Management at Purdue and Kent State University. Leslye taught Animal Education and Environmental Awareness at Walt Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and she now enjoys spending time hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway and chasing waterfalls in Pisgah National Forest. Before hospital management, Leslye worked in shelter medicine and animal rescue for over ten years. Leslye believes a love for wildlife is essential to understand and appreciate our own place in the world.

Teresa Boyda

Secretary

Teresa has always loved the great outdoors, growing up tent camping with her family and being a Girl Guide in Northern Ontario, Canada. Moving to Florida in 2000 with her husband and son, her affinity for the outdoors continues with regular camping trips to different state parks and remote recreation areas. She believes that being surrounded by nature, and its flora and fauna, rejuvenates and uplifts the spirit and restores the mind, body, and soul. With genuine love and compassion for others, Teresa volunteered for many years with fundraising events for organizations that support at-risk youth and their families in South Florida before relocating to Central Florida in July 2021.

Samantha Jarvis

Treasurer 

Sam Jarvis grew up in Michigan and loved catching toads, frogs, and filling the bird feeders with her grandmother. Escaping snow, she began her journey in professional animal advocacy by moving to Las Cruces, NM, where she joined the Spay and Neuter Action Program as a vet assistant and outreach member. She obtained a BS in Fish and Wildlife Science and finished her MS in Parks and Natural Resource Management while working at natural history museums and monuments. Since moving to Florida 10 years ago, she has worked in numerous local government park systems incorporating programming and policy. Working within the Manatee Protection Plan in South Florida was a highlight in her career. Now settled in Ocala, her goal is to train and mentor others to help protect natural resources and the wildlife that we coexist with. She is happy to raise her 2 boys with her husband in such a unique part of Florida.

Jamie Himes

Officer

Jamie is originally from Long Island, NY where she previously held a wildlife rehabilitation license and worked as a veterinary technician at a specialty hospital in both the ICU and ophthalmology departments. Prior to that, she worked in Shelter Medicine in California, where she primarily took care of farm animals, exotics, and cats. She moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, in 2011 to work in general practice veterinary medicine. Here in Florida she has volunteered her time with the Birds of Prey at Boyd Hill and has focused on getting low-income families help with vaccinating their pets all over the state. Additionally, she has focused her work on preventative care medicine and general practice by specializing in the care of her feline patients. Jamie also works with several local rescues bottle-feeding orphaned neonatal kittens and works in conservation, focusing on the aquaculture of corals. She holds a BA in Culture and Society and looks forward to starting her Masters in Anthrozoology in the coming year.

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