Our story began in 2015 in Severna Park, MD, where a local pair of ospreys inspired our founders, Mark and Heather Jeweler, to make a positive impact on the lives of these magnificent and unique birds.
The ospreys had been displaced by construction. The Jewelers intervened to get a dedicated osprey stand installed at the local high school, with a live streaming camera, to allow the ospreys a safe, new nesting location and allow the community to observe and better understand them.
The success of this project and the public interest in it led Mark and Heather to seek a more hands-on and direct way to help more birds of prey.
They volunteered at two different rehabilitation centers, one dedicated to all birds, and the other specializing in birds of prey. This gave them a great deal of satisfaction and led to the realization that raptor rehabilitation was what they wanted to dedicate their lives to. Thus began the process of our apprenticeship leading to our state rehabilitation permitting.
In 2017, they formed a nonprofit raptor-exclusive rehabilitation center.
Despite their passion and dedication, Mark and Heather faced significant challenges with zoning and permits in Maryland. After an absurdly lengthy process, they made the difficult decision to deconstruct the facilities they built, sell their home, and move to rural Loudoun County, Virginia. This move provided them significantly more property and allowed them to establish a raptor rehabilitation center in an area with more supportive zoning regulations. This led to us becoming Loudoun Valley Raptor Center.
We have dedicated ourselves to helping to ensure the survival and well-being of raptors in our region, providing a rehabilitation center where birds of prey can receive the care and attention they need to return to the wild – healthy, strong, and thriving.
Our passion is to promote raptor conservation through our rehabilitation work, community outreach, and education. We believe in the importance of protecting these remarkable birds, as they play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.