Meet Martha Frassica-Rivera | Curator and Owner of Everglades Outpost Wildlife Sanctuary

We had the good fortune of connecting with Martha Frassica-Rivera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Martha, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
As one of South Florida’s largest non profit animal sanctuary (we care for and house over 600 animals) we provide an invaluable free service. We take animals that are hurt or injured or simply unwanted. Once they arrive at our sanctuary, depending on the species, we either rehabilitate them and release them or place them in proper homes. If they can not be placed (not everyone can take in a 1,500 lb camel ) , they become permanent residents. The animals that live here would had nowhere else to go and would had been euthanized. As we do not receive state or county funding, we are contingent on the generosity of our community in order to continue rescuing animals. Every life matters and every life is worth saving.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We are a hidden gem! I think one of the things I am most proud of is our commitment to always do right by the animals. That means we do not do anything that might get us a viral video or some quick cash but would hurt the animals. We are a sanctuary first and foremost and their care is at the top of our list. I am excited about all of the upgrades we are building! We have recently laid down over 1,700 feet of pipe for electrical and high pressure water so we can do night events. We put in over 10,000 pounds of rock so our path is no longer muddy and we are finalizing our new gift shop. Most importantly, we have begun habitat upgrades and will have most of the animals in upgraded habitats by the end of the year.

I have been with the Eop for over 10 years. It has taken me thousands of hours to get my permits, and a lot of sweat, blood and tears. There is not a task here that I have not done, from vaccinating to mucking stalls. I worked full time in an E.R for a lot of the early years, completing 12 hours shifts and coming straight to the Eop to volunteer. All of that has helped me get to where I am today, business-wise. It absolutely was not easy, but it was worth every minute to be able to call the Everglades Outpost home now. I had a lot of help along the way. Plus copious amounts of coffee haha! I have developed thick skin because of it. Being a women running this sanctuary was not always easy. The times I showed up somewhere and the staff thought I was just a bag holder when in reality I was the person there with the permits and animals, or have jumped on the bobcat (the machine not the animal) and have had people’s jaws drop. Or called out our 12 foot American Crocodile for a training show and had the guests be completely surprised that is was a women training such a massive reptile.

I want the world to know that while the Everglades Outpost may be small, we are big in heart. The Miami Herald once called us “Small but Scrappy” but as a non profit, we use our limited funding to ensure that we can help as many animals as possible, no matter the size. We love to offer educational tours and shows to the public on how to co-exist with the animals in our backyard and how to learn to live peacefully with them.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Eat: Taqueria Morelia in Florida City and Havana Spice in Homestead. Visit: The Everglades National Park, especially at during the sunset(but drive carefully so you do not hit any critters)

Hang Out: The beaches in the Florida Key’s are so relaxing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people, it is hard to name just one! Our amazing volunteers who dedicate so much of their time to ensuring that all of the sentient beings that call our sanctuary home are loved and cared for. Our amazing medical team! The endless effort of all of our vets, who donate the majority of their time making sure that the animals get the best medical care there is. Personally, my family. My children and husband who have always supported me in, my mom who helps me so much and has always supported my love of animals. My mentor, Bob, who is the founder of Everglades Outpost and who I am so grateful to for taking me under his wing and entrusting me with his legacy and teaching me so much of what I know.

Website: evergladesoutpost.org

Instagram: @evergladesoutpost

Facebook: @evergladesoutpost