Meet Our Team!
We are incredibly fortunate to have such a talented, passionate, and hard-working staff. Together, they strive to "Keep Them Flying" by providing the best care possible for our birds.
Erin Allison
A hometown girl who graduated from our local Coral Shores High School, Erin spent her teenage years growing up in Key Largo with her dad, stepmom, and siblings. She attended Florida International University to earn her undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, specializing in Education, Biodiversity Conservation and Management, and Team Management. During this time, she served as the Outreach Coordinator at FKWBC. Erin spent 2 years in West Virginia to conduct research on freshwater crayfish and pursue a Masters of Science in Biology degree at West Liberty University. She is delighted to be back in a subtropical climate with her feathered friends and Australian Cattle Dog, Cinch!
Bayleigh MacHaffie
Bayleigh left her hometown in Western MA to attend Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, NC. After graduating with a dual degree in Wildlife Biology, with a concentration in Wildlife Rehabilitation, and Psychology, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in the wildlife field. She completed internships at Mystic Aquarium's Animal Rescue Clinic, White Oak Conservation Center, and even here at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center! She worked for nearly two years as a Wildlife Rehabilitator at the Carolina Waterfowl Rescue and volunteered at the Carolina Raptor Center before taking a permanent position working with FKWBC in November of 2019. Bayleigh is a Florida state permitted Wildlife Rehabilitator, an IWRC Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator (CWR), and is our federal permit holder.
Greg Russ
Greg grew up in Oak Park, IL, a suburb of Chicago. While studying pre-veterinary medicine at University of Minnesota Twin Cities, he discovered that he loved working with birds. After graduating, Greg volunteered and interned at a variety of rehabilitation centers in Minnesota and Vermont and worked at the Raptor Education Group Inc. in Wisconsin as an Avian Technician and volunteer coordinator. He joined FKWBC as the Wildlife Rehabilitator at the end of October 2020. In his spare time, he loves bird watching, photography, and hiking. Greg is a Florida state permitted Wildlife Rehabilitator and an IWRC Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator (CWR).
Sara Read
Education & Outreach Coordinator
outreach@keepthemflying.org
(305) 852-4486 ext. 6
Sara was born and raised in New Jersey and grew up visiting the Lower Keys.
She attended Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania and graduated in 2021 with a Biology degree and Writing minor. Since graduating she has interned at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in North Carolina, worked at marine biology summer camps in North Carolina and the British Virgin Islands and most recently worked for Shoals Marine Laboratory in Maine. In her free time Sara enjoys SCUBA diving, reading, hiking and exploring new places. Sara is excited to join the FKWBC team and share her passion for conservation and environmental education!
Delaney Galbraith
Delaney grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and moved to Columbus, Ohio to attend Otterbein University. There she triple majored in Zoo and conservation science, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Biology. During her studies she completed internships in research, field work, rehabilitation, and zoo keeping. Throughout her studies she continued to work in wildlife rehabilitation at the Ohio Wildlife Center. After graduation she pursued field research at the Cape Parrot Project in South Africa, however, she missed wildlife rehabilitation. She turned to the Ohio Wildlife Center working in their hospital. In order to better her knowledge for wildlife patients, she took a position at an exotics clinic and then MedVet prior to accepting a full-time position at the Ohio Wildlife Center as the Pre-Release Facility Manager. She has now ventured down south to join the FKWBC as a wildlife rehabilitator in March of 2024.
Ken Lorber
Facilities Maintenance
"I am a nature lover. I like to help all animals, make people happy, save the world, and believe in the good. My hobbies are to be a friend and to try to learn and do work."