About Us
The Executive Directors, Janine and Susan, are both licensed rehabilitators who work closely with the public, municipalities, and other agencies to rescue and rehabilitate injured and orphaned animals, with the goal to release them back to the wild. Their unique approach to blending homeopathy and allopathy in treating animals has stood out amongst their peers and other rehabbers alike.
As a 501(c)(3), we rely solely on donations from individuals and businesses to drive our mission. The support that we receive from the community is essential to what we do. In turn, we strive to give back to the public through education and service.
Our Mission:
Rescue, Rehabilitate, Release
Meet Our Team
History
Pocono Wildlife Center was founded in 1983 and incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1988.
Katherine (Dubin) Uhler was born and raised in Pennsylvania. She spent a great deal of time in the wilds of PA, and decided to earn her teaching and Biology/Environmental Science degrees at East Stroudsburg University of PA. During the summer of 1980, she served an internship and volunteered at other wildlife rehabilitation centers. She fell in love with rehabilitation so much so that she became a licensed rehabilitator that winter.
The early years of PWREC were modest, working first from the spare bedroom of her mobile home residence, then moving to her own property in Tobyhanna. Kathy supported herself with her full-time career as an Ecology teacher at Stroudsburg HS, while building the Center into a professional, all-species care facility. Educational programming was offered and became one of her favorite aspects of serving both wildlife and people. Kathy received Sigma Xi Science Teacher of the Year, Monroe County Environmental Educator of the year, and PA Environmental Educator of the year.
During the 1990s, Kathy earned her Master’s Degree in Wildlife Biology and Disease, and the Center grew to where volunteers and interns helped manage the increasing number of animals arriving for care. At the same time, Mt. Pocono and Tobyhanna were growing, and the small municipal airport down the road began service to corporate jets and larger aircraft. Pocono Wildlife found itself in the landing zone, a situation intolerable to wildlife already stressed from injury and captivity. Just as she was ready to close permanently, Kathy, who had met and married Eric Uhler, were offered the lease of a vacant farm purchased by The Nature Conservancy, in Cherry Valley, Stroudsburg PA. They jumped at the opportunity to continue to serve wildlife and the community at large, moved the entire facility and vacated their home to create the Pocono Wildlife that exists today. After years of renovations, building new enclosures and converting apartments into clinic and office space, the Center became one of the most notable facilities in the Commonwealth. The Nature Conservancy sold PWREC the piece of the property it leased and it now has a permanent location.
Kathy stepped down as Executive Director in the fall of 2022, in order to have more time to devote to providing educational programming, writing, and helping care for the growing number of animals, particularly raptors, carnivores, and bear cubs being admitted each year. And perhaps… a vacation. Ms. Uhler does not see a time when she won’t be serving wildlife and people in northeastern PA. She and Eric currently reside in Stroudsburg.
1-833-PGC-WILD