Virginia

Wildlife Center of Virginia President and Co-founder Ed Clark to retire in March

Published

2 years ago

January 18, 2024

Wildlife Center of Virginia President and Co-founder Ed Clark to retire in March

WAYNESBORO, Va. (WHSV) – After 41 years Ed Clark, the President and Co-Founder of the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro, is preparing to retire in March. WHSV spoke with Clark about his life’s work with the center and how it grew into the internationally recognized success it is today.

“My personal love of wildlife came because I had wonderful mentors and the opportunity to spend a lot of time outdoors as a kid. It taught me a lot about life, taught me a lot about the environment and the natural world around us, and gave me a sense of responsibility to take care of it,” said Clark.

In 1982 the Wildlife Center of Virginia was born out of a conversation between four friends: Dr. Stuart Porter, a veterinarian and former director of the Blue Ridge Community College veterinary technician program, his wife Terry, a veterinary technician, Ed Clark, who had a background in conservation policy, and Clark’s former wife, Nancy Sheffield, who was also a veterinary technician.

“Members of the public found out Dr. Porter had been a zoo veterinarian and was very skilled and knowledgeable in wildlife medicine. So people were bringing him wild animals at the college but unfortunately, he didn’t have any place to put them,” said Clark. “Within five weeks after that conversation the Wildlife Center of Virginia was incorporated and the rest is history.”

Clark said at the time the four of them had no idea how far things would go.

“There are times even today that I look around me and can’t believe that we have come as far as we have. Going on 42 years now we’ve treated nearly 100,000 wild patients. We started with four volunteers and no budget and we now have 36 full-time employees,” said Clark.

At 72 years old and with the Wildlife Center entering a period of growth and expansion that will likely take several years to complete he felt the time was right to step away. However, he said it is always difficult to walk away from something you love.

“I get to do a lot of fun things, there’s no question about that. Releasing bald eagles is something that is a pretty rare experience and something that I’ve done scores of times and every single one makes my heart stop, there’s just nothing like it,” said Clark.

Over the last four decades, Clark helped mold the Wildlife Center into the leading teaching hospital for wildlife medicine in the world.

“We have students coming to us from every vet school in the United States and Canada and students and professionals from 40 other countries come to our facility in Waynesboro to learn from the best,” Clark said.

Over the years Clark and the wildlife center played a prominent on three TV shows: Virginia Outdoors, Animal Planet’s weekly series Wildlife Emergency, and the current PBS show Untamed which has won four Telly awards and was nominated for an Emmy.

Clark said these shows all helped spread the word about the Wildlife Center and its mission.

“The mission of the wildlife center is not fixing broken animals. The mission of the wildlife center is teaching the world to care about and care for wildlife and the environment and that’s what we do every single day in everything we do,” Clark said.

Clark said that education has always been the most important part of the Wildlife Center.

“For me, the greatest satisfaction comes when somebody will say to me ‘Ya know I learned…’ whatever it was from the Wildlife Center. ‘I learned to love eagles, I learned to keep my cat indoors, I learned to take care of the environment’ Whatever it is, teaching is really my passion. . It’s the purpose of our organization and everything we do including our medical work is all about that. So while we’re caring for 100 thousand patients, while doing that we are training the next generation of veterinarians and wildlife rehabilitators,” Clark said.

As the Wildlife Center moves toward its future Clark said there are new challenges it has to deal with.

“Reaching people and getting their attention in this ocean of technology and stimulation and information is becoming increasingly a challenge because on social media there is just so much misinformation and frankly just garbage out there about wildlife. People instead of calling experts a lot of times will find an injured animal and go to Facebook where they don’t always get good information,” Clark said.

Another challenge for the center is adjusting to the impacts that large wind farms and solar arrays have on raptors and other types of flying wildlife.

As he prepares to retire Clark said all the Wildlife Center’s work has been a team effort since the beginning.

“The thing that gives me the greatest amount of pride is the group of people with whom I’ve been blessed to associate with. We have from the absolute beginning had people who cared deeply, who were highly committed, highly motivated, highly skilled, and working together we have made this difference,” said Clark.

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Related Topics:animals conservation Ed Clark Featured Founder Waynesboro wildlife center of virginia

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Virginia

Flu cases climb across Virginia, state reaches highest totals in years

Published

22 minutes ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Flu cases climb across Virginia, state reaches highest totals in years

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – Flu cases are climbing across Virginia, reaching some of the highest levels the commonwealth has seen in years.

According to the Virginia Department of Health, over 21% of all emergency department visits in the northwest region this flu season were for respiratory illnesses. Rachel Dumene, spokesperson for the Central Shenandoah Health District, said while viruses can mutate and cause symptoms that are more severe, she said the challenge this year is how fast the flu is spreading.

“Sometimes they can mutate to create new symptoms or become more severe. However, that’s not what we’re seeing this year,” Dumene said. “This is a pretty average flu. However, the thing that’s different about it is that it’s spreading at a more rapid pace.“

That faster spread is leading to more infections overall, and more people experiencing serious symptoms. Children make up the largest share of flu-related emergency room visits in the region, which is why Dumene said vaccination remains one of the best tools to keep people out of the hospital.

“Even though this flu virus seems to be spreading at a higher rate than previous years, the flu vaccine still helps prevent against severe illness,” she said. “It is possible that people who get vaccinated can still get the flu. However, this can keep them from experiencing very negative consequences or having to go to the emergency room.”

It’s still not too late to get vaccinated, Dumene said. Protection develops about two weeks after the shot, and peak flu season often doesn’t arrive until February. She also recommended washing hands frequently, covering coughs and sneezes and staying home when sick to slow the spread.

