Birds of prey in Library/Community Center program

Birds of prey in Library/Community Center program

The Nature's Educators program on birds of prey Feb. 21 at the Westside Community Center... ABOVE: During an informal time after the presentation, volunteers from the Aurora nonprofit organization hold up birds for viewing - Andy Janes (foreground), with a merlin (pigeon hawk); Amy Olsen (far right), with a red-tailed hawk; and Devin Paszek (between them), with a falcon. BELOW:Youngsters get up close and personal with a screech owl, held by Paszek.

Westside Pioneer photos

       More than 50 people - with kids sitting on the floor in front - filled a room at the Westside Community Center Feb. 21 to learn about birds of prey (raptors) and got to see four of them up close.
       The presenting group was Nature's Educators, a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization from Aurora whose “mission is to teach anyone and everyone about the importance of birds of prey,” its website states.

The hour-long program was lined up by the Old Colorado City Library and presented at the Community Center because it has more space.
Shown at different times during the presentation were a red-tailed hawk, a merlin (also known as a pigeon hawk) a screech owl and a falcon. For each speaker, a bird was leashed to a heavy glove, while the audience heard about hunting habits and even threats such birds face, including (in modern times) wind farms.
Nature's Educators houses 29 birds and reptiles in all, pictured by name on the group's website at http://natureseducators.org.

Westside Pioneer article
(Posted 2/23/14)

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