Liz Crandall takes us an unforgettable visit with the residents of the Southeaster Raptor Center in advance of their next owl release. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes!
Photo by Heather May
When I was in grade school, the Wolf Sanctuary outside St. Louis brought a wolf to visit. They were relatively new then and doing a lot of outreach, so they brought their star resident, Rocky, out and about in the community as they raised funds. For me, it was an formative experience and my interest in wildlife conservation probably began with that visit. When we were in Bloomington, we were close to Indiana’s Exotic Feline Rescue Center, which offered us up close visits with an amazing array of big cats. Unlike the wolves in St. Louis, the residents of that acreage outside Terre Haute will live out their lives there, unable to be returned to the wild. Not so with many of the birds who come to Auburn’s own Southeastern Raptor Center.
Members of the Auburn family are, of course, very familiar with raptors. The flight of the War Eagle before home games is one of the great traditions in college football. Those birds call the Southeastern Raptor Center home and its mission extends well beyond stirring the Auburn faithful on game day. Wounded and orphaned raptors from all over the region are brought to the center for evaluation and, hopefully, return to the wild. The latter portion of their mission happens again this week when Barred and Eastern Screech Owls who have been fostered at the Center are returned to the wild in an event at Kiesel Park. As it turns out, several of the owls were brought to the center as orphans by well-meaning people who did not realize they were healthy fledglings, so the Center will provide an educational session before the release as well.
The Southeastern Raptor Center, in collaboration with the City of Auburn Parks and Recreation Department, will release owls into the wild at Kiesel Park on July 8. An educational program at 6:30 p.m. is followed by the owls release at 7 p.m. People are encouraged to bring a picnic and to enjoy the park at Kiesel while watching the unique event.
– Kelly Walker
