Since 2000 I've been involved with the West Virginia Raptor Rehabilitation Center, an all-volunteer 501-c-3 nonprofit organization. Our mission is to rehabilitate and release injured and orphaned birds of prey while inspiring environmental understanding through education for the benefit of all living things. I began as a rehabilitation volunteer, cutting up dead rats to feed injured hawks and owls and cleaning out cages. Then, in 2002, I became Education Director. In addition to training and caring for the WVRRC's non-releasable education birds, I was responsible for scheduling and developing environmental education programs, recruiting volunteers, and communicating with the public. I had to step down as Ed Director when I moved from West Virginia to Blacksburg in 2004, but I still served on the WVRRC's Board of Directors. In the summer of 2009 I moved back to Morgantown, and I've resumed the position of Education Director. I also edit and produce the center's quarterly newsletter, The Falcon, and maintain the center's website, www.wvrrc.org. Contact me if you'd like to schedule an environmental education program!

This is Vader, a non-releasable turkey vulture. He was shot in the right shoulder and cannot fly well enough to survive on his own. I'm currently training him so he can become an ambassador for his species, traveling to schools, scout groups, 4-H camps, etc. It's certainly not the life he would have chosen, but hopefully Vader's participation in educational programs will help prevent other turkey vultures from suffering a similar fate.