RAPTOR WEEKEND

Audubon currently cares for 12 birds, including owls, hawks and a raven. Their extraordinary adaptations are sure to fascinate both children and adults alike. In addition to close-up visits from feathered friends, participants learn about raptor behaviors, predators, prey and habitats.

Christine Peyreigne cares for injured and/or orphaned raptors. Whenever possible, she releases them into the wild after rehabilitation. In the summer of 2015, Christine rescued and rehabilitated Audubon’s Red-tailed Hawk: Finn. Finn’s injuries prevented his release and he now calls the Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium home.

christinescritters.org

Audubon Director of Avian Research Dr. Charles Clarkson will give a lecture on "Why Birds Matter", followed by a book signing of the newly released Second Atlas of Rhode Island Breeding Birds. About the lecture: Birds have been evolving on our planet for roughly 1.6 million years. During this period, they have radiated into over 10,000 species and can be found in nearly every habitat that exists. Aside from bringing us great joy as they nest in our backyards, visit our feeders and fill wild spaces, birds provide countless ecosystem services. They pollinate our plants, control pest populations, remove decomposing organic material and spread seeds far and wide, thereby creating new habitats across the globe. This lecture will talk about the amazing things birds do and what we stand to lose in a warming world as many of our avian populations decline rapidly.

Marcia and Mark Wilson founded Eyes On Owls in 1994 as an educational enterprise that brings owls to schools and other groups to teach about these wild “neighbors” and their habitats.

eyesonowls.com

Formed in 2001 by Mary-Beth Kaeser, Horizon Wings’ mission is to rehabilitate birds of prey for release into the wild in order to maintain their population, and to educate the community to enhance awareness of the environment.

horizonwings.org

French native Gregory Wojtera is a Master Falconer who has worked with more than 55 raptors since 2010. He trains and flies hawks, falcons and owls for a variety of purposes, including hunting, falconry abatement (bird control) and education. He created Masters of the Skies in 2014 to educate the general public about birds of prey and falconry, and he has been working as a full-time falconer and educator since 2016. 

http://www.mastersoftheskies.org/