Stephanie Streeter, a long-time hawk watcher and bird enthusiast, became the second female falconer in the history of the State of Massachusetts in 1980. Those aware of her interest in and knowledge of raptors would bring her the injured raptors they found. She and fellow falconer/husband Bill realized a need for a rehabilitator in the area and sought the training and licensing to fill that need. Stephanie founded the North Quabbin Raptor Rehabilitation Center. In 1984, the Streeters were recruited back to their home state of Pennsylvania by the Natural Science for Youth Foundation's Natural Science Solar Center. At their request, Stephanie started a raptor rehabilitation and education program; however, 2 years later, the residential environmental center closed, leaving Stephanie and the birds without a job or funding. With Bill, they incorporated the Delaware Valley Raptor Center in 1987 as a not-for-profit rehabilitation center in Milford, PA. Stephanie is chairwoman of the Board of Trustees, she writes for and edits the DVRC Journal that is published semi-annually and reaches the center's membership across the country. She also orchestrates the center's educational programming.
Bill Streeter, with a bachelor's degree in biology and master's in zoology, followed his wife's lead and became a falconer in MA and assisted in the rehabilitation of injured birds. He participated in a by-invitation-only course provided by Tufts University Vet School called the Leadership Program in Wildlife Medicine and Rehabilitation. After completing the program, Bill brought to the center the ability to do its own lab work (parasitology and blood work), drug dosages, immobilization, x-rays, diagnoses, etc., limiting the center's dependency on veterinarians to surgery and consults. As a result, birds admitted at night or weekends or even weekdays received immediate professional care. In exchange, Tufts sought the Streeter's assistance in establishing proper raptor housing and handling in their wildlife clinic. Bill continued to work as an environmental educator for organizations in Mass. when the Streeters moved to the Solar Center in Milford, PA. There, Bill was hired as the director of the Solar Center's environmental education. When the Solar Center lost its funding and the Delaware Valley Raptor Center was incorporated, Bill became the Director of DVRC. He and Stephanie direct DVRC's rehabilitation. Bill trains and uses live hawks, eagles, falcons, and owls for the 120+ presentations to schools, camps, scouts, and a variety of other groups each year. He is responsible for the care of the birds in residence at the center and built their enclosures and designed and constructed the clinic at the lakeside site of DVRC as well as renovated the Cummins Hill site house into a clinic, isolation unit, and office.
Jan Lucciola's life long interest in wildlife led her to a bachelors degree in biology and an internship in environmental education at a center near Milford, PA, eventually taking a full-time position in environmental ed. During that time, Jan completed a State required two year internship at DVRC to become a licensed rehabilitator. After passing PA's written and oral testing and obtaining her federal permit in 1990, Jan has been involved in the center's rehabilitation, as well as training and using hawks, eagles, falcons, and owls for educational programs at schools and environmental education centers. She also writes for the DVRC Journal and assists in the care of the resident birds.
Volunteers provide invaluable assistance with building projects, DVRC's booth at the Annual NE PA Audubon Society's Craft Fair, special events scheduled for DVRC members, and this web site.
Intern opportunities are very limited as the center has no funding available for a stipend. Of the three staff members, only one has a small full-time salary and one a small part-time salary. All three staff members, however, invest full-time hours into the center while two maintain other jobs.