How old mascara wands can help wildlife

Appalachian Wildlife Refuge, a nonprofit wildlife sanctuary in North Carolina, is asking people to donate used mascara wands so they can be used to help care for animals.

“Wands for Wildlife” took off in 2017 when wildlife rehabilitator and the refuge’s co-founder Savannah Trantham posted on her Facebook page asking for used wands. She said that instead of being thrown away, cleaned wands can be used to help the tiny critters in her care. The post was shared thousands of times and since then, the refuge has received hundreds of thousands of wands from every state in the U.S. and from places around the world, including Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy and Spain.

If you’d like to donate, clean old mascara wands in warm, soapy water, then mail them to:

Appalachian Wildlife Refuge
P.O. Box 1211
Skyland, North Carolina 28776

Be sure to check postage as some packages have arrived postage due.

If you don’t have mascara wands, the refuge asks that you don’t buy news ones. Instead you can help in other ways by collecting them from family and friends, by contributing to the refuge’s wish list or by making a financial donation.