When I knew...

Animals have always been part of my story. In 2017, I became a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and spent years working with small mammals — especially squirrels — through the Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island. Rehab work is beautiful and meaningful, but it can also be emotionally draining and heartbreaking.

A couple of summers ago, after losing a large group of squirrels to an untreatable illness, I found myself burnt out and questioning everything. That experience made me pause and really listen to where my heart was shifting.

I realized I didn’t want to stop helping animals — but I wanted to help in more than one way. Wildlife rehab will always be part of my life and part of the Boulderwood mission. I’ll continue focusing on small mammals and taking in wildlife when needed in my area — it’s work I’m deeply connected to and always will be.

But I also knew I wanted something different alongside it — something long-term. Something where animals who couldn’t be released, or who were abandoned, misunderstood, or unwanted, could have a safe, permanent home.

Last summer, I finally gave myself space to slow down and breathe. In that quiet, the dream I’d been carrying for years became impossible to ignore:

✨ A sanctuary — not for wildlife, but for domestic small exotics and eventually farm animals.✨ A place where their story doesn’t end in uncertainty, but in safety and dignity.✨ A space where people could also come to heal, reconnect with nature, and feel like they belong.

And that’s how Boulderwood was born.

So to be clear: Boulderwood is not a wildlife sanctuary — but wildlife rehabilitation remains a meaningful, ongoing piece of the work I do and the heart behind this mission. It's just no longer the only piece.

This new chapter feels aligned, hopeful, and full of purpose. And every day I wake up grateful to be building this dream — one step, one animal, one story at a time. 🤍🌿

-Elisha Zonfrilli

Founder & Exec. Director, Boulderwood