What hospitals are seeing

Augusta Health Public Relations Manager Kristen Printy said regional hospitals and emergency medical services are working together to manage a seasonal increase in patients to make sure people across the region receive the care they need.

Flu problems(WHSV)

“This season has brought an increase in patients, and it’s important that hospitals and EMS agencies continue to work closely together,” said Crystal Farmer, MBA, MSN, RN, FACHE, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Augusta Health. “By coordinating our efforts, we can help ensure patients get the right care, in the right place, at the right time, even when demand is higher.”

Robert Garwood, VP, Chief Medical Officer Sentara RMH Medical Center said increased ER volume secondary of the flu has translated into increased hospital admissions of these patients.

“The current flu vaccine does not cover the strain that’s circulating throughout our area really well, which has resulted in patients with some significant illness. This is again translated to increase hospital patient censuses and less bed availability, which also impacts our ED,” Garwood said.

Augusta Health added that people should always seek emergency care for serious or life-threatening conditions. For less urgent needs, people are encouraged to consider primary care, urgent care, or telehealth options when appropriate.

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Virginia

The Good, Bad and Ugly From Virginia’s Dominant Win Over California

Published

12 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

The Virginia Cavaliers clinched yet another conference win last night, this time against California. Overall, this has been a remarkable season for the Cavaliers thus far, with few hiccups along the way. Their latest victory came with a stunning 84-60 finish, but as the story goes, there are still areas that need attention. With that, let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of last night’s meeting.

The Good

Jan 7, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs de Ridder (28) passes the ball around California Golden Bears forward John Camden (2) during the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers are undoubtedly more consistent on offense — they’ve encountered quite a few challenges defensively. However, last night appeared to be a bit of a turning point, said cautiously. The Golden Bears’ efforts with the ball were met with great resistance from UVA. Malik Thomas, in particular, has made strides on both sides of the ball, but his defensive improvements have been noteworthy. As head coach Ryan Odom stated during his postgame press conference:

“… I thought our guys did a nice job. The discipline was there for the majority of the night. They did get us on occasion, not on occasion, probably too many times at the end of drives with shot fakes, but for the most part, in that first 10 minutes of the second half, we were able to stop them in and around the rim and stay down. And they were kind of left with some really hard shots there, which allowed us to get out in transition. I thought our press was pretty good. Even though we didn’t get a lot of turnovers or anything like that, I thought our press, you know, was effective.”

The Bad

Jan 7, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory (2) dribbles the ball as California Golden Bears guard Dai Dai Ames (7) defends during the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Although Virginia wrapped up the matchup with a 24-point lead, there were moments throughout the night in which leads were swapped between programs in the first quarter. Once the second half rolled around, the Golden Bears were unable to catch up. However, the brief moments that they did control the scoreboard could have cost UVA the game, and ultimately, another loss in the ACC.

“I’m not worried about the margin,” said Odom. “It’s more about how we’re playing. And I thought our guys played well tonight, you know, defensively, we’re trying to make strides. We’re trying to get better. The guys are focused on that. Offensively, we can’t lose that, you know, ability to really share the ball and put pressure on our opponents. And I think we’re improving.”

The Ugly

Jan 7, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory (2) dribbles the ball around California Golden Bears guard Dai Dai Ames (7) during the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Much of the back-and-forth lead during the first quarter was due to Cal’s pressure. Their defense stayed on top of UVA, which ruffled some of the Cavaliers’ feathers on the court, forcing some turnovers along the way.

Odom described this situation by stating, “Cal was really bothering us with their defense, their aggressiveness, and stepping out and pick and roll, even though we didn’t have a ton of turnovers in that first half. We had five. There were still some bobbled balls. The ball was loose and a little bit too loose for us. And their pressure had a lot to do with that. The end of the half was really important for us, the execution on defense and offense to give us a little bit of a cushion there going into halftime.”

Virginia certainly encountered some difficulty last night, but it wasn’t anything they couldn’t successfully navigate. Now, the Cavaliers are gearing up for their upcoming matchup against Stanford on Jan. 10 at John Paul Jones Arena. Will UVA capitalize on its opportunity to extend its ACC record to 3-1?

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Virginia

Stanford gets win over Virginia Tech, freshman Ebuka Okorie calls game

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Stanford gets win over Virginia Tech, freshman Ebuka Okorie calls game

Freshman guard Ebuka Okorie lifted Stanford over Virginia Tech with a game-winning, step-back 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left to give the Cardinal a 69-68 win at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia, on Jan. 7.

Okorie sized up his defender, Virginia Tech freshman Neoklis Avdalas of Greece, before getting into his sweet spot and rising up.

Okorie scored 31 points, going 11-for-18 from the floor with four 3-pointers, including the go-ahead bucket. His four made from long-distance tied a collegiate career-high. He added six assists and had only one turnover.

Virginia Tech led 31-24 at the end of the first half. However, Stanford came out of the second half and switched gears. The Hokies were outscored in the second half 45-37.

Virginia Tech was led by Avdalas with 21 points. Hokies sophomore guard Ben Hammond scored 14 points off the bench.

Chisom Okpara had an off night for Stanford, scoring just four points on 1-of-11 shooting, but still the Cardinal would get some help in the scoring department from Donavin Young and Oskar Giltay, who chipped in with 11 and eight points, respectively.

Stanford continues its road trip with a visit to No. 23 Virginia on Saturday, Jan. 10. Virginia Tech has a home game Saturday against California.