AWARE is the vision of Michael Ellis, a wildlife rehabilitator and long-time Atlanta resident.

After spending 10 years as a wildlife rehabilitator in the Northwestern U.S., Michael Ellis returned to his home town of Atlanta, GA, which is situated in the second most densely forested area in the country.  Upon his return, Michael found that there was only one, small rehabilitation center serving the entire metro-Atlanta area.  A city the size of Atlanta typically finds 10,000-15,000 injured, sick, and orphaned wild animals each year, and this particular center could only care for several hundred.  Michael was determined to remedy this situation.

In 1999, Michael founded AWARE (a federally recognized 501(c)3) with the help of experienced wildlife rehabilitator, Melanie Haire, and a small group of concerned friends.  Michael and Melanie saw the desperate need for a major environmental education and wildlife rehabilitation center that would serve the entire metro-Atlanta area, and more broadly, the southeast. 

With grand dreams and absolutely no money, they began mustering volunteers and friends to help with the project.  Knowing that the center needed to be close to Atlanta to maintain a volunteer base and financial support, Michael followed the lead of other organizations around the country and contacted various government agencies, including state and county parks, as well as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to inquire about land that they would be willing to share with AWARE. Within a few months AWARE was working with DeKalb County Parks to find a suitable location for the center.

After 5 ½ years of searching, planning and convincing everyone involved that the idea was long overdue, DeKalb County and AWARE reached an agreement and signed a lease on the ideal location. DeKalb County very generously offered AWARE use of 7 acres with a house at Arabia Mountain. In return, AWARE would provide wildlife educational services to the county.  With this, AWARE was born.

AWARE is a private, federally recognized, 501 (c) 3, non-profit organization