About Us

Indiana Raptor Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue of injured or orphaned wild birds, their rehabilitation and their return to the wild. Read our entire Mission Statement.

Laura, KayLee, and Patti with Barred Owls
Laura, KayLee, and Patti prepare to release three Barred Owls back to the wild, where they belong.

InRC Staff

Patti Reynolds

Patti Reynolds with Moonshine the Barred Owl

President and executive director Patti Reynolds has been rehabilitating wildlife for 30 years. In May of 2004 she retired from a 30 year research and regulatory career at Eli Lilly and Company, and now devotes all her time to InRC rehabilitation, education programming and organizational administration. Beyond the knowledge base of 30 years in hard science, Patti has completed training offered by the International Wildlife Rehabilitator’s Council and has numerous hours of continuing education from the National Wildlife Rehabilitator’s Association. She has presented a co-authored paper on raptor rehabilitation cases and techniques at the NWRA symposium in Nashville, TN.

Laura Edmunds

Laura Edmunds with Thunderin'Ben

Laura Edmunds joined InRC in 2003 as Vice-President, Director of Education, and Curator. She is a Master Falconer and uses knowledge of those practices to enhance the rehabilitation technique portfolio of InRC. Building on a medical background of emergency and surgical nursing, her training includes four externships at the University of Minnesota Raptor Center, completion of Raptors in Education and Raptory Theater symposia at the World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis, MO, and numerous continuing education hours from the National Wildlife Rehabilitator’s Association. She has presented on the value of the falconer-rehabilitator relationship to successful raptor rehabilitation at the NWRA symposium in Nashville, TN. Before joining InRC in 2003, she founded Soarin’ Hawk Avian Rescue in Fort Wayne, IN. She has been rehabilitating birds of prey for 30 years, and is affectionately known as the “braintrust” of InRC when it comes to education resources and medical rehabilitation procedures.

KayLee Witt

KayLee Witt with Oberon the Barn Owl

KayLee is a member of our board of directors and a most valuable volunteer. She has been volunteer working with raptors since 1998. She has many education hours from the National Wildlife Rehabilitator’s Association, and has completed the Raptory Theater program at the World Bird Sanctuary. Kaylee is indispensable at InRC and with her technical background is capable of wearing any hat that we toss on her head – rescuer, bird handler, educator, rehab assistant, tour guide or maintenance engineer! She is our very own MacGyver – and it is good to have one.

Domonic Potorti

Domonic Potorti with Mowgli the Great Horned Owl

Dom came to InRC in 2008 due to interests in all things owl. He is an extremely valuable and dedicated volunteer, sitting on our board as Secretary and also working as a bird handler and an educator lecturing on the natural history of Indiana raptors. Dom has continuing education credits from the National Wildlife Rehabilitator’s Association in the areas of physical therapy, biofacting, and other raptor-related topics. He is pictured here with Mowgli, our mal-imprinted Great Horned Owl, who considers him to be her very best friend. Dom has a Master’s Degree in Central Eurasian Studies (Turkish focus) and a Bachelor’s in Anthropology. By day, he is an immigration expert assisting international students at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.

Keith Collins

Keith Collins with Oberon the Barn Owl

Keith is a board member and one of our most dedicated volunteers, having come to InRC in 2008 due to a fascination with owls. He is one of our most prolific educators, lecturing on the natural history of Indiana raptors, and manages our Facebook page as it documents our successes, challenges, and adventures. He has continuing education credits from the National Wildlife Rehabilitator’s Association in raptor-related topics including physical therapy and biofacting. Due to the need to preserve his fingers for his other professional pursuit as a classically-trained musician, Keith handles smaller birds such as kestrels and screech owls. He is an adjunct professor of Early Music at Indiana University and has earned a DM in period (Baroque) bassoon from Indiana University.

Scott DeCoursey

Scott DeCoursey and his Red Tail Hawk, Kona.

Scott visited the InRC as a guest in 2015 and became a volunteer on the spot. He has enjoyed helping with bird rescues and pickups as well as maintenance of the facilities at the center. By day Scott works in technology and is assisting InRC with technology updates and ongoing maintenance. In 2018 Scott passed his Indiana Falconry examination and embarked on becoming a falconer. He enjoys training patients from the center to verify their ability to live in the wild and then releasing back to the wild.