Western Kentucky Raptor Center Inc.
Newsletters/Announcements
November 2007 Newsletter
Season’s Greetings to All!
November has been a very busy month for WKRC. We’ve made great strides this past month, but we still have much work to do in accomplishing our goals for the center.
“DECISION 2007”: NOVEMBER 20th BOARD MEETING - A lot of voting took place at the board meeting held at WKRC on November 20th. Reggie “Red Tail” Helm was voted in as our newest board member. Additionally, Samantha Kelley was voted in as our Rehab Team Leader and Laura Wood was voted in as Secretary. Please also join us in welcoming Dr. Justin Rosemier to the Rehab Team.
Thank you to all of you for your contributions to our organization! Members also voted at the November 20th board meeting that further WKRC meetings will be held on the THIRD Monday of every month, so make sure to mark your calendars!
The next WKRC meeting will be held on December 17th at 5:30 p.m.
Additionally, a master wish list was started at the meeting and will be posted on our website shortly. If you’d like a copy of this continuously updated wishlist, please email Laura Wood at tiniestowl@gmail.com.
If you’re looking to clean out some of your clutter after the holiday season, take a gander at our wish list first. Any and all donations are more than welcome!
MEWS NEWS:
Eagle Scout candidate, Colby Grayson, has completed a second muse for WKRC. Colby organized the construction of our second mews from compiling the materials, to organizing his building team, to putting on the finishing touches. Colby’s team finished the construction of the mews in one afternoon! Colby put forth an amazing effort in the organization and construction of this mews and his team did a phenomenal job.
We can not thank Colby enough for such a valuable contribution to our organization. Great work Colby and many congratulations on a job well done!! We are very pleased to announce that each mews has been officially named for the scout who built it. The Grayson mews and the Seaton mews are already housing raptors who are on the mend. We can’t thank you enough scouts!
FLIGHT CAGE STATUS:
Reggie Helm, Eric Miller and Damon Wood have been putting in some major overtime this month. The flight cage went from non-existent in early November to being 90% complete 3 weeks later. A work “party” was held on the Friday after Thanksgiving, as well as the following Saturday. All that remains is to put on a door and install the net roof. The flight cage is a crucial instrument in rehabilitating bird of prey. With the flight cage completed, our patients will be able to stretch their wings before they’re released. Many thanks to Reggie, Eric and Damon for all their hard work.
RECENT RELEASES:
On 11/02/07, a Red-Tail Hawk with a healed sprained left wing was released. On 11/22/07, a recuperated Red-Tail Hawk that was electrocuted was released. On 12/04/07, Thumper, a Red-Tail Hawk that was healed from a potential poisoning was released. On 12/08/07, a Cooper’s Hawk found emaciated by Don Boarman was released with plenty of meat on her bones.
YES, DEER:
If you are a deer hunter, or know a deer hunter, we’re looking for donations of deer meat that is one year old or less. So far, the raptors are being fed chicken necks, but they need variety in their diet. Any donations would be greatly appreciated.
VOLUNTEER CORNER:
Want to learn more about what it’s like to be a WKRC volunteer? Damon and Laura Wood have started an online journal recounting their experiences and thoughts on volunteering at the Raptor Center. They post pictures and videos of our recent patients and keep track of their progress. To read more, visit: http://wkrc-rehab.livejournal.com.
NEXT MEETING:
The next WKRC meeting will be held MONDAY, DECEMBER 17th, 2007 at 5:30 p.m. We are planning on releasing our first owl, a barred owl affectionately called “Fat Owl-bert.” Fat Owl-bert came to us with a broken right wing, and has been at the center since October 20th. Fat Owl-bert has healed up quite nicely and is ready to fly away. Please join us for our special Christmas release and bring a friend!
From the WKRC to your family: Have a safe and happy holiday season!
Eric Miller, Paul Hardesty, Don Boarman, Mike Mattingly, Reggie Helm, Samantha Kelley, Dr. Justin Rosemier, and Damon and Laura Wood
