In 1951, a New Jersey couple bought 185-acres of land as a summer retreat after which an injured owl turned their property into a wildlife refuge

In 1951, Jim and Betty Woodford bought 185 acres in what was then the largely undeveloped Medford Township, New Jersey, hoping to create a summer retreat. But the land became the foundation for a lifelong commitment to wildlife. According to the Cedar Run website, the couple soon fell in love with the Pinelands and chose to make the property their permanent home. Six years later, they had built a house overlooking the lake and established the ‘Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge.’ The turning point came when a local resident brought Betty an injured ‘Great Horned Owl’ and asked whether she could help. That single bird opened the door to a much larger mission. Over the following decades, the Woodfords devoted themselves in establishing a refuge, teaching others about nature and caring for wild animals that needed help and renewed hope.

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