Wildlife West Raptor Class
by John Weckerle
Did you know that the only birds in the world known to have any sense of smell are the kiwi and our own Turkey Vulture? This is just one of the many fascinanting facts attendees at Wildlife West Nature Park’s Bird Handling Class will learn. The Park will hold its Bird Handling Class on Saturday, June 13, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $20, which is an outstanding value for a great day of learning about native raptors. For more information, see Wildlife West’s Bird Handling Class page and our June 9, 2008 article.
On another note: I recently met with Park officials who told me that donations were down significantly compared to last year; they didn’t have hard figures, but thought it might be as much as 65%. I was shocked to hear that the Park is currently borrowing money just to feed the animals. Folks, Wildlife West is an asset that all of us can enjoy and that provides employment and educational opportunities for our young people – and the rest of us. We’d like to remind everyone that memberships can be purchased and donations of any size made via the Park’s membership page. We know that times are tough, but even small donations – $5, $10, $20, etc. – can help Wildlife West continue to be the asset it has become. The Park also accepts corporate, music festival, and habitat sponsorships (corporate and music festival sponsorships may be purchased online, and habitat sponsorships may be purchased through coordination with the Park). For more information, contact the Park at 505-281-7655 or toll free at 877-981-9453, or visit the Wildlife West web site, roll your cursor over the “Support” button, and choose the link that interests you. Wildlife West is recognized by the IRS as a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization, so your contributions are tax-deductible. Checks can be sent to:
Wildlife West Nature Park
P.O. Box Number 1359
Edgewood, NM 87015
As always, we encourage people to visit the Park – your entry fee also helps, and we think you’ll find the visit well worth the price of admission